Grilled Salmon Sandwiches with Tapenade Recipe
Sandwiches Starring Grilled Fillets of Salmon and Black Olive Spread
Jul 24, 2009
Grilled salmon is one of the most popular main courses to cook on the backyard barbecue. Frequently, however, folks feel that they have to treat home-grilled salmon fillets the way fancy restaurants do, serving them as a knife-and-fork main course.
Why not feature barbecued salmon in a sandwich instead? The fish fillets work brilliantly between two slices of sourdough bread briefly toasted on the grill, especially when the resulting sandwiches are sauced with store-bought mayonnaise (use low-fat on non-fat mayo, if fat is an issue) flavored with tapenade.
Tapenade: Secret Behind the Recipe's Great Flavor
What's tapenade? For those who haven't already fallen to its charms, this spread from the south of France is a flavor-packed puree of black olives, anchovies, olive oil, capers, olive oil, and garlic.
Quickly made in a food processor, the tapenade in this recipe couldn't be easier to prepare. Be sure, however, to start with good brine-cured black olives. Look for those labeled Niçoise style; Greek Kalamata olives may also be substituted.
GRILLED SALMON SANDWICHES WITH TAPENADE SPREAD
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- Tapenade (recipe follows)
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 skinless, boneless salmon fillets, each about 6 ounces
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 8 slices sourdough bread
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 large Roma (plum) tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 cup packed watercress leaves, torn into bite-sized pieces
Directions:
- Preheat an outdoor grill, indoor grill, or broiler.
- Meanwhile, prepare the Tapenade, following the instructions in the recipe that follows.
- In a shallow bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and all of the lemon juice. Turn the salmon fillets in the mixture and marinate at room temperature until ready to cook.
- Season the salmon fillets all over with salt and pepper. Grill or broil until golden brown and just barely cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. After turning the fillets over, brush the bread slices on both sides with the remaining oil and grill or broil them until toasted golden brown, about 1 minute per side.
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and tapenade. Spread the mixture evenly over one side of each bread slice.
- Place a salmon fillet on top of each of 4 bread slices. Top each salmon fillet with sliced tomatoes, watercress, and the remaining bread. Cut the sandwiches crosswise in halves with a sharp serrated knife, or leave them whole. Serve immediately.
TAPENADE
Makes about 1/2 cup
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup pitted brine-cured black olives
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained
- 1 tablespoon coarsely torn fresh parsley leaves
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 anchovy fillets, drained
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
Directions:
- Put the olives, olive oil, capers, parsley, lemon juice, anchovies, and garlic clove in a food processor fitted with the stainless-steel blade.
- Pulse the machine on and off a few times to chop the ingredients coarsely. Then, run it continuously, stopping several times as necessary to scrape down the side of the bowl, until pureed to a smooth paste.
The tapenade's pungent, briny flavor provides a perfect contrast to and enrichment for the salmon's rich, sweet taste, yielding a wonderfully aromatic, succulent sandwich. And, of course, the spread can just be spooned alongside the grilled salmon, without the bread, if a more elegant plated first course is desired. (Got cooking talent that needs expressing? Learn how to write a recipe!)
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