Salmon with Beurre Blanc

This was tonight's dinner. I made a citrus ginger beurre blanc, and a huge mess. I had the white wine in the little saucepan on the stove and I was using a reamer to squeeze the orange juice over top. My hand slipped and the saucepan flipped and sent the mixture ALL over the kitchen. I was wiping orange pulp and white wine off of cupboards, the floor, the fridge and the microwave. And then I had to start all over again. But it was delicious - citrusy, not sweet, with a hint of ginger and a wonderful smoothness that made me want to eat it all with a spoon.

I plated the salmon on a bed of just barely sauteed fresh spinach, and served garlic smashed potatoes, carrots and pan-seared cherry tomatoes alongside. The potatoes, carrots and tomatoes all came from our garden. No matter how hard I try I cannot make spinach grow. It sprouts and then just sort of sits there, green and stunted. I think next year I'll just skip trying.

Beurre Blanc

1 Tablespoon minced red onion
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup white wine
juice of 1/2 orange
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup butter, in 1 inch cubes

In a small saucepan, combine the onion, ginger, white wine, orange juice and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over high heat and let boil until the mixture is reduced to about 2 Tablespoons. Lower the heat to minimum and add the cubes of butter, one at a time, whisking briskly. Make sure that each cube melts before adding the next one. Don't let the mixture get too hot or it will break and the butter will separate.
Keep warm until ready to serve.

I just salted and peppered salmon fillets, heated olive oil and a bit of butter until hot, then quickly pan-fried the salmon, adding the cherry tomatoes after turning the salmon. Serve the beurre blanc over the salmon.