Salmon Salad

This morning I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner since I was heading to the market.

He said – and I quote – “How about fish?”

I nearly fell out of my chair.

My husband has never been a “fish guy.”  The closest he usually comes is shellfish like Alaskan king crab legs which is his favorite, or shrimp, scallops that type of thing.  Otherwise, he is more of a meat and potato or pasta kind of man.

So, all excited, I went to the market and picked out some salmon that looked good.  I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it so I thought I’d wing it and see what I had on hand.

Here is what I came up with………………..

Mike asked at dinner what I would call this dish.  He does this, I don’t know why.  He just needs to have a name for everything.

I guess you could call it:

Sautéed Salmon Fillet served over spinach with a honey citrus dressing and balsamic reduction.

Sound good?  If so, here is what you need:

2 Salmon Fillets (check to make sure there are no bones and remove the skin)

3 oranges (of your choice or whatever you have on hand but I used a combination)

½ thinly sliced large red onion or one whole if it is small

Honey

Baby Spinach

Balsamic Vinegar

Here is what you do:

In a small sauté pan, start the balsamic reduction.  This is super easy.  Pour the balsamic vinegar in the pan and cook over medium heat.  This is going to reduce way down.  You want it to have a thick syrupy consistency.  I used about 1/3 cup and it reduced to 1-2 tablespoons. 

Doing this helps cook off some of the acidity and concentrate the sugars to make the vinegar sweeter.

*forewarning* as the balsamic cooks, it gives off a very strong acidic odor.  This can be made ahead when little people are not home running around saying “ewwwww what’s that smell?”   Just a thought.  Just a suggestion.  Also, don’t stand over the pan and smell deeply through your nose.  Trust me on this.

While the vinegar is reducing, prep the ingredients you will need for the sauce. 

Wash your fruit. Zest and segment one orange. 

If you are unsure of how to segment an orange or any other fruit for that matter, come stop by, I’ll show you.  If you are not in the area – here is a brief description.

Place the orange on your cutting board. Slice off the ends of the fruit to expose its juicy interior.  Beginning at the top, slice off just the skin and pith running the knife along the curve of the fruit. 

This is what they should look like after removing skin and pith.

In case you are wondering - the orange on the left and one I worked on above is a blood orange.  These are wonderful!  They taste like a combination between a grapefruit and an orange.  And the color is beautiful, isn't it?

Once the skin is removed, its time to remove the segments.  Working over a bowl, hold the orange firmly in your hand.  Gently slide your knife between the membranes toward the center of the fruit to release the segments. You will be cutting on a slight angle or V to remove the fruit.  Loosen each segment and set aside.  Remove pits if there are any.


Squeeze the juice from whats left of the orange into the bowl with the juices collected during segmenting.

Start your salmon.  Check to make sure there are no bones.  Turn over fillet and gently remove the skin.  Normally, I would leave the skin on during cooking to keep the fish together but since it is going on top of a salad, you won't want to fuss with it too much after it's cooked. 

Heat some olive oil in an ovenproof skillet.  Salt and pepper the salmon and add to the pan.  Cook until lightly browned, then flip and do the same on the other side.  Put fish into oven to finish cooking for approximately 6 minutes. 

This is an approximate time.  You will need to adjust how long it is in the oven based on how thick the filets are.  Some could be cut longer and wider and you may not even have to put it in the oven.  You have to use your judgment and cook them just until they are “done.”  The salmon should be firm but not too firm, should be flaky and turn a lighter pink.  Don’t cook too long or it will be tough. If you are still not sure, you can make a small sliver into the middle to check it.  You have my permission.  It’s okay.  You’re cooking at home and not for the Queen.

While the salmon is in the oven or is finishing cooking on the stove top, heat some olive oil in a skillet and briefly sauté the onions.  You want them just slightly wilted. 

To the onions, add the orange zest, juice from the oranges and honey (about 2 Tbsp or a couple turns around the pan).  Throw in some salt and pepper and let the sauce cook a little until it starts to thicken and reduce slightly.

When the salmon is finished cooking, place it over the bed of spinach.  Add the oranges and drizzle the orange juice dressing and balsamic glaze over the top.  Done.  Eat.  Enjoy.   

If you are looking to make this meal a little heartier, you can serve the salmon over a bed of sautéed spinach or accompany it with some cooked rice.  It does not have to be a salad.  The salmon and the sauces stand great on their own.  If you prefer a different type of green, by all means, substitute it. 

For that matter, if you don't like salmon, substitute another type of fish. The fish can also be done on the grill but you may want to leave the skin on for that or put the fish in a grill basket so it does not fall apart.

Another alternative, if you don't have the fresh citrus to make the sauce, you can substitute orange or grapefruit juice.  Just adjust the honey amount as the bottled juice may have added sugar.  For the oranges, you can substitute a can of mandarin oranges or even sliced pineapple if you have it on hand.
Remember, it's your kitchen and your tastes.  Like I always say, take the idea and make it your own.  No set rules. 

Unless, of course, you are baking, which we all know if you have read my previous postings.