Roasted Salmon with A Pomegranate-Balsamic Reduction

It went into the ground last spring, just a little Charlie Brown twig of a thing.

And then, this happened.

the world is full of miraculous things just waiting for us to pay attention 

that’s how i feel when something like this unfolds in front of me (part of the miracle being that we managed not to kill the tree of course) but the other piece that tugs at me is just the insane magnitude of the marvel of nature.

Every season offering new opportunities to wake us up.

Tangy-Sweet taste notes: today’s recipe features some of those pretty pomegranates in the form of a tangy-sweet reduction.  It pairs beautifully with salmon in this easy recipe, offering a unique and luxurious taste experience.

Make the juice yourself or buy It: If you’re up for the fun, you can extract the juice from fresh pomegranates yourself — more on this in the recipe card below — no matter what technique you use to remove the seeds, best just to surrender to the glory of the inevitable mess.  If preferred, you can purchase a 100% pomegranate juice (no nonsense added).

Make-Ahead: If you make the reduction ahead of time, which I recommend, you’ll just need to warm it up before service — then it’s merely the hands-off baking time for the salmon (or whatever protein you decide to serve it with – would also be yummy with any soy protein or chicken, etc.). The reduction stores well in the fridge.  An easy and elegant option that works equally well weeknights as it does for dinner guests.

I served the salmon with some rice and roasted broccolini (I just snuck the broccolini in beside the salmon on a small tray with some olive oil & salt) and a glass of Giesen’s 0% Sauvignon Blanc (nice & cold) — friends, if you’ve not yet had a chance to read my feature on dealcoholized wine, you can check it out here — santé!

Roasted Salmon with a Pomegranate-Balsamic Reduction

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

A tangy-sweet pomegranate-balsamic reduction that pairs beautifully with oven-baked salmon to create a unique and luxurious taste experience.

Author: kelly

Serves: ½ cup reduction

Ingredients

• For the Fish
• up to 4 salmon fillets (I usually bake 2)
• pinch sea salt & coarse pepper
  
  
• For the Pomegranate-Balsamic Reduction
• (this recipe creates a ½ cup reduction, enough for up to 4 fillets)
• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• ¼ cup pomegranate seeds (arils) for garnish
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp light tamari (or soy sauce)
• 4 Tbsp maple syrup (or honey)

Instructions

1. Make-Ahead Reduction: I recommend making the reduction ahead of time and simply reheating before service.
2. For the pomegranate juice: you can use pre-made 100% pomegranate juice from the store or extract the juice from the seeds of the fruit itself: I used the seeds of 4 pomegranates to get 1 cup of juice. I put the seeds in a small blender and blended for a few seconds to break down - I then poured the juice/pulp through a large sieve (over a bowl to catch juice) pressing down on the pulp with the back of a spoon to release all the juice. It works well and the juice of fresh pomegranate is so delicious. If you've not extracted seeds from pomegranate before you'll find many videos with a simple google search illustrating different methods - my friend Suzanne dedicated a post to deseeding pomegranate here.
3. In a sturdy pot on the stove combine: pomegranate juice, balsamic vinegar, tamari or soy sauce and maple syrup whisking to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer allowing the contents to reduce by about half -- this usually takes about 10-15 minutes -- (because there is not a ton of sugar it's not instantaneous) -- it reduces to a syrup not a thick molasses. Remove from heat and allow to cool somewhat before transferring to a pouring vessel or a jar with fitted lid to store in fridge for later use.
4. For the Salmon: Heat oven to 400 F
5. Place fillets on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush each generously with some of the reduction. Add a couple twists of salt & ground pepper if desired.
6. Bake the salmon in the oven for about 10-15+ minutes or until desired doneness is achieved (internal temperature should be in the range of 145 F and 160 F) the amount of time needed will vary depending on the size and thickness of your fillets and your particular oven but I would start checking no later than 10 minutes in -- my fillets were about ½ pound each and were done just over 10 minutes -- you don't want to dry out your salmon.
7. Meanwhile, prepare for service -- heat the reduction in a small pot on stove or microwave and spoon some of it onto each individual plate (you can make a swirl design or just a little puddle :)
8. Remove salmon from oven and carefully transfer each fillet onto each plate (it should be easy to leave the skin behind). Spoon more of the delicious reduction over each fillet, covering them as generously as desired and then top with some pomegranate seeds. You can add fine chopped onions and/or some fresh chopped herbs of choice, for example: parsley, tarragon or rosemary.
9. Serve at once ~ bon appétit les amis!

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