Looking at our summer garden with the vegetables maturing slowly (I’m impatient when it comes to homegrown vegetables), I realized how much I miss the orange trees that we had in our backyard in Southern California. The fragrance of the blossoms and the fresh picked-off-the-tree oranges… oh soo sweet. No matter what time of year it is though, there always seem to be oranges available at the grocery store.
We were barbequing salmon for dinner and I wanted to create something different to pair with the salmon. The leeks in the garden were nearing maturity so I picked a few and went to work creating this recipe. I know, I know, I picked the leeks a little early. They are not as big around as they should be but that didn’t affect the terrific flavor that evolved from this recipe.
One tip I would pass along is to cut the oranges a bit thicker than I did. Some of the thinner sliced sections fell apart when cooked.
Saute leeks and oranges together with a little wine, but be sure to save some wine for the cook!
I had some leftover rice from another meal, so I fried it up in a pan with a little olive oil and more leeks to use as a bed for the salmon.
Melt in your mouth great! I served this with BBQ zucchini. Oh Yea!
Yields 2
Save RecipeIngredients
- 2 salmon fillets (seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder & seasoned salt)
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 2 oranges
- 2 leeks, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice 1 orange crosswise into medium thick slices. Squeeze juice from the other orange into a bowl and set aside.
- Heat a frypan on high and add the fruit slices in a single layer. Grill for a few minutes on each side or until slightly charred and caramelized. Deglaze with wine.
- Add olive oil and one leek to the oranges in the frypan. Saute until leeks are softened.
- Stir in honey, reserved orange juice, and salt to the orange and leek mixture. Set aside.
- In another frypan saute the remaining leek until softened and add pre-cooked rice. Combine thoroughly and salt and pepper to taste.
- In the meantime, season and barbecue salmon to preferred doneness.
- Assemble meal by dividing and plating rice on two dishes. Place cooked salmon on the rice bed and topping it with the oranges and caramelized juice.