Citrusy Salmon with a Kick
I’ve included 2 ways for you to cook this tasty salmon dish. One way is quick & easy, while the cedar plank version takes longer, but is well worth the effort! (see Tips# 1 & 2)
Serves: 2
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups orange juice, no pulp, not from concentrate
1/2 organic lemon (zest & juice)
1/2 tsp zest from an organic orange
2 salmon fillets or steaks, 6 to 8 ounces each
1 Tblsp butter
1 Tblsp light brown sugar
1/2 to 1/8 tsp hot red chili powder (depending on your heat preference)
1/4 tsp granulated garlic powder
1/8 tsp kosher or sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper, 6 pepper mill turns
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
For serving: 2 lemon wedges, 2 orange wedges & 2 servings of my Creamy Dill Sauce (see recipe in Sauces & Gravies category)
Directions
1. In a glass baking dish; mix orange juice, lemon juice, lemon zest & orange zest. Place salmon, skin side up, in mixture & marinate for 30 min to 1 hour at room temperature. Don’t go longer than 1 hour as the acid in the juices will start to cook the salmon.
2. Preheat oven to 425°.
3. Melt butter & set aside.
4. In a small bowl; mix brown sugar, chili powder, salt & pepper creating a dry rub.
5. Line a small baking sheet with tin foil & grease with a little EVOO. Place marinated salmon, skin side down, on baking sheet.
6. Rub half the sugar/spice mixture all over the top & sides of each piece of salmon. Then spoon half the melted butter over each piece.
7. Bake, on middle oven rack, 10 to 12 minutes depending on thickness (for the Cedar Plank version see Tip# 2).
8. Serve each plate with a lemon wedge, an orange wedge (for squeezing over salmon) & Creamy Dill Sauce.
Tips & Suggestions
1. Salmon is especially tasty if you cook it on a cedar plank. There are many types of cedar planks on the market & can be purchased in most cooking specialty stores. Mine is made by a company called Chinook Planks & can be purchased online from a number of retailers, including Amazon.com. Regardless of the brand you buy, be sure to follow the directions for seasoning & maintaining it. Cedar Planks are extremely versatile & you can also cook other types of seafood, meat, poultry, potatoes & vegetables on them.
2. When baking salmon on a cedar plank; follow all the directions that came with your plank, as to preparing it each time you use it. Reduce oven temp to 350° & baking time to 30 – 45 minutes, depending on the size & thickness of the salmon. Once you taste & smell the intoxicating aroma of the cedar planked salmon, you may never go back to cooking it any other way!
