Photo by Quentin Bacon for Weeknight Wonders
Why limit rhubarb to dessert? It goes savory too! Here it makes for a glorious sauce for a rich salmon fillet. The sauce is a stunning deep pink color with a zingy punch of ginger, a little cayenne pepper kick and a tempering sweetness from orange juice and honey. A finishing sprinkle of fresh basil adds a floral essence that ties it all together. Serve with whole grain rice or couscous.
Salmon with Savory Rhubarb Sauce
Ingredients
2 medium shallots (2 ounces), peeled and diced
1 ½ inch piece fresh ginger, finely grated
1 large stalk rhubarb (about 8 ounces), diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup orange juice
½ cup white wine
3 tablespoons honey
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
oil for brushing pan
Four 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
Directions
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook until softened, 1 minute. Stir in the ginger and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the orange juice and wine and bring to a boil over a high heat. Cook on high until the liquid is reduced by ¾, about 4 minutes. Stir in the rhubarb, return to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the rhubarb loses its shape and the sauce is thickened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the honey, cayenne and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm until the salmon is ready. The sauce may be made to this point up to two day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to serve, gently warm over a low heat.
While the sauce is simmering, brush a grill or grill pan with oil and heat over a medium high heat. Season the salmon with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Cook the salmon for 10 minutes total per inch thickness, flipping once. While the fish is cooking cut the basil leaves into ribbons. Right before serving, stir all but 2 tablespoons of the basil into the sauce.
To serve, spoon about ¼ cup of the sauce onto each plate. Top each with a salmon fillet and garnish with the remaining basil.
Makes 4 servings
Serving Size: ¼ cup sauce and 1 salmon fillet
Calories 370; Total Fat 14 g; (Sat Fat 2 g, Mono Fat 6.1 g, Poly Fat 4.8 g); Protein 35 g; Carb 20 g; Fiber 1 g; Cholesterol 95 mg; Sodium 230 mg
Excellent source of: protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin K, pantothenic acid, copper, molybdenum, phosphorus, potassium, selenium
Good source of: folate, iron, magnesium, manganese
