salmon with chokecherry citrus sauce
Salmon with Chokecherry Citrus Sauce
Salmon Nation refers to the land stretching along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Northern California. Coho salmon once populated the small creeks and large rivers that feed San Francisco Bay and braided a salmon tapestry along the riverine basins of the North Coast Mountains. Salmon is a precious fish relative, an integral part of Indigenous communities in this region, and its protection is an act of resistance. Melissa K. Nelson, chair of The Cultural Conservancy, a nonprofit based in California's Bay Area, shared this recipe featuring wild salmon paired with another food native to North America—chokecherries, a shrub belonging to the rose family. The astringent cherries are commonly made into jellies, preserves and syrups; the latter is used to glaze this salmon.
Ingredients:
- 4 (6-ounce) skin-on wild salmon fillets
- 4 lemons, sliced
- 3 tablespoons chokecherry syrup (see tip), divided
- ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 1 cup fresh orange juice, strained
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
- sliced scallion greens or chives for garnish
Directions:
- Place salmon on a baking sheet with 3 lemon slices under and 3 slices on top of each piece. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Discard the lemon slices. Brush the flesh of each fillet with 1 teaspoon chokecherry syrup. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a large cast-iron grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the salmon, skin-side up; cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a fish spatula, flip the salmon and cook until opaque in the center, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Combine orange juice, lemon juice and 2 teaspoons chokecherry syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until reduced to about ⅓ cup, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter, whisking until it melts.
- Serve the salmon with the sauce. Decoratively dot each plate with a bit of the remaining 1 tablespoon chokecherry syrup. Garnish with scallion greens (or chives), if desired.
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