Salmon is the new chicken of our house. My youngest daughter would eat it everyday and typically eats more than any of us on nights when I serve salmon. So I was looking for a few different ways to prepare it that were not too time consuming but were a little different. I had recently come across this recipe and was intrigued by the use of agave. A natural sweetener that seems to be everywhere. So I picked up my first bottle last weekend with this recipe in mind. Fresh, sweet and light, this will become a dish we serve all summer.
Salsa:
2 large oranges
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 scallions, finely sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I used a couple of drops of hot sauce in place of red pepper flakes)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salmon:
Vegetable or canola oil, for oiling the grill
4 (4 to 5-ounce) center cut salmon fillets, skinned, each about 3-inches square
2 tablespoons amber agave nectar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salsa: Peel and trim the ends from each orange. Using a paring knife, cut along the membrane on both sides of each segment. Free the segments and add them to a medium bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, scallions, mint, capers, orange zest, lemon zest, and hot sauce and olive oil. Toss lightly and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
For the salmon: Put a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Brush the grilling rack with vegetable oil to keep the salmon from sticking. Brush the salmon on both sides with the agave nectar and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the salmon to a platter and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Spoon the salsa on top of the salmon or serve on the side as an accompaniment. Serve with some herbed couscous and consider yourself very chefy!
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