Mediterranean Salmon with Lemon Caper Chutney over Orzo

Take your sea food game to the next level with this Mediterranean salmon and bright lemon caper chutney.

Every part of this dish is great in my opinion, but the lemon caper chutney is what really pushes it over the edge.

This dish is a little more involved than some of my other recipes because there are so many components. But rest assured, each step is easy. And more importantly, the results are worth the extra effort!

There are 3 Components to this Mediterranean Salmon Dish

Lemon Caper Chutney

This is the star of the show. This chutney is bright from the broiled lemons and compound vinegar. Briney from the capers. Sweet from the touch of honey. And fresh from the all the fennel and herbs. There are a lot of unique flavor notes here that really make this dish something special.

1. Broil the Lemons

Begin by broiling lemon slices in the oven. Broiling lemons caramelizes the sugars making the acidic fruit sweeter. It also makes the rind palatable which will be diced up and added to the chutney. I used this mandolin to cut my lemons into ⅛ inch rounds to make it quicker. But you can just as easily use a pairing knife. It is not important for each piece to be a pretty and a perfectly round circle. However, you want them all to be thin so that they broil and char quickly.

You do not want your lemons too burnt, so I recommend broiling for 7-10 minutes. Once they are done, let them cool on the baking tray. After they are fully cooled, Transfer them to a cutting bored and dice them up.

2. Make the Compound Vinegar

We are going to season and rehydrate the golden raisins with a compound vinegar. To make this, Simply heat half of a cup of white wine vinegar with fennel seeds, mustard seeds, and jalapeño slices over medium heat. Once it starts to boil, remove from heat and pour over the raisins in a heat-proof bowl. Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or tinfoil and let the raisins soak for 20 minutes.

This step is optional, but to make sure the compound vinegar is super flavorful, I like to grind the fennel and mustard seeds first. Grinding spices help them release their oils and will yield a stronger flavor. A motor and pestle or spice grinder would work perfectly for this step. You can also roughly chop the fennel seeds with a chefs knife. The mustard seeds, unfortunately would spill and fly everywhere if you tried to chop them, so I wouldn’t bother.

3. Prep the remaining ingredients

Finish preparing the rest of your ingredients. Finely dice half of a fennel bulb, garlic cloves, oregano, and parsley. You will also need capers honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

4. Put your Lemon Caper Chutney all together

Once your broiled lemons have cooled and been chopped, and your raisins have soaked in the compound vinegar for 20 minutes, you can put it all together. In a bowl, mix together your finely diced fennel, garlic, capers, and chopped broiled lemons. Scoop the raisins out of the bowl with the compound vinegar and add them to the chutney as well. It is okay if some of the vinegar gets in the chutney. It will only add to the delicious flavor. Once you are finished, you might even find that you want to add more. Once that is all mixed together, I like to add the olive oil to taste. The oil is necessary to cut down on the acidity, however you don’t want to over do it either. I find 3 tablespoons of olive oil to be just the right amount. If you prefer less of a bite, feel free to add more olive oil. The honey will also help balance out the acidic flavors. I used 1 Tablespoon, but feel free to add more or less, just taste as you go. Lastly, season with salt and pepper.

Lemony Orzo

The orzo is fairly standard and cooked to the packages instructions. With the exception that the dry orzo gets toasted in butter and lemon zest first. This will give the orzo a richer, more complex flavor.

1. Toast the Orzo

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest in a large skillet with high sides. (large enough to fit 4 cups of water.) Once its melted, add in the orzo and stir around. Stir over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes until the orzo turns slightly golden and has a nice toasty smell.

2. Add in the water and simmer

Add in 4 cups of water and keep the stove on medium high heat. Season with salt generously and, if you want it extra lemony, add in a squeeze of lemon. Once the water begins to boil, turn the heat down to low and cover the pan. Let simmer until all the water is absorbed. This can take 10 -15 minutes. Stir often so the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

And of course, the oven baked Mediterranean salmon

I love salmon because it cooks so quickly. However, when you are working with a large filet, like this 2-pounder, you are bound to have some parts be thicker than others. This unfortunately means it will have a tendency to cook unevenly. My solution to this is to bake it low and slow, at 375 degrees Fahrenheit instead of 400 degrees Fahrenheit. I also like to utilize my oven’s broiler function to make sure the top is always crispy without drying out the inside.

Mediterranean Salmon Seasonings

Because the Lemon Caper Chutney is the star flavor of this dish, I kept the salmon seasoning quick and simple. It’s just seasoned with olive oil, dried dill, paprika, lemon, oregano, and fennel.

Cooking Salmon Tips and Tricks

Salmon is so delicious, but unfortunately very easy to overcook. Here are some of my favorite tricks to make sure that doesn’t happen!

The skin is your friend

Even if you do not like the taste of salmon skin, it is essential to cooking a perfect piece of fish. The skin works as a barrier that is important to keeping moisture in. And don’t forget, you can always eat around the skin if you dislike it!

Use a thermometer

You can tell when a salmon is done if it can flake off when poked with a fork. However if you want to be sure, then a cooking thermometer is the key. I like to bake the salmon to 135-140 degrees Fahrenheit.

When in doubt, bake it low and slow

375 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 min plus 1-2 minutes under the broiler always gives me a perfectly cooked, flakey salmon that is still crispy on the outside.

Mediterranean inspired side dishes that would be perfect with this meal

Mediterranean Cauliflower

Basil Oil Roasted Broccolini

More Salmon Favorites

Blackened Salmon Tacos with Hot Honey Corn

Blistered Tomato Salmon with Harissa Yogurt

25 Minute Spicy Salmon with Coconut Rice