Citrus Salmon with Pilaf Rice

To prepare the citrus salmon with pilaf rice, start by marinating the salmon: get a citrus juicer and squeeze the juice of 5 blonde oranges and 2 untreated Sorrento lemons (1-2). Strain the juices with a sieve into a large baking dish with high sides 3, to remove seeds and pulp pieces.

Immerse the deboned salmon fillets in the juice inside the baking dish 4, grate a pinch of peeled fresh ginger 5, and add the zest of 2 oranges 6.

Grate the zest of one lemon as well 7, then cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and let it marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours 8. In the meantime, prepare the pilaf rice without adding spices, as the salmon and its cooking sauce will already be very flavorful. Boil 17 oz of water in a pot and add a tablespoon of coarse salt 9.

In a non-stick pan, put a tablespoon of oil, add the rice 10, and toast it for a couple of minutes while stirring. When the water in the pot reaches boiling, turn off the heat and pour the boiling water into the saucepan where you toasted the rice, the water should cover the rice by at least an inch 11. At this point, cover the pan with a lid 12 and cook on low heat for about 10-12 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it rest. To learn how to best prepare pilaf rice, consult the complete recipe: Pilaf Rice.

Now clean and trim the fresh spring onions, slice them thinly 13, and heat the butter in a non-stick pan over low heat 14. Once the butter is melted, transfer the sliced onions into the pan 15 and cook over moderate heat for 5-6 minutes.

Then add acacia honey 16 and, after the salmon fillets have marinated, transfer them to the pan, keeping the marinade juice aside, and place them with the skin side down in the pan 17. Cook for 5 minutes over moderate heat, then turn them over to the flesh side and cook for 2 minutes 18.

Turn the salmon fillets back to the skin side 19, increase the heat, and deglaze everything with a glass of the marinade juice 20. Salt to taste and cook for 1 minute so that the citrus juice creates a delicate sauce. When the salmon is ready, place it on a serving dish and accompany it with pilaf rice. For a more pleasing aesthetic, spoon the pilaf rice, which will have cooled slightly, into a round mold or a small bowl, then invert it onto a serving plate, creating a dome shape. Then make a bed of salad and place a salmon fillet on top, accompanied by the citrus sauce 21: your citrus salmon with pilaf rice is ready to be enjoyed!