Pan-Seared Salmon with Sweet-and-Sour Orange Sauce

This fast, flavorful dinner is made even faster and more flavorful by pan-searing the fish and stir-frying the vegetables—and using a fresh, orange-based sauce to dress both. Quick cooking at a high temperature means very little fat is needed. In this recipe, I used four teaspoons of peanut oil: two for the salmon and two for the vegetables.

This is a simple, flavor-loaded meal that’s easy to put together—and that’s easy to feel good about.

Note: I had thin salmon filets, about 1/3-inch in the thickest part. If you have thicker pieces, adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Sauce

• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh orange (from 1 large naval orange)
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
• 2 tsp white sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp cornstarch

For the Salmon

• 4 tsp peanut oil, divided
• 2 cups small broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper
• 3 oz mung bean sprouts
• 4 4-oz salmon filets
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Broccoli, Sprouts, and Bell Pepper 

4-oz Salmon Filets

Preparation

For the Sauce

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring well to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch.

Sweet-and-Sour Orange Sauce

For the Salmon and Vegetables

1. Heat a wok or deep skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 teaspoons of peanut oil, swirling to coat. Add the broccoli and red bell pepper and stir-fry 3 minutes.
2. Add the bean sprouts and stir-fry 2 minutes.
3. Re-stir the sweet-and-sour orange sauce and pour over the vegetables. Toss well to coat. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly, 2 minutes.

Broccoli and Bell Pepper Beginning to Stir-Fry

Bean Sprouts Added 

Sauce Added

1. Meanwhile, heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and brush with the remaining 2 teaspoons of peanut oil. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and sear on 1 side 2 minutes.
2. Turn and sear the other side until the fish is just cooked through, about 2 minutes, depending on thickness.

Salmon Beginning to Sear

Salmon after Turning

To serve, divide the salmon between 2 plates and spoon the vegetables and sauce on top.

Pan-Seared Salmon with Sweet-and-Sour Orange Sauce