I’ve had this “wheel” of guava paste sitting in my pantry since 2015. I know, but thank goodness it’s in a tight-sealed can! It was buried in the back of my pantry cabinet with little hope of getting any love until we had to clear out all of our kitchen cabinets for the renovation. It was then (about a year ago!) that I promised myself that I would definitely do something with the paste. An obvious choice was to make guava and cream cheese pastries, which I did (recipe on blog soon!). But I wanted to do something more interesting and unexpected with this.
I’m glad I did. I searched for a list of complimentary ingredients that would pair well with guava. Orange, ginger, chili spices, etc. Since we eat a lot of fish in this house, esp. salmon, I decided to develop this recipe as a glaze and sauce for fish. The guava paste is extremely sweet, but I tried to add the right balance of heat with the ginger and chili spice. The worcestershire and soy sauce give this glaze a really great, deep savory flavor. It can also be used on halibut (if you can afford it these days!) or even black cod. Yum!
This recipe can be made in the oven or stove top. Grilling the fish adds an additional level of smokiness that pairs really well with the flavors in the sauce. It’s a great recipe, and one that I’m going to keep it in rotation on the family dinner menu!
GUAVA-GINGER GLAZED SALMON
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS
- 4 salmon fillets 4-6 oz each
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup guava paste cubed
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¾ cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
INSTRUCTIONS
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Make the sauce first. Combine guava paste, orange juice, ginger, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stir until guava paste is dissolved and all ingredients incorporated. As soon as ingredients come together, turn off heat so that the sauce doesn’t over-thicken. You have the option to add more orange juice to thin out the glaze if needed.
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Using paper towels, pat dry each salmon fillet until most of the liquid is removed from surface. Coat with olive oil then season fish on both sides with salt and pepper.
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Light a grill or grill pan over medium heat. Grill fish for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until it is cooked to desired consistency. Using a basting brush, generally coat both sides of the fish with glaze. Serve remaining glaze on the side.