Miso-maple salmon with fennel and orange

Impressively easy fish dish yields big flavours!

In case you haven’t already noticed, we’re big fish fans over here at Constantly Cooking. Scroll through the archives and you’ll find some delicious, easy inspiration if you’re looking for new ways to enjoy fish. Some of my favourites include Mediterranean Fish Stew, Salmon in Puff Pastry with Dill Sauce and Crispy pan-fried Basa Fillets. This new recipe was inspired by a fantastic gift I received from a friend – gorgeous salmon caught and flash frozen at a fishing lodge in British Columbia’s Haida Gwaii. I knew I had to do this beautiful fish justice by coming up with an easy yet impressive way to prepare it, and I’ll definitely be making this dish again. If you’re looking for an exceptional wine pairing, I’d recommend the Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve 2015 Chardonnay; it’s a buttery, creamy Chardonnay that has prominent citrus notes, making it a great match for the fennel, orange and salmon.

Ingredients

Salmon:

• 2 skinless salmon fillets
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) miso paste
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) white wine

Fennel and orange:

• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil, divided
• 1 bulb fennel, stalks and fronds removed
• 2 navel oranges, peeled, halved and sliced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) white wine
• salt and pepper

Method

• Combine the miso, maple syrup and white wine. Spread evenly over both sides of the salmon fillets and place them on a clean plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours.
• While salmon is marinating, prepare the fennel. Remove any discoloured outer layers and halve the fennel bulb. Slice very thinly and set aside. Prepare the orange and shallot.
• Drizzle half the olive oil in the bottom of an ovensafe baking dish. Scatter the fennel and shallots in the dish, then top with orange slices. Drizzle remaining olive oil and white wine over top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 375F. Cook fennel and orange mixture for 15 minutes then remove pan from oven and place marinated salmon on top. Return pan to oven and cook for 15 – 25 minutes longer (time will depend upon thickness of salmon). The salmon is cooked when the internal temperature is 145F.
• Remove pan from oven and serve.

Serves 2.