The Salmon of Capistrano

Salmon of Capistrano

Movie Mania Menu week continues with another one of my all time favorite movies, Dumb and Dumber. Released in 1994 (yes, this movie is already SEVENTEEN years old!), Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels showed us just how much fun a cross-country adventure can be!


In this scene, Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) is trying to convince Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) that they need to throw caution to the wind and chase after his long lost love, Mary Swanson (Lauren Holly), whom he just met while driving to the airport.  He believes she's forgotten her briefcase, and he feels obligated to return it to her.  Of course, the adventure and the entire movie, get better and better from there.

So for our "Salmon of Capistrano" today, I made a simple, fresh Rosemary rubbed salmon.  We grilled it outside with some fresh, summery nectarines for a little sweetness, but the star of the show in this dish is the citrus, balsamic reduction that I drizzled over everything.  I wanted to use some oranges in the dish, since San Juan Capistrano and its many SWALLOWS are located in Orange County, California (for the full story on this amazing phenomenon, click here).  It's a simple, healthy, delicious and FUN recipe, so eat up and enjoy!

Salmon of Capistrano 

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 20 minutes / Servings: 4

Salmon of Capistrano

Ingredients:

• 4 fresh salmon fillets
• 4 navel oranges, juiced
• 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 4 cups fresh spring mix
• 4 nectarines, cut in half and pits removed
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
• salt and pepper

Steps:

1. In a small saucepan, combine orange juice, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar.  Stir until combined, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stirring occasionally, let the mixture simmer on low/medium heat until it is thick enough to thinly coat the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes (volume will reduce significantly).
2. Soak 4 wooden skewers in water for about 20 minutes.  Place two nectarine halves on each skewer and set aside.
3. Heat an outdoor grill on high heat.  Rub the salmon fillets with garlic powder, rosemary and salt & pepper on both sides.  Grill the salmon fillets and nectarines on high heat for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until the salmon is barely cooked through and the nectarines are soft.
4. To serve:  Place the spring mix onto four separate serving dishes.  Place a salmon fillet on top of the spring mix and serve one skewer of nectarines on each dish.  Drizzle balsamic reduction over everything and serve immediately.

Salmon of Capistrano