2 skinless salmon fillets (if you can’t find skinless, carefully remove the skin before cooking using a sharp knife
3 carrots, julienned or cut into thin matchsticks
1 hot house cucumber, ribboned into thin slices using a vegetable peeler
1 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 pinch red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
Romaine lettuce
Cilantro, chopped
Instructions
Start by pickling your carrots
Chop/julienne the carrots and set aside
Bring the vinegar, sugar, and pepper flakes to boil in a small pot
Boil until the sugar is dissolved – it shouldn’t take longer than 30 seconds
Add the carrots to a container – I used a mason jar
Pour the pickling liquid into the jar so it covers all the carrots
Let the carrots pickle for at least an hour
Prep the rest of the toppings
For the cucumber: using a vegetable peeler, peel the first few layers of cucumber off and discard since they will be mostly skin. Peel the cucumber into thin ribbons, stopping when you get to the seeds. Turn over and repeat with the other side
Chop your cilantro
For the sweet chili aioli, stir together your mayo, sweet chili sauce, and a few pinches of salt in a small bowl
When the carrots are done pickling, heat a grill pan over medium high heat with some coconut oil (or olive oil)
Season your salmon with a little salt and pepper and sear on both sides until the fish is cooked through
Lightly toast your Ciabatta rolls under the broiler in your oven
To assemble the sandwich, spread a dollop of aioli onto the top and bottom of each roll, add a leaf or two of Romaine lettuce, the salmon, some of the pickled carrots, several ribbons of cucumber, and some cilantro