Inspired by an aguachile he ate at Nice Dream in Yucca Valley, Christian Reynoso’s version pairs crispy-skinned salmon with a bright broth of melon, tomato, lime and chile.
Christian Reynoso
What do a beach in Malibu, a restaurant in the high desert and a frying pan in my home have in common? Well, this recipe.
At La Piedra Beach, the ocean appears before the beach. From the parking lot, a dusty trail descends through a ravine coated with ice plants and their little yellow flowers. Ahead, the bluffs open into a broad “V” of ocean and sky, waves visible at its base. The water was unusually warm, and I stayed until the sun made me pleasantly useless.
Later that day, I made myself useful and got behind the wheel to head east to Yucca Valley, straight to Nice Dream, a friend’s restaurant that opened this year. Nice Dream began as a nondairy ice cream booth at the Joshua Tree Farmers Market. In the new space, everything is open, pale, with sandy plaster walls, big windows, blond wood and small round tables that each have their own terrazzo pattern. Mine was white with irregular black and gray pebbles.
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In the morning, Nice Dream serves coffee, matcha, pastries and ice cream. At night, the bar, Sugar Water, pours cocktails and the menu turns toward oysters, chawanmushi, salmon collar and raw fish. Encountering fresh seafood in the high desert can feel like the pleasant unreality of seeing someone you know in the wrong city. After my time at the beach, it was like the coast had followed me inland.
Chef-owner Coral Lee has an aguachile on the menu that arrives with four slices of Crown Hamachi folded over in a shallow pool of coral-hued broth. The yellowtail was buttery and quite substantial, each pink and ivory slice curling as if it had settled into itself for a nap. Tiny lemon verbena leaves rested on top, giving off a perfume every time I leaned over the bowl.
The broth delivered a gradual heat with plenty of lime, cantaloupe, watermelon, tomato and habanero. The tomato pulled the fruit forward into something savory while the richness of the hamachi held its own in all that acid. I promptly stopped wanting that cheeseburger that I strangely craved after a long time in the car.
What stayed with me was the melon in the broth, and it became the starting point for this week’s recipe. My version keeps the melon, tomato, lime and chile, then adds garlic and ginger. Blended and strained, it becomes a light, pourable broth that tastes mostly of lime, but is rounded out by the soft sweetness of the melon and tomato. The garlic sneaks in underneath and it all finishes with a clean bite from ginger and habanero.
For the fish, I sear skin-on salmon, which gives the whole thing a heft worthy of dinner. The salmon goes into the broth while still warm, with its crisp skin held above the liquid. Thin red onion and sliced serrano are tossed into the aguachile first, where they soften slightly and season the broth as they sit. I ate mine with tortilla chips and guacamole, making little bits of first chip, then guacamole and then flaky chunks of salmon and a little onion.
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It’s not a traditional aguachile. But it is the one that followed me home.
Start with crispy-skinned salmon, then spoon the melon-tomato chile broth around it and finish with red onion, serrano and cilantro.
Christian Reynoso
Crispy-Skinned Salmon Aguachile
Aguachile is a bright, punchy seafood dish from Mexico’s Pacific coast and islands. It translates to “chile water” and is distinctly spicier and fresher than a ceviche. It can also be served with cooked fish, and in this recipe, a sweet and spicy melon chile water serves as the sauce for this crispy-skinned salmon. All you need is some tortilla chips or tostadas and a hefty serving of guacamole to call it dinner.
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12 ounces salmon, cut into 2 to 3 pieces
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8 ounces tomato (preferably orange or yellow) cut into chunks
8 ounces peeled and chunked seedless watermelon, preferably orange or yellow
½ cup fresh lime juice (from about 3 to 4 large limes), plus more to taste
1 large clove garlic, peeled
2-inches ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
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½ orange habanero chile, seeded or not seeded, for a spicier aguachile
¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
¼ medium red onion, sliced thinly
½ serrano chile, sliced thinly
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and stems
Tortilla chips, guacamole, and beans (optional)
Prepare the salmon: Pat the salmon dry with a towel, especially the skin. Then, season with salt on all sides. Place the salmon skin-side down on a dry paper towel and set aside.
Make the broth: In the well of a blender, combine the tomato, watermelon, ½ cup lime juice, garlic, ginger, habanero chile, honey and ¼ teaspoon salt. Pulse until a smooth sauce forms. Strain the puree through a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl or use a fine-mesh cheese cloth to strain into the bowl.
Taste. Add more lime juice if it needs more acidity and more salt if the flavors seem muted. If the lime feels too sharp, stir in honey, ¼ teaspoon at a time. The aguachile should taste tart and savory first, then softly sweet, with the heat lingering at the end.
Add the onion and serrano, toss to coat, then refrigerate while you cook the salmon.
Sear the salmon: Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the canola oil. Once it glides across the pan with a slight tilt, place the salmon in the skillet, skin-side down. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook undisturbed until the skin is golden brown and crisp, and the flesh is opaque about one-third of the way up the sides, about 5 minutes.
Carefully turn the salmon over and cook until the center is slightly translucent for medium-rare or just opaque for medium, 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to plates, skin-side up.
Serve the aguachile: Spoon the chile broth around the salmon and scatter the onion, serrano pieces and cilantro over the top. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately with tortilla chips, guacamole and beans, if using.
Dining and Cooking