Rick Bayless' Grilled Salmon Vera Cruz with Lemon-and-Thyme-Scented Salsa

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons lemon zest finely grated
• 2 tablespoons thyme sprigs fresh chopped for garnish
• 0.3 cup capers drained and rinsed
• 3  jalapeno stemmed seeded thinly sliced
• 1 cup olive green pitted roughly sliced (preferably manzanillo olives)
• 6 servings salt to taste
• 3  pasilla peppers stemmed seeded thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 42 ounces salmon steaks 
• 1 medium onion thinly sliced
• 0.3 cup olive oil extra virgin extra-virgin plus more for oiling the grill and the salmon
• 7 cups tomatoes diced ripe ()

Equipment

• sauce pan
• grill

Directions

1. Place oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the tomatoes, chopped thyme, lemon zest, and half of the olives, capers, and peppers. Simmer briskly, stirring, for about 5 minutes to evaporate some of the liquid. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir in 1 cup water and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt. Cool.
4. Preheat a gas grill to medium-high or light a charcoal fire and let it burn just until the coals are covered with gray ash and very hot. Reduce the heat on one side of the gas grill to medium-low or set up the charcoal grill for indirect cooking by banking all of the coals to one side, leaving the other half of the grill empty. Set the cooking grate in place, cover the grill and let the grate heat for 5 minutes.
5. Oil the grill and both sides of each salmon steak; sprinkle fish with salt. Cook the salmon over the hottest part of the grill for about 4 minutes, until nicely browned underneath. Carefully flip over the fish onto the cooler side of the grill; cook 2 to 4 minutes more for medium-rare.
6. Spoon the sauce into a deep platter and nestle the fish in it.
7. Let stand at room temperature for about an hour to bring together the flavors of the fish and the sauce.
8. To serve, sprinkle the fish with remaining olives, capers, and peppers; garnish with the thyme sprigs.
9. Serve immediately.
10. Per serving: 460 calories, 15g carbohydrates, 42g protein, 25g fat, 110mg cholesterol.
11. New Wellness, Richmond, Va.