We were talking about what to have for Easter dinner, and both decided that we could skip the traditional ham or lamb. Then, I came across a recipe for Baked Pineapple Salmon from the nice folk at delish.com, and knew that our feast day question had been answered.
Fortunately, we have a most excellent fish monger and smokehouse right in the neighborhood by the name of Captain Porky’s, so I knew that the salmon would be fresh and oh, so tasty!
It also helped that prep and cooking was so simple that we could have hosted a houseful of folk, and still had plenty of time to chill and enjoy the day and our company.
INGREDIENTS
•8 pineapple rings, fresh or canned
•1 large salmon fillet (about 3 lbs)
Sauce:
•1/4 tsp Kosher salt
•1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
•3 tbsp melted butter
•2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
•1 tbsp Sherry Peppers Sauce*
•1 tbsp pineapple juice
•Cilantro, chopped (I used parsley)
•3 garlic cloves
• 2tsp freshly grated ginger
•2 tsp toasted sesame oil
•1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Garnish:
•Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
•Thinly sliced green onions, for garnish
•Lime wedges, for serving
*No Sherry Peppers Sauce? No Problem! Simply add a bit of decent sherry (none of that “cooking” stuff) and a dash or three of your fave hot sauce, to taste.
Note: I am not a fan of cilantro, so I substituted fresh parsley, but, on thinking 
about it, basil might could be a fine replacement here as well.
Heat your oven to 350º or your grill to medium and line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Combine the sauce ingredients into a large beaker or blender container and, using an immersion blender (beaker) or your blender, pulse until you have a thick sauce.
Apply cooking spray to the foil and arrange the pineapple slices in a single layer across the pan.
Place the salmon filet (I had our fish monger remove the skin) on top of the pineapple slices and brush with the sauce.
Bake or grill the salmon until it is cooked through – 20 to 25 minutes.
Note: if you grill your salmon, preheat your broiler the last five minutes or so of grilling.
Pop the pan under the broiler for two minutes, until the fish is light gold. As you might note from this image, I hadn’t thought to preheat my broiler, so – while the salmon was lovely, moist, tender, and oh! so tasty – it did not get the slight golden char I was hoping for.
Oh well. Next time.
Serve with fresh lime slices, sesame seeds, and sliced scallions.
We had a spinach salad with red onion, Cointreau macerated strawberries, and shredded green leaf lettuce on the side.
We did not miss the ham or lamb.