We are talking about a food that is not typically Italian but which is still widespread on the tables of Italians, the salmon. We will prepare it with typical products especially from the south, citrus fruits and chestnut honey.
When we talk about salmon we are referring generically to a fish of which, in reality, there are several species. The most widespread commercially is that of Atlantic salmon, the only species naturally present in the Atlantic Ocean. As we said it is not a typically Italian product. In fact, this fish is not found in the Mediterranean nor in any southern European freshwater basin. It is mainly bred for marketing. The largest producers are Norway, Scotland and Canada. In Italy silver salmon has been successfully introduced into Lake Garda.
From a nutritional point of view, salmon is a very popular food. It is rich in good fats, the polyunsaturated ones including the Omega-3, noble proteins and vitamins A, D and B12. Its consumption therefore helps to keep cholesterol under control by decreasing the bad (LDL) and increasing the good (HDL), slows down cellular aging by counteracting free radicals and, thanks to vitamin D, promotes the absorption of calcium and is therefore recommended in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.
The recipe for salmon with chestnut honey and citrus
After this brief presentation of the main ingredient, let's see how to prepare our salmon with honey chestnut and citrus.
Let's start by marinating the salmon, extract the juice of half an orange and half a lemon (if you prefer to have a more or less sour taste, change the amount of lemon), grate some of the zest of the two citrus fruits and pour everything into a container together. with salmon steaks. We cover with cling film and put in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.
Meanwhile (optional) prepare some caramelized red onion that we will use to garnish. Cut the onion into slices. Let's put it in a pan by adding a tablespoon of granulated sugar and one of brown sugar. Add some water and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. When cooked, add a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt.
After maceration, in a pan heat a little oil with a clove of crushed garlic and a sprig of rosemary. Then add the salmon, over high heat, browning both sides. If you use a fillet, cook only on the skin side. Once a light browning is obtained, remove the salmon, garlic and rosemary from the pan. Pour the liquid used for the marinade, add a generous spoonful of honey, here we used the chestnut one, and mix everything together.
Let it shrink for a couple of minutes and put the salmon back in the pan to finish cooking. Remember that the cooking phases of salmon must be short, otherwise we risk overcooking it and making it dry.
We serve with the pilaf rice, the caramelized onion, the cooking sauce and a sprinkling of pepper and rosemary.
Our salmon with chestnut honey and citrus is ready.
Buon appetito!
Photo by Luca Marotta
