Salmon en Cocotte

New tool in the kitchen arsenal: a (Martha-approved!) dutch oven.  There's a whole new set of recipes that have been waiting for this moment.  First one courtesy of Cooks Illustrated:

Recipe

1 1/2 to 2 lb skinless salmon fillet, divided into about 4 equally-sized portions, seasoned with salt & pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 ribs celery, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 c orange juice (I squeezed two oranges instead of using bottled OJ)
1 orange, peeled and segmented
2 tbsp butter
salt & pepper

Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium-low heat and saute the leek, thyme, and a pinch of salt, about 8-10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, celery, and orange zest, cook briefly, and remove from heat.  Lay the salmon skin-side down, cover, and cook at 250 for about 25-30 minutes.  Remove the salmon, then stir the OJ into the leeks etc.  Simmer over medium-high for a couple minutes until thickened.  Remove from heat and stir in the butter and orange slices,  Pour sauce over the salmon and serve/eat.

Notes

The salmon on its own is nothing special, just cooked on low heat with basic seasonings.  The sauce is incredible though.  It's sweet (orange) and savory (leek); the butter also adds some important richness.

This is actually the more elaborate version of the recipe.  The basic version has no orange, and white wine instead of OJ.

Sesame Salmon

This recipe from the folks at Wok Woks does not actually require a wok...

Recipe

1 lb salmon fillet(s)
1 tbsp gomasio salt
juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 leek, shredded
2 carrots, shredded
1/4 lb snow peas, shredded
rice (optional)

Put the salmon in a (foil-lined) roasting pan and sprinkle with the salt, sesame seeds, and lime juice.  Bake for about 20 minutes at 425 degrees.  Meanwhile, shred and toss together the vegetables.  Serve the salmon and veggies together, with rice if you want, with the pan juices poured over the top.

Notes

The salmon is simple enough.  I don't have fancy gomasio salt, so just went for regular salt with some sesame oil for the flavor.  The recipe specifies skinless salmon, but whatever.  Anyway, the veggies are a nice touch though, as much as I'm not familiar with leeks.  After one attempt, I think it makes the most sense to grate the carrot and process the leek and snow peas.  All in all a good dinner.