Maple-Bourbon Glazed Salmon

If you don't try any other recipe that I post in this blog, then at least try this one!! The flavor in this dish was absolutely amazing. My husband and I both took our first bites at the same time, and we both looked at each other with this "holy crap this is delicious" look on our faces. The flavor of the glaze combined with the seasoning and the salmon itself was quite incredible. 

One thing I really loved about this recipe is that you got two different waves of flavor with each bite. At first, you get the sweet flavor of the glaze, but then right at the end and the aftertaste you get the peppercorn and garlic flavor from the seasoning on the fish. The two flavors individually and combined was quite fantastic!

A few notes from the cookbook - 1) For the best consistency and flavor to the glaze, be sure to use pure maple syrup, rather than maple-flavored pancake syrup (I used pancake syrup and it was terrific!), 2) Whole-grain Dijon mustard is also known as country or county-style Dijon mustard. it contains whole mustard seeds, giving the glaze a rustic look. Regular Dijon mustard can be substituted for the whole-grain, if desired (I used regular Dijon mustard), and 3) To prevent burning the glaze, brush it over the salmon during the last minute of cooking.

I ended up cooking my salmon in the oven instead of using the Grill Pan (mostly because I don't have a grill pan). It turned out great in the oven, and I know it would also be delicious on an actual grill or if you used a Grill Pan. For the oven, I preheated the oven to 350° and let the salmon bake for 10-12 minutes (skin side down), brushing the glaze over the salmon during the last minute of cooking. There is very little you have to do for this recipe. All I had to do was throw the first few ingredients together and let that heat up in the microwave while the salmon was in the oven. So simple! You don't HAVE to use the bourbon in the glaze, but it did give the glaze a nice little kick to it. :-)

I'm not much of a writer, so I don't know of any words that could perfectly describe how delicious this recipe was. You just have to try it for yourself!!!

Maple-Bourbon Glazed Salmon

Pampered Chef 29 Minutes to Dinner, Volume 2

Published by The Pampered Chef, Ltd. in 2009.

Total time: 28 minutes  Yield: 4 servings

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cider vinegar

2 tbsp whole-grain Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

1 tbsp bourbon

4 skinless salmon fillets (4 oz each)

1 tbsp Crushed Peppercorn and Garlic Rub

1. Combine syrup, vinegar, mustard, pressed garlic, salt and black pepper in Classic Batter Bowl. Microwave on high 6-8 minutes or until reduced by half. Cool slightly; add bourbon and set aside.

2. Heat Grill Pan over medium heat 5 minutes. Season salmon with rub. Lightly spray pan with nonstick cooking spray; add salmon top side down. Cook 10-12 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork, turning once. Brush salmon with glaze during last minute of cooking using Chef's Silicone Basting Brush. Pour any remaining glaze over salmon before removing from pan.