Cast Iron Salmon Recipe in a Blood Orange Sauce

This Cast Iron Salmon Recipe in a Blood Orange Sauce is both beautiful and nutritious. The sweet and tart blood orange creates a lovely crimson sauce that is flavored with garlic and fresh herbs. The salmon is cooked to flaky perfection.

Most of us are spending more time hibernating in our homes with the glare of the computer or tv screen. Because of that, life can easily take on a more discouraging ambiance. If we couple that with being socially secluded and eating things that are just not good for us, our body and soul begin to scream for a new reality.

One thing that can help tremendously is adding more Vitamin D to our diets. Vitamin D is a good way to help increase serotonin levels in our system which is actually a mood-boosting “neurotransmitter.” One of the best sources of Vitamin D is found in fatty fish such as Salmon.

That is why I am sharing this Cast Iron Salmon Recipe in a Blood Orange Sauce. Not only does it help provide additional Vitamin D into our diet, but it also tastes fabulous. The sweet and citrusy flavors of orange in combination with the saltiness of the salmon will definitely leave you craving more. If you’re looking for more delicious seafood recipes, definitely check out my Oven Baked Cod with Blistered Tomatoes. 

The Ingredients for the Cast Iron Salmon:

Blood Oranges

I only discovered blood oranges a few years back. I honestly have no idea how I overlooked this luscious red ruby fruit that when sliced reminds me of gorgeous orange and red sunburst. On the outside, they look pretty much like a regular orange with some slight red tint on the skin.

The dazzling appearance isn’t the only surprise you get with this orange. It adds a unique taste to the sauce because of grapefruit and raspberry notes found in its juice. 

There is a depth of richness that comes with the blood orange. But if you cannot find the blood oranges or they are not in season, you can substitute a regular navel orange instead. 

Wild Caught Sockeye Salmon

Always choose wild-caught instead of farm-raised. Farm-raised fish can have high doses of antibiotics, some have a coating of chemicals used to clean the tanks and some farm-raised salmon are colored with a pink dye trying to appear as wild-caught.

Look for a label that indicates that the salmon has been flash-frozen immediately after being caught. Also, unless you live near a large body of water where salmon are caught wild and you are able to purchase them while they are fresh, frozen is your best bet. Don’t be fooled by the thawed salmon nestled atop the ice at your seafood counter. They’ve probably been previously frozen and thawed from a package like what you should be picking out in the freezer section.

The Herbs – Rosemary and Thyme

Fresh rosemary and thyme are the perfect complements to this beautiful orange sauce. Chop the Rosemary pretty fine because its texture can be somewhat coarse. 

Minced Garlic

Peeled and whole garlic cloves can be stored in an air-tight glass jar for 7-10 days. But you don’t want to chop or mince them ahead of time, otherwise, they can lose their flavor and potency. 

Blood Orange Zest

The zest of orange can add a deeper citrusy flavor to the sauce. When zesting be careful not to penetrate the white pith which is between the flesh and skin of the orange as it can be quite bitter. 

Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

If you can use fresh lemon it is always better than the bottled kind. The stuff you squeeze by hand has less time to oxidize and has no preservatives therefore it’s brighter with a pure lemon flavor. 

Raw Honey

Depending on how sweet the oranges are, add one to three tablespoons of raw unfiltered honey. Taste the sauce before adding the honey and decide for yourself how sweet you would like it to be.

Cornstarch

Cornstarch is what thickens the sauce and gives it substance. But you only need a little bit, two teaspoons to be exact.

How to Cook this Cast Iron Salmon Recipe

You’ll be amazed at how quickly this meal comes together. It’s in and out of the pan in less than 20 minutes. 

Preparing the Salmon

• Remove the salmon from the refrigerator about 15-20 minutes before cooking so they have time to come to room temperature. This allows for a more even cooking.
• Take time to pat each salmon piece with paper towels to remove any excess juices. This will help reduce splattering when it hits the hot oil. It will also help the salmon to not stick to the cast iron skillet. 
• Season the salmon with salt and pepper just prior to cooking otherwise the salt will begin to break down the proteins and draw out its moisture. 

Pan Searing the Salmon

• I know the recipe is titled “Cast Iron Salmon,” but honestly you can use any heavy-bottomed skillet.
• Heat the cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it’s good and hot before you add the oil. 
• When cooking the salmon, always start with the skin side down. The skin is tough and durable and helps protect the delicate flesh of the salmon from overcooking. 
• Once you place the salmon in the skillet, resist the temptation to touch it, poke it or move it around.
• Depending on the size of the salmon, leave it for about four minutes to get a good sear on the skin side. Flip it and cook it for an additional two minutes. The internal temperature should end up being 125°F for medium-rare and 130°F for medium. 

• Salmon will continue cooking once removed from the heat, so I recommend taking it out of the pan when the internal temperature reaches 5° less than the finished preference. Set aside and cover with foil while the sauce is being made. 
• It’s best when salmon is flaky on the outside with a moist middle that basically melts in your mouth.

How to Make the Blood Orange Sauce for this Cast Iron Salmon Recipe

Cooking the Aromatics

• Garlic, fresh thyme, and rosemary are what infuse this sauce with a depth of flavor. 
• Using the same skillet that you cooked the salmon, throw five sprigs of thyme and three sprigs of rosemary along with minced garlic into the hot skillet. 
• Cook them for only one minute while stirring continually. Garlic becomes bitter if it is overcooked. You’ll begin to notice the aroma right away. 

Deglazing the Cast Iron Skillet

• All of those lovely brown bits of flavor on the bottom of the pan left from the salmon need to find their home in the sauce. Deglazing is a means to do just that.
• Add dry white wine and orange liqueur to the hot skillet and bring to a boil. Scrape all the flavor boosters from the bottom, reduce the heat, and let simmer until most of the liquid is evaporated.
• Remove the herb sprigs from the pan.

Adding the Juice of Blood Oranges, zest, and chopped herbs

• One and a half cups of the juice (about 4 large blood oranges) will give you a good amount of sauce to serve with this Cast Iron Salmon recipe. Believe me, you will want plenty of it because the sauce is definitely the highlight of this dish.
• It takes about one orange to get three teaspoons of zest, which is what is called for in this recipe.
• Because rosemary is fairly coarse, I chopped them pretty fine. Thyme doesn’t need that much chopping, mainly because they are already small and tender. 
• Once the juice is added to the cast iron skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high and bring it to a boil. 
• Remove four tablespoons of the juice from the pan and add 3 teaspoons of cornstarch. Whisk these together and add to the skillet while continually whisking. It doesn’t take long to thicken, just a few minutes. 
• If the sauce does not thicken enough, remove a couple more tablespoons of sauce to a small bowl, whisk an additional teaspoon of cornstarch, and whisk it into the sauce again. Continue to stir until thickened.

Adding the Salmon to the Sauce

• The salmon goes back into the skillet with the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the salmon and garnish with half of a slice of blood orange and a small sprig of rosemary. 

Look at that gorgeous piece of salmon swimming in a luscious blood orange sauce that has been flavored with garlic, rosemary, and thyme. You guys, it just doesn’t get any better than this. Not only is it incredibly tasty and beautiful, but this Cast Iron Salmon Recipe is also one of the easiest and quickest to pull together on any night of the week. 

I usually serve this dish with a heaping side of brown rice. You can easily throw a Bundle of Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto next to it and have a super healthy meal. 

If you love seafood dishes, check out some other ones here on my site:

Pan Seared Salmon in a Creamy Mustard Sauce

Shrimp Scampi with Spinach and Tomatoes (#1 on my Blog)

Pan Seared Salmon with Fruit Salsa

Asian Seared Tuna Salad

Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese Timbales

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