Here's what you'll need for four servings. This recipe can easily be reduced if cooking for two, or even just for one, or multiplied if you need even more. I made four servings and kept leftovers since we only ate two.
4 fillets of salmon (or about a pound and a half if you buy one big piece, which tends to be cheaper)
3 oranges
1 shallot
1 6-ounce bag of fresh baby spinach (just whatever your grocer has in the bagged spinach section by the produce)
olive oil for drizzling
salt & pepper
enough parchment paper for four 16-inch-long pieces
a zester (or a cheese grater with a zesting side)
The first step here is to skin your fish. If you can buy fillets that are already skinless for a reasonable price, DO IT!! Not having to skin your fish will save you a lot of stress (especially if this would be your first time doing it, or if you're a bit neurotic like me) and time. That said, I paid about $11 for the pound and half skin-on fillet that I got, while I would've paid probably twice that if I'd gotten four skinned fillets. Save time or save money, it's really up to you.
Another bit of useful knowledge is that the majority of the omega-3s, the good fats that are in salmon, are between the skin and the flesh. If this recipe were for grilled salmon, I would tell you to leave the skin on because once the fish is cooked it becomes very easy to peel away the skin. Because we're steaming however, you won't get the opportunity to remove it before serving, and the skin can change the flavor profile of the fish.
SO, if you're up for the fish-skinning adventure, here we go. I apologize that I forgot to take pictures during this process, but I'll try to be as descriptive as possible. This is, in my opinion, the best way to do it IF you have crappy knives like me. (If you don't, skip down to the link below and watch the video. THAT is the way it really should be done.)
Place your fish on a cutting board with the skin side up. With a very sharp knife parallel to the board, make a cut along one of the short edges of your fillet just under the skin, trying to cut into as little of the red fleshy part as possible. Try not to use sawing motions, but rather make long, even strokes along the length of the cut until you have enough skin detached from the meat to be able to get a good grip on it. This is the point at which I like to pretend I'm a surgeon.
Using a paper towel, grip the skin and pull it away from the meat while using your other hand to hold the fillet in place against the cutting board. Pull slowly and firmly, making additional cuts as you need to (if you start picking up a lot of meat with the skin).
You'll get the hang of it as you go but it can definitely be frustrating, so if you're reluctant or if my explanation didn't make any sense to you, just spring for the skinless stuff! If you've got a nice knife, here's an alternate method via a helpful video compliments of ehow.com (a fantastic website! you can look up how to do just about anything!) as well: http://www.ehow.com/video_2339480_removing-skin-from-fillet-salmon.html
OK, the hardest part of this recipe is over, I promise!! From here on out this is super easy to prep, make, AND best of all, to clean up!
If you opted for one big fillet, cut it into four equal parts and double check for bones. If you skinned the fish yourself there's a better chance that you'll still have a few little bones to pick out, depending on where you bought it. Apply gentle pressure along the center of the fillet (where the spine would've been) and just off to either side and run your fingers laterally off the fish. If you feel any bones poking you, just pull them out with your fingers but if you've got some stubborn little guys, try a tweezers (sanitized first, please!) if you don't have the appropriate top-chef tool (a special fish bone tweezers!).
Preheat your oven to 400° F.
While your oven is heating up, zest about half of one orange. Then cut the ends off of all three oranges, and using a knife, cut away the peel, wasting as little as possible of the actual orange. Cut each orange into four even rounds. Finely slice the shallot.
Place a piece of parchment paper on your work surface, then arrange a bed of spinach (about 1/4 of the bag) on top. Place one salmon fillet on the spinach, then top with a good sized pinch of orange zest (Don't be shy, but you don't really need a ton either...you probably won't end up using all of the zest) and about 1/4 of the shallots. Even if you don't like shallots or onions, just cook the fish with them for the flavor. The pieces are big enough that they're easy to pick off after cooking. Trust me. AND you may decide to make yourself like them after reading all the good nutrients that are in them! (see end of blog)
Season with salt and pepper, the drizzle with olive oil.
Now take the long sides of the parchment paper and roll them together to make a seam, then tuck the lose ends under to make a little packet. Be sure that you've got a good seal so that the contents will steam properly and not lose any moisture to the hot oven. By the way, these packets can be made ahead of time too. If you've got extra time the night before, or before you go to work in the morning (I know, nobody has extra time in the morning...I'm just trying to give you options!), make these up then and when you get home just pop them in the oven and relax!
Repeat these steps with all four (or however many) portions, then place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the salmon is cooked through. Start by setting your timer for 15-18 minutes and go from there. I ended up baking mine for 23 minutes all together.
The original recipe also calls for 1/4 cup of fresh, diced ginger (about a 2-inch piece, peeled), which I think would really bring out the flavor of the oranges, so somebody try it with ginger and let me know how it is! (I thought I had some but I'd used it all! :( ) I also would be interested to know if this is good with leafy greens other than spinach! Maybe something with arugula in the mix?
And finally, as promised, here's what's good about eating what's in this dish:
(brought to you by livestrong.com, webmd.com, ods.od.nih.gov (Office of Dietary Supplements website) and nutritiondata.self.com)
-Salmon is naturally very high in omega-3 fatty acids, which the body cannot produce on its own yet it needs for growth, development and brain function. These fatty acids are also great for your heart since they lower blood triglycerides, the main form of fat in the body. When we consume excess calories that the body cannot convert into energy, triglycerides are what those calories are converted into, and what's stored on the body parts that we may not be so proud of. Omega-3s also keep plaque from accumulating in the blood vessels. A four-ounce serving, which is a little less than you're getting with this dish, carries 2.9 grams of omega-3s, which is equivalent to 87% of the daily recommended value! Salmon also is one of the few foods in which vitamin D naturally occurs, which promotes growth and bone health. Also natural to salmon are selenium (good for thyroid function and cancer defense) and and vitamin B-12 (promotes nerve function, red blood cell and DNA synthesis).
-Spinach also has a ton of good stuff that the body needs. Iron is a big one, especially for women, who need more than twice as much daily as men do to aid in the healthy formation of cells. We all know that vitamin C boosts the immune system, but did you know that it also aides in the production of collagen, which we need for healthy skin, bones, teeth and blood vessels? In one cup of spinach, you'll get 1,688 micrograms of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that protects your cells from harm and also helps the body to produce vitamin A, as well as 145 micrograms of vitamin K, which helps your blood clot normally and promote bone health in the elderly.
-Oranges are a huge source of vitamin C, but also of fiber, thiamin, folate and potassium. Fiber has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease, obesity and certain types of cancers, and can make you feel fuller for longer since fibrous foods require more chewing and stay in your stomach longer. Thiamin, a.k.a. vitamin B-1, processes carbohydrates, while folate processes protein and can help prevent birth defects when consumed by pregnant women. Potassium promotes healthy blood pressure and fluid balance within the body and even reduces the risk of kidney stones!
-And I just learned something new about scallions! Holy cow are these full of good things!! You could pretty much pick anything off the periodic table and scallions are probably chock full of it: thiamin, riboflavin (vitamin B-2, converts food into energy), magnesium (heart, muscle, nerve and bone health), phosphorus (cell function, energy production, bone growth), copper (iron metabolism), fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, folate, calcium (bone, nervous system and blood health, muscle contraction), iron, potassium, and manganese (bone formation, chemical reactions in the body).
So I hope you enjoy the recipe, and that you learned something along the way! Stay tuned for more new posts coming soon :) Happy Tuesday!
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