**Before I get to the recipe I would like to remind you that the signup post for June’s YBR has been posted. If you’d like to participate sign up here, June’s YBR signup. **
Do you ever get a craving only to be shot down by the fact that you either don’t have the food in your kitchen nor available at your local grocery store? Then you have try to satisfy it with something else or change your craving altogether. Frankly, it just sucks!
The particular craving I’m talking about today is salmon. I wanted a big thick salmon fillet. I’m talking King/Chinook or Sockeye . Fresh, vibrant, fatty and just melt-in-your-mouth almost orgasmic kind of salmon. I was setting the bar very, maybe too high. Salmon is one fresh fish that is most available here in this landlocked country. As I walked down to the grocery store I began daydreaming about how I would prepare it. Maybe just grilled so the skin becomes yummily crispy. Perhaps I’ll marinade it before grilling it or cook it under the broiler. Oh the anticipation has high and the taste buds were salivating.
I walked into the store and headed for the fresh fish case. *@$(%!#0/*+ ……….. And now I want to cry, boohoo! The only fresh fish available was carp and rainbow trout. Normally I would be skipping to the rainbow trout but this time it just wasn’t going to cut it. Like a big whiny baby I headed to the frozen foods section. That’s how bad I wanted salmon, I was willing to take any type of salmon they had. I found some salmon medallions, interesting I’ve never tried them before. While the quality was not going to be comparable to my initial craving, I counted myself lucky that I could even be buying frozen salmon. Lucky not just because I was going to satisfy my craving but also because there are a lot of people in the world that would consider this an extravagant purchase. We all need to count our blessings and be thankful for them instead of whining about what we want or don’t have. There are always people worst off than we are.
I tucked my (senseless) pouty lip in and headed home to experiment. Here’s a tip if you need to defrost frozen food quickly, place the sealed food inside a container with cool water. Make sure most of the food is covered by the water and leave at room temperature. As I waited for the medallions to defrost I start going through ideas of how to cook and spice the medallions. I concluded that a marinade would be best incase the salmon had a frozen texture. Not to toot my own horn but the marinade tasted and paired perfectly with the medallions. In fact this is going to be a marinade I try again with fresh salmon fillets. Now that grilling season is here if you are lucky enough to have a grill these would taste great right off the grill. Enjoy and I hope you all have a lovely, warm and sunny weekend!
Mandarin Miso Salmon Medallions
3 Salmon medallions
6 tbps. fresh squeezed mandarin juice from 4 small mandarin oranges*
reserved peel from one mandarin
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. rice vinegar or lemon juice
1 tbsp. red miso paste
1 tbsp. honey
vegetable oil
chives and red pepper flakes to garnish
a slices of mandarin/orange to garnish
*If Mandarin/Tangerines are not available use fresh squeezed orange juice.
Marinade:
1. In a bowl combine the fresh mandarin juice, garlic, ginger, vinegar, miso paste and honey. Stir until the miso paste has broken apart and the ingredients become a thick liquid. Remove any pith left on mandarin skins and cut into even sized pieces, place in bowl with the marinade. Place the salmon medallions in a nonpourus container. Pour the marinade over the medallions, cover and refrigerate a minimun of 30 minutes or overnight if you like.
Cooking:
The next day or after 30 minutes drain any reamaining marinade and discard. The salmon medallions can be grilled, broiled, fried on a flat top grill or fried in a skillet. Add a little bit of vegetable oil to cooking surface and cook the medallions until cooked all the way through.
Serve:
Serve each medallion with a slice of fresh mandarin on top, fresh chopped chives and pepper flakes sprinkled over.
You could serve these with a green salad, or steamed vegetables. I served mine with steamed white rice and steamed brocolli.
this really looks delicious, I love orange on my salmon, usually use marmalade but this is healthier going to try it ! Sweet/sour is just got to be awesome with mandarin orange love it!
Hi Claudia, Thank you! Marmalade sounds good too. Hope you like it :)
This is great! I love seafood especially Salmon.. with mandarin orange marinade? hmm… it's even perfect YUM !
@Citra, Thank you!
Beautious!
I've been looking for salmon recipes, and this one looks great!
@Emily, Thanks!
@Beth, Thank you and please do let me know how you like it :)!
I founf your blog and I am loving it. I wonder if we are related in a way. My name is Norma Torres-McHugh from New York. My new blog, as I lost my first is called Platanos, Mangoes and me…
http://platanosmangoes.com
I am trying to subscribe by e-mail and I am having a hard time.
Norma
platanosmangoes@gmail.com
Hi Norma,
Welcome to Spicie Foodie :) I'm not sure if we are related but my husband's family is not from New York. Sorry you can't subscribe by email but perhaps if you subscribe by the RSS feed that would work?
They looks so pretty!
I've never had a salmon medallion before and I'm wondering, how did they get that salmon to be perfectly round? It does look in sync with the round orange slice, though, and the spices and miso marinade sound absolutely heavenly. You're the bomb, Nancy!
PS. You have a wonderful weekend too, sweets!
Looks wonderful! Wish I liked salmon!
What a gorgeous presentation! Orange is a lovely alternative to lemon with fish!
wonderful flavours looks fabulous Nancy
oo gorgeous and hooray for miso! i have a tub of it in my fridge i am always puzzling over how to use…what a fantastic recipe for it!
I'm always upset when they don't have the item I'm craving either. It's both wrists, and it's been a tough week. you should see me and my pathetic two finger method, lol. Hope you have a great weekend.
-Gina-
Oooh the orange and miso together sound like a great combo with salmon!
Yummy salmon…I never tried it with mandarins but sounds incredible and looks just so beautiful and tempting..Great job!!!!
I didn't realize that you could usually find fresh salmon in Prague? That's very interesting, I don't believe I saw any on a menu … Sorry you didn't get what wanted (that's frustrating) but you are right there is always someone worse off, and you certainly pulled off one gorgeous dish here!!
Great orange and ginger marinade – perfect for salmon. Now just think, if they'd had that salmon steak that you were craving, you'd never have come up with this lovely dish, Nancy!
Thank you everyone for your sweet comments :)
@Trix, Yes but the variety isn't always so great. Often times we just do with frozen:( Carp is always on the menus here, it's fresh and local.
@Hester, Thank you! Yes so true :)
Gorgeous dish, Nancy! And the flavor combination sounds marvelous…brava!
What can I substitute for miso paste?
Hi Babs,
You can try some soy sauce. That should give you a close enough taste :)
I love the marinade for these salmon medallions! I don't think I've seen salmon in medallion form, but I'm sure it would be just as good with a nice fillet =)
it really is devastating when you have your heart set in something, i understand. this marinade sounds really delicious, i will add it to my list of things to try :)
I know exactly what you mean: so frustrating when you have something in mind and you can't get it. But look what you produced as a result! I've also never heard of salmon medallions but with miso and orange, this looks so summery and full of flavour;
That is a beautiful marinade! Glad it worked out with the frozen salmon, it is a bummer to not be able to find what you are craving…I have seen these medallions before but have never tried them.
Gorgeous pictures :)
wow this is new to me looks awesome!!!
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The salmon medallions worked out beautifully! We eat salmon at least once a week and the sweet juice of mandarins and tangerine is a wonderful alternative to lemon. Beautiful styling!
I've never seen salmon sold as medallions hehe. Looks great though and I love the idea of the salty miso and sweet tart mandarins.
Even if it was not fresh, the result is amazing..I have to try that marinade!
Love that marinade! Looks incredible and I am sure it tastes even better!
Do you think this recipe would work with scallops instead of salmon?
@Brendajoan, I've never cooked scallops before. But I don't see why it wouldn't also taste great!