Prep 15 cook time 20 min
This sweet and sour sauce of sautéed red onions cooked in a balsamic and sugar reduction is a perfect balance to a seared salmon filet.
Agrodolce is Italian for sour (agro) and sweet (dolce) and this simple recipe of sautéed red onions cooked in a balsamic and sugar reduction is a very intense yet perfect balance to the oily richness of a seared salmon filet.
A version of agrodolce sauce using red wine vinegar is delicious with chicken thighs. Try this recipe too.
Seared Salmon With Agrodolce
by
Derek Farwagi
Ingredients
For the salmon
- 8 oz Salmon filet
- Salt and pepper
For the agrodolce
- 1 Small red onion (Or half a large one)
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- ½ cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 tsp Raw sugar ( white sugar will do but not as tasty).
- 1 tbsp Unsalted butter
Instructions
- Start with the agrodolce
- Coarsley chop the onion.
- In a flat pan heat olive oil on a moderately high heat and sautée onions for about 3 minutes until caramelized.
- Add 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar, two teaspoons of raw sugar and simmer for about 4-5 minutes until the volume of liquid is halved. The vinegar should be slightly thicker, lost its acidity but still tangy. Taste it to see if it is to your liking or keep cooking it down for a sweeter result.
- Remove from heat, blend in a tablespoon of unsalted butter and set aside in a bowl and cover with foil.
Sear the salmon
- Pat dry the salmon and add salt a pepper to taste.
- Sear the salmon skin side down for about 4 minutes on a medium to high heat. Salmon curls when first heated so pressing down on the filets for the first 15 seconds to make sure they are evenly cooked. Let then caramilze – do not be tempted to move them around!
- Flip the filets and sear the other side for a minute.
- Remove filets from pan, pat dry and plate over steamed baby zucchinis, spinach or asparagus.
- Remove skin (optional) and dress with the agrodolce.
Notes
Agrodolce is versatile and can be used with different vinegars and ingredients as a sauce or as a thick relish ( like a chutney) to flavor meat, fish and poultry.
Here is a recipe for chicken with an Agrodolce and Raisin Sauce and one for Salmon Cakes with a thick and spicy agrodolce condiment.
This recipe is for Spicy Agrodolce used as a relish to serve with a meat or a hard, sharp cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 317kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 24gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 241mgPotassium: 714mgFiber: 1gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 253IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Tried this recipe? Let me know how it turned out.
Derek Farwagi
Enjoy. Let me know how you get on.
Peggy Tilleard
Derek,
It is so great to see your smiling face on my screen every week! And how did you know I was in the mood for salmon tonight?
Big hugs,
Peggy
Marina Fischer
I made the agrodolce sauce for grilled chicken breasts. Deeeelicious. The quantities were to the T, Simmering time precise. The butter at the end made it velvety. I sautéed the chopped onions a little longer as I wanted them to wilt completely. THANK YOU!
Derek Farwagi
Thanks for the comment. Glad you enjoyed it.