These delicious kebabs have a bit of a Spanish flair with the smoked paprika glaze and cumin crème fraîche dipping sauce. Marinated cherry tomatoes give them extra flavor and color, and they help in the cooking, too. Just as the tomatoes blister on the grill, the salmon is cooked through. Serve over a bed of greens and pass the dipping sauce separately.

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the Salmon Skewers

  • 6 bamboo skewers 1⁄2 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried garlic powder 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 3 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 4 teaspoons Sherry wine vinegar, plus 1 tablespoon 3⁄4 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
  • 11⁄2 pounds Verlasso salmon fillets, skin removed and cut into 3 inch cubes
  • 12 cherry tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 12 two inch sections of red onion wedges, soaked in ice water for at least 30 minutes

For the Cumin Crème Fraîche

  • 1 cup crème fraîche
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice 31⁄2 teaspoons ground cumin

Directions

  1. Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent them from burning too quickly.
  2. For the glaze, mix together the olive oil, garlic powder, thyme, smoked paprika, chili powder, vinegar, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper in a medium bowl. Reserve half of the glaze for brushing the skewers after they are two-thirds of the way cooked. With the remaining glaze, pour over the salmon in a re-sealable container and marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Marinate the cherry tomatoes in the olive oil and vinegar separately in a re-sealable container for at least 30 minutes.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the crème fraîche, lime juice and cumin. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
  4. Thread the salmon, cherry tomatoes and onion wedges on each of the bamboo skewers. Arrange the skewers on a large cookie sheet. Cover and chill the skewers and the reserved glaze in the refrigerator. You can make this up to 4 hours ahead.
  5. Heat the grill to medium-high heat, about 400°F.
  6. With the hood open, lightly brush the skewers with olive oil. Grill until the salmon is lightly browned on the outside and slightly opaque in the center, turning once and brushing occasionally with the glaze until the salmon is about two-thirds cooked. Total cooking time is only about 6-8 minutes.