Orange Glazed Salmon with Roasted Fennel and Red Potatoes

My daughter recently announced that she has decided to become...a pescatarian! A what?! Don't worry. It's not as scary as it sounds. It's just that she no longer wants to eat anything that has legs or walks on the earth...just things that swim around in the sea. This is fine with me.  I think it's commendable and I will do whatever it takes to support her. This doesn't mean that I won't cook any earthly creatures anymore...I just won't be serving them to her.

There's a really bad joke that I've debated over telling you. I don't know. It may not be that funny.  Forgive me and please don't judge me if it's not...because it's not my joke. While on vacation this summer, we sat at a hibachi table with four lovely teenagers from the UK. They were adorable and really fun to talk to. When the chef asked if anyone had any dietary restrictions, one of the girls said that she was a pescatarian. So, my husband, who tries terribly hard to be funny, looked at her with a puzzled look and said, "You're a Presbyterian?"  

Anyway...

Salmon is my favorite fish. I think it is one of the most flavorful, versatile and it's super healthy with all of those omega-3s. I  make salmon often, so I try to change up the way I prepare it so my family doesn't get bored. This meal came together mostly because of some Honey oranges we had in the fridge. They are a type of a large tangerine; super sweet, super juicy and delicious. It's just that they are so hard to peel, no one has been eating them, so juicing them and creating this glaze made sense. Orange and fennel go well together and my husband and I love roasted fennel. It's got a subtle licorice flavor that gets really sweet when roasted.

Roasted Fennel and Red Potatoes 

2 large bulbs fennel, tops and fronds trimmed and ends cut (save the fronds for garnish)

about 1 lb. baby red potatoes

2-3 T. olive oil

2-3 sprigs fresh thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  

Cut the fennel into wedges and trim the core out a bit. I leave a bit on so that the sections do not fall apart. Put the fennel and the potatoes in a baking dish and drizzle with the olive oil. Throw in the sprigs of thyme in between the vegetables and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.  

Check for doneness with a fork. If more time is needed, move the vegetables on the lowest rack of the oven while broiling the salmon.

Orange Glazed Salmon

juice of 2 oranges (about 2/3 C.)

2 T. dark brown sugar

1 T. balsamic vinegar

zest of 2 oranges, divided

2 t. Dijon mustard

1/4 t. sea salt

black pepper

a squeeze of fresh lemon
1 1/2 lb. salmon, either in one large piece or cut into portions

Preheat broiler to 500 degrees with the rack in the highest position.

In a small saucepan over medium high heat, combine the orange juice, brown sugar and the balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium and simmer for about 8 minutes, until reduced by about half. Remove from heat and add most of the zest (keep some for garnish), the Dijon mustard, sea salt and black pepper and the lemon juice. Whisk to combine. Set aside to cool a bit.

Place the salmon on a foil covered sheet pan with sides. Pour the glaze over the salmon making sure to cover the entire piece.

Place the salmon just under the broiler and broil for about 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Check it a few minutes early to be sure.

Use the remaining orange zest and some of the fennel fronds as garnish when serving.

Notes:

• In making this dinner, you may want to prep the glaze first to give it a chance to cool down and thicken up a bit. Then get the vegetables going and almost done before broiling the salmon.  That way they'll finish up at the same time and the oven will already be mostly preheated for you.
• If you buy one large piece of fish, as I did, score the fish most of the way through in portion size pieces just before glazing. It's a bit easier than trying to cut the fish after it's cooked, otherwise, it just flakes apart (which is fine too).
• Save the stalks of the fennel in a zipper bag in the freezer. Add any other veggie parts you don't use in your recipes to make a vegetable stock later.