August/September 1997
By TERRI PISCHOFF WUERTHNER
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The light flavors of fruit mint touch this Grilled Salmon Fillet with Pineapple Mint Mango Salsa, accompanied by Roasted Balsamic Onion Rings with Apple Mint.
Photograph by Joe Coca
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THE ROLE OF MINTS has changed over the
centuries. We no longer use them to pay taxes or strew their stalks
on the floor to mask bad odors. Today, mints belong in the
kitchen—and not just for garnishing. Their uses go far beyond the
traditional pairing with lamb and flavoring for jellies, teas, and
juleps.
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The ancient custom of concluding feasts by chewing a sprig of
mint to settle the stomach and cleanse the breath persists today in
the form of breath mints, but there’s no reason why a hostess can’t
offer bright green sprigs of fragrant, fresh mint to nibble on
after a meal. They are available, attractive, and inexpensive,
especially if you keep a mint plant in your kitchen or on the
patio.
With these recipes, I’ve been experimenting with some of the
fruit-flavored mints, and I’m finding them almost as useful as the
spearmint I’m more accustomed to using. Try substituting fruit
mints in recipes that call for mint, such as lemonades and juleps,
summer fruit salads, mint sauces to top fruit or ice cream, and
vegetable dishes such as peas, carrots, and potatoes that need a
flavor boost. Fill a vase with fresh fruit mint sprigs to permeate
your kitchen with a clean, pleasant fragrance.
Grilled Salmon Fillets with Pineapple Mint Mango
Salsa
Serves 6
A hollowed-out pineapple half makes a festive serving bowl for
this fruity, refreshing salsa.
Salsa
2 cups chopped fresh pineapple (1/2 medium pineapple)
11/2 cups peeled, chopped, fresh mango (1 medium mango)
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 green onions, chopped
11/2 tablespoons minced fresh pineapple mint leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
11/2 pounds salmon fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh pineapple mint leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pineapple mint leaves for garnish (optional)
Combine the salsa ingredients at least several hours or as long
as 2 days before serving, cover, and refrigerate.
Pat the salmon dry. Mix the salt, pepper, and pineapple mint
together, and sprinkle the mixture on both sides of the salmon.
Pour the olive oil in a nonstick skillet or griddle and heat it on
medium high. Sauté the salmon for 3 to 5 minutes per side,
depending on thickness, or until done (the flesh should just be
opaque—do not overcook).
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