This is a weeknight delight because it literally comes together in 30 minutes, it’s healthy and you get your Omega-3s in a delicious piece of salmon. And yes, there is all of ¼ cup of heavy cream which last time I looked worked out to 50 extra calories a serving.
I confess to having grave doubts about pairing mushrooms and salmon. But who doesn’t love doing a recipe search for a combination you’ve never heard of and finding something that really works? In this case, Food and Wine’s website produced this recipe from Ian Garrone and Allen Kuehn, two San Franciscans who, respectively, toil at Far West Fungi and the San Francisco Fish Company. They have neighboring stores in the Ferry Building, a temple of food that you really shouldn’t miss when you visit the city. And after you’ve tried this, I’m sure you won’t want to. But please, if you can afford it, buy Wild Caught Salmon and stay away from the Farmed stuff and you’ll be doing salmon (and the water they swim in) a huge favor.
The salmon is briefly marinated in Orange Juice which the recipe says ‘creates a deeply caramelized glaze that is so delicious you will never want to cook salmon any other way’. Well, it was lost on me. I could blame the fact that I used Tropicana rather than fresh squeezed OJ so next time I will. And I’ll come back and post a comment on whether it made all that much difference. But regardless, the dish is delicious even if the orange flavor is limited to say the least. Here is the recipe:
Recipe for Salmon with Mushrooom and Scallion Sauce
Four 6 ounce skinless, center-cut salmon filets
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
Salt
4 tbsp. plus two tsp. unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lb. sliced cremini, oyster, or plain button mushrooms
Freshly Ground Pepper
8 medium scallions, cut into two inch lengths
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup vegetable or fish stock (low sodium please)
1/4 cup heavy cream
Preheat the broiler. Lay the salmon fillets in a baking dish and pour the orange juice over them. Season with salt; let stand for 5 minutes. Turn the fillets; let stand for 5 minutes longer.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter. Add the garlic and cook over moderately high heat until fragrant. Add the mushrooms; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderately high heat, until the mushrooms have released their liquid, 5 minutes. Stir in the scallions and cook uncovered over high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, 5 minutes. Add the wine; boil for 1 minute. Add the stock and cream and simmer for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
While the sauce simmers, transfer the salmon to a rimmed baking sheet, skinned side down. Top each fillet with 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining butter. Broil 5 inches from the heat for 5 minutes, without turning, until richly browned and just cooked. Spoon the sauce on plates, set the salmon on top and serve.
