14 May 2011



I think that salmon and citrus flavors go together beautifully.  I have lots of salmon recipes that incorporate various types of citrus, so I am going to try to space them out over the course of the summer.  This recipe is interesting because it has not only citrus, but also the complex flavor of ginger.  If you've read this blog for any length of time, you probably know about my love of all things ginger.  Can't get enough of the stuff.  I saw a recipe for "Red Snapper with Orange-Ginger Sauce" in the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book and decided to change it up a little bit.  I used salmon instead of the red snapper and I gave ginger more of a starring role.  It turned out fabulously.


Salmon with Ginger Orange Sauce


Ingredients:
4 salmon filets
Salt
1 tbsp olive oil
⅓ cup orange juice
2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
¼ tsp toasted sesame oil
1 green onion, sliced


Directions:
Rinse salmon; pat dry with paper towels.  Season with salt on both sides.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Place salmon in pan and cook until brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness.  Remove salmon from pan, set aside, and keep warm.


Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the orange juice, soy sauce, honey, and ginger.  After removing the salmon from the pan, pour soy sauce mixture in and bring to a boil.  Boil gently for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce has reduced and thickened.  Remove from heat.  Stir in sesame oil.


To serve, place fish on a plate and drizzle with the ginger sauce.  Sprinkle with green onion, if desired.


Makes 4 servings.

The BHG recipe called for poaching the snapper in chicken broth, but I thought a quick pan-sear would be easier.  It also called for a lot less ginger, only ½ tsp.  Half a teaspoon?  Why bother?  I didn't actually measure out my grated ginger, I just cut a big hunk off, peeled it, and grated it right into the other ingredients.  I'm guessing it was about a tablespoon.  This way the ginger is the dominant flavor in the sauce.  I think otherwise it would have been the orange juice.  While the sauce is definitely sweet, it has a salty side too, from the soy sauce.

I also greatly reduced the amount of sesame oil.  It called for a whole teaspoon.  I like a tiny bit of it to add another depth of flavor, but I have ruined things by putting too much in.  It has a really strong flavor, so I thought I would start with ¼ tsp and give it a taste.  It was perfect.  Any more would have definitely made that the dominant flavor instead of a supporting role.

This was a really easy dish to prepare and is great for a summertime dinner.

Tagged: , ,

0 comments:

Post a Comment