Whitefish with Cherry Salsa ~ whether you grill your fish over charcoal or pop it under the broiler, my juicy cherry salsa makes it a spectacular 30 minute meal.
fish + salsa: a match made in summer-cooking-heaven!
The idea of pairing fish with salsa isn’t new on tvfgi ~ I’ve matched fish and seafood with salsas for years, just check the recipe index! It’s always been one of my favorite ways to cook, especially in spring and summer. It’s light, colorful, fresh, and unexpected. So healthy, too.
cherries make an unexpected but fabulous salsa to pair with savory dishes
Salsa ~ ‘sauce‘ in Spanish ~ it livens up so many Mediterranean recipes, and it’s spilled over into every cuisine on the planet. Sometimes silky, sometimes chunky…almost always vibrant and explosive in flavor. Fruit (remember tomatoes and peppers are fruits!) makes the best salsa because it’s naturally sweet and juicy. When you pair it with red onions, herbs, and something acidic like citrus or vinegar, you’ve got a combo that livens up so many foods (think grilled chicken, fish, steak, pork, tacos, even eggs…) I chose cherries for this salsa because they hold their shape well, and have a strong sweet flavor that holds up to the heat of the jalapeño.
make the most of cherry season while it’s here!
Every year the Washington State Fruit Commission sends me the motherlode of fresh Northwest cherries as they come into season. Like all stone fruit, you don’t see cherries except when they’re in season, so it’s use ’em or lose ’em until next year. I’m making sure to use every last one of mine…
Note about tools: A cherry pitter makes all the difference when you’re trying to eat as many cherries as you can during the short season! It took only minutes for me to pit a bowl of fruit for my salsa.
my tip for making effortless salsas – you’ll thank me for this!
For salsa I like to chop the cherries in a small dice which helps the juices release and the flavors mingle. I like my stainless steel Alligator Chopper for the job, it’s one of my favorite kitchen tools and I talk about it a lot. The stainless steel version is a bit pricier than the plastic one they advertise on tv, but it’s so much sturdier (the plastic one broke on me after a few months use.) I even mince the jalapeño with it.
Cherries are sturdier than many other fruits, so you can make your salsa up to a day ahead of time, just keep it airtight in the refrigerator. It’s great with grilled chicken, steak, and tacos, too. I’ve been known to polish off leftovers with a bag of chips.
choosing a type of fish to pair with this cherry salsa
I chose whitefish for this dish because I think the cherry jalapeño salsa works best with a mild fish, salmon or other strong fish might compete with the flavor. Cod, halibut, or tilapia would all be good choices, plus the bright white fish looks so pretty against the brilliant salsa. Grilled shrimp, maybe skewered for the barbecue, would work great too.
Make this whitefish with cherry salsa your own ~
- Make it with blueberries, strawberries, or even raspberries!
- Make it with tilapia, trout, halibut, or cod.
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Whitefish with Cherry Salsa
Ingredients
salsa
- 2 cups finely chopped cherries
- 1/2 jalapeno, seeded, and finely minced (leaves seeds in for more heat)
- 3 Tbsp finely minced red onion
- 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice, (1-2 limes)
- 3 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro, or more, to taste
Instructions
- Combine the salsa ingredients in a bowl and toss. Taste to adjust the lime juice, cilantro, or jalapeño. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 425F
- Arrange the whitefish in a single layer on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, and then either dot with butter or drizzle with olive oil. Tuck the lemon slices around the edges of the fish. When the oven has reached temperature, bake the fish just until it is opaque and flakes with a fork, about 10-12 minutes. Put the pan under the broiler briefly to get some charring on the surface.
- Serve the fish with the lemon slices topped with a generous amount of the cherry salsa.
Hello, is it possible or even worth the effort to make the cherry salsa with frozen cherries?
I’ve never tried, but I think you should be able to do it, they would have to thaw partially to be able to dice them up, and then you could drain off any excess liquid, if necessary.
I am considering the alligator chopper. How does it do with carrots? Does it chop celery also?
It does great with carrots, beets, butternut squash, celery, etc. I have even used it to cut cooked chicken into perfect cubes (it comes with different sized grids) The reason I recommend this sturdy steel model is that it holds up to things like carrots. The plastic one breaks after a while, in my experience.
Hello Sue!
This recipe looks great and I’m glad I found it. I would love to try it, but I’m a baby when it comes to anything spicy, so the jalapeño scares me! Is this a very spicy salsa? If so, do you have any recommendations to replace the jalapeño?
Thanks!
Melissa
Hey Melissa ~ jalapeños aren’t that hot when it comes to the spectrum of hot peppers, but you have a few choices… you can leave the jalapeño out, you can remove all the veins and seeds from the pepper, and that will make it milder, or you can substitute a green bell pepper, which will provide a little flavor, color, and crunch without the heat.
Loving this pairing of cherries with fish! Can’t get enough cherries right now 🙂
What an amazing combo of flavours! Cherry salsa is definitely a keeper.
That looks almost too pretty to eat! But, it also looks like a delicious and refreshingly light summer dinner! I bought both cherries and tilapia this morning, but never dreamed they end up in the same recipe! They will now!! Thank you!
I love that Lynn, tilapia will work perfectly with this salsa 🙂
Loved this take ! Cherry salsa is such a perfect summertime spin ! Well done!
This is spectacular! We’ve been eating cherries like they’re going out of style. I need to hide a little stash to make this wonderful looking salsa!
Like this one since we are surrounded with fish and it does not require any special kind. Paired with cherries ? Interesting ! Love to experiment 🙂
My ‘taste testers’ gave this a resounding thumbs up, the cherries work perfectly with the fish, and if you have access to many varieties I bet you’ll find a great match.
Oh my goodness, this is the most beautiful pan of fish I’ve ever seen. LOVE cherries and have all my life. I cannot wait to try this recipe! Thanks Sue 😉
Thanks Tricia ~ I think fruit that you can only get for a short time each year is always special, thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend 🙂