Orange-Coriander Salmon
Fish, to taste good, must swim three times: first in water, then in butter, and finally in wine. Polish Proverb
Makes 4 servings
Calorie Content: Who cares? The “good” cholesterol-busting fat in salmon negates any caloric content.
While I do not believe in reincarnation (although in a past life I did), if given the choice of what or who I’d come back as, I’d have to pick an Orca (commonly called the awful, inaccurate, and degenerating name: Killer Whale). Specifically, I’d like to be one in the Pacific Northwest where I could eat salmon every day of my life. I love salmon and typically eat it twice a week.
This recipe uses crushed and ground coriander seeds. And lots of them, too. Buy a container of whole seed and process it yourself just before using. That way you’ll get the full orangey flavor of the seeds rather than the diluted flavor of previously processed seed found on the grocery shelves.
Ingredients:
Musical ingredient: Anything by the Canadian folksinger Stan Rogers - especially his songs about the sea. Alexa will find it for you! You won’t regret it!
8 T coriander seeds (Finely crush 4 T of the seeds using a mortar and pestle or a spice mill. Set aside. Separately, coarsely crush the remaining 4 T of seeds and set aside.)
1 orange (1/2 orange sliced thinly, the other half squeezed for juice)
4 6 oz skinless salmon fillets (or buy a 1.5-pound fillet about 1 inch thick, ask the fishmonger to de-skin, then before cooking, cut into four 6-oz pieces.
Salt
3 T extra-virgin olive oil (EVO)
2 medium shallots thinly sliced lengthwise
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 Cup of water
2 T unsalted butter
Cilantro leaves (a small bunch to serve as a garnish)
Recommended wine: Pinot Noir
Directions:
1. Start playing Stan Rogers tunes.
2. Pat each 6-oz salmon piece dry with a paper towel, season top and bottom with a pinch of salt. Press each piece, one side only, into the coarsely crushed coriander seed and set aside until all are coated this way.
3. In a nonstick frying pan, heat EVO over medium heat. Add salmon pieces, crushed coriander seed side down, and cook for about 3 minutes until bottom is golden brown. Turn salmon over and cook for about another 3 minutes. You want the flesh to be opaque. (see note below). Transfer to a platter.
4. To the same pan, add shallots and cook until softened.
5. Add the finely crushed coriander seed and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
6. Add lemon juice, orange juice, butter, orange slices, and water.
7. Cook until sauce starts to thicken, stirring often, about 2 minutes.
7. Spoon sauce and orange slices evenly over the salmon.
8. Garnish with cilantro leaves.
Notes:
From my experience, most who say they don’t like fish have bought old fish and cooked it like it was a piece of steak. Buy fresh fish and cook it the same day. How to tell if fish is fresh? Use your nose. Old fish stinks before, during, and after you cook it.
Then repeat after me: “I will not cook fish like it’s a piece of beef or a piece of chicken. I will not cook fish like it’s a piece of beef or a piece of chicken...” Repeat as much as needed.
Salmon (cod, haddock, and flounder as well) is rather delicate and, in general, always cooked at a lower temperature than other types of meat. You want the salmon to stay moist. Salmon is cooked when you can easily flake the thickest part apart with a fork. The flesh will also have turned from shiny and translucent to opaque when done.
Cilantro is the Spanish word for coriander. However, in the US, we use “coriander” for the orangey-tasting seed of the cilantro plant, and “cilantro” for the leaf and stems of the plant.
