The photo for this recipe (taken by Linda) looks like the green portion of the fennel was included in the recipe. Only the bulb (the white part) should be used and it needs to be sauteed before baking on top of the fish. The salmon will dry out if baked too long. I put the dish in the oven at the same time I turn the oven on (to 350 ). Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes and it should be cooked but moist. Serve with the fennel on top of each piece of salmon. The flavors compliment one another very nicely. This review is written by the original poster of the recipe (ellenmoriah) and is intended to clear up any misunderstandings about it. It's a very tasty dish when made correctly. (Note: one reviewer recommends adding Old Bay Seasoning. That ingredient is in the original recipe.)
THE FENNEL: Remove all green stems any discolored parts of the white fennel core and the then dice a small yellow onion or 2 shallots. Sautee fennel and onions in about 2 tblsp. of good (green) olive oil over medium heat until the diced fennel and onions soften and begin to caramelize (about 20-30 minutes). Cut the salmon filet into serving size portions. I cut 1 lb. filet (about 1/2" thick) into 4 pieces to serve 4. Place skin-side down in an 8x8 glass cooking dish. Pour 1/4 c. orange juice over the fillets. It will spill onto and cover the bottom of the dish. Liberally sprinkle the top of each fillet with Old Bay Seasoning (if you have another fish seasoning you prefer it should work too). Top each fillet with the cooked fennel and onion so it's evenly distributed. Cover the dish with tin foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with the fennel still on top of each piece. This goes very nicely with sauteed red swiss chard (with caramelized onions and garlic) and brown rice (spiced with lemon juice and garlic salt). I've served this dish many times to many different people. It always gets rave reviews and no leftovers. For those of you who read LynnHK's review (no offense to her that I don't remember her name just right).... well if you read her review you should know she made it wrong. I'm sure she meant no harm.
Healthy all right but totlly devoid of taste! The fennel tasted so promisingly good while baking but the salmon failed to soak up any of the fennel or OJ taste. A big disappoint.
I found that if you sprinkle the fish with Fennel pollen in the last 5 minutes of cooking it REALLY adds to the flavor. Also if you sprinkle on a pinch or two of "Old Bay" seasoning it really helps. The orange juice keeps the fish moist and tasty! This is a staple recipe in my book.
If you eat healthy you will love this recipe. I served the fish over a balsamic/oil dressed green salad with red onion, orange segments and roasted almond slices. I would use more fennel next time....I will be making this one a lot. Would be great for a dinner party as it is also quick and easy. Thank you for sharing.
This recipe sounded really neat but tasted even better than I expected. I did not have the Old Bay seasoning so I added a pinch of salt pepper paprika mustard and celery seasonings to the fennel as it sauted in the oil. I used rainbow trout and cooked it for 15 minutes. Very moist and tasty.
Fabulous! Easy to make healthy and "different!"
I liked this a lot. Made as written except added one chopped shallot to the fennel while sautéing. Cooking time at 20 minutes seemed perfect. Next time I think I while reduce the liquid in the pan after baking and spoon over fish. Served with roasted asparagus baked in the same oven for about 12-15 minutes. Great healthy meal that was simple, few ingredients and quick!
