This trio of flavors – salmon, oranges, black olives – is fabulous. Blood oranges are ideal combined with Cara Cara oranges because both are beautifully balanced with sweetness and a hint of tartness. Very juicy and large, Cara Caras are also called Red Navel Oranges. With their lycopene-based pigmentation, they have salmon-orange colored pulp. Make a chunky orange sauce taste savory by sauteing with olives. Quick and simple, cook the sauce while broiling Wild Irish or Sockeye Salmon, or Arctic Char, or chicken breast. Perfect for the workweek, it brightens your evening and makes you feel special. Here is the recipe per serving, multiply as you wish.
Per serving. Cooking time is 5 to 12 minutes depending on main ingredient.
1 fresh salmon filet (8 ounces or 225 g)
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml dry volume) finely chopped shallot or yellow onion
1/4 cup (60 ml dry volume) peeled chopped oranges
4 pitted Taggiasca or Nicoise olives or other small olives
Fresh orange juice
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Fresh fish purchased should be thoroughly clean of scales and bones, but check first and remove any, then rinse under cold running water and pat dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Written cooking time is for one 8-ounce (225 g) filet, 1-inch (2.5-cm) at its thickest part, removed from the refrigerator 15 minutes before broiling.)
Remove the rind from the oranges. Split into quarters. Use one quarter or more for the sauce, split between the membranes then cut into chunks. Squeeze fresh juice from the remaining oranges and save for the sauce. Rinse the olives under cool running water to freshen up and remove excess salinity, this makes an important difference!
2. Preheat the broiler. Place the salmon skin-side down and broil until cooked the way you like it, from rare to well-done.
Sauce: Meanwhile, in a small non-stick pan, warm some olive oil over low heat. Increase the heat to medium, add the shallots or onions and saute for a few seconds until fragrant, do not brown. Add the chopped oranges and saute for just a few seconds so they retain their shape. Add the olives and stir. Pour in the fresh orange juice and simmer briefly, at most 1 minute. Since olives add salt, taste the sauce now then season to taste. Remove from the heat. Plate the salmon. Pour some juice from the sauce over, then top with the Orange-Olive Sauce.