ROASTED or GRILLED SALMON WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND FIGS

My husband was waxing nostalgic recently, after I mentioned that our local Harris Teeter had fresh figs. He told me about his uncle, who had a fig tree in Trenton, New Jersey; and how he enjoyed eating the fresh figs from his uncle's tree.

So I bought him some figs. And he kept forgetting to eat them. So I salvaged the figs with this recipe and some nice wild-caught salmon.

I felt like I was eating at a 5-star restaurant with this entree. The sweetness of the caramelized onions
and the delicate figs with the herbs and wine -- voila, magnifique! After I finished, I thanked my hubby for not eating his figs.

Really, try this recipe...it's wonderful...and this is one for which you need no special equipment. You can grill the salmon as I did, or you can roast it in a 450F oven for 7-10 minutes, till it's medium-rare. And if you have leftover salmon, it makes great sandwiches; or use it as a salad topping.

This would also make a nice company dish because it's special. It's not much work. The hardest part is waiting for the onions to caramelize. You can't rush them or they won't develop that sweetness that makes them so special. But if you have some patience, you will be amply rewarded.

----Roasted or Grilled Salmon With Caramelized Onions and Figs
(Recipe #103255, recipezaar)
(Rating: 9 out of 10)
INGREDIENTS: 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups peeled, halved and thinly sliced Vidalia onion
Sea salt, to taste
8 fresh figs, washed, stemmed, cut in half
1/2 cup drinking quality dry white wine
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
fresh ground black pepper
1-1/3 lb. salmon fillet, skinned, cut into 4 portions
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in bottom of large, heavy skillet or saute pan. Add onions and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover and cook over medium-low-heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft,about 10 minutes. Remove cover and cook, stirring often, until onions are golden, 20-25 minutes.

Stir in figs, wine, broth, vinegar and fresh rosemary. Increase heat to high
and simmer until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. (My sauce never thickened.)
Adjust seasonings, adding more saltand/or pepper as needed. Keep the fig sauce warm. Cook salmon, either in the oven or on a charcoal grill, cooking only till rare and seasoning the salmon only with sea salt and pepper. Serve the salmon over the fig sauce and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. Serves 4