I will be making this recipe again this weekend.
I absolutely recommend making more of this sauce, so that you can drizzle it over the cooked salmon. I say cooked, but it's really pretty rare. ~Shelly
1/2 cup bourbon
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons brown sugar light or dark; do not omit or the glaze
will not thicken
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 2-pound side of salmon (I prefer skin-on for
cooking)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt / OR I used Chef Paul's Salmon Seasoning instead of salt & pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Chopped
green onions optional
for serving
In a medium saucepan, combine the bourbon, maple syrup, brown
sugar, Worcestershire, soy sauce, garlic, and apple cider vinegar. Bring the
mixture to a boil over medium high. Continue to simmer rapidly, stirring almost
constantly. The mixture will look very active and almost foamy. Continue to
cook, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened and reduced by about
half, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Position racks in the
center and upper third of your oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. For
easy clean up in case the glaze leaks, line a large baking dish or rimmed
baking sheet with parchment paper, then place a large piece of aluminum foil on
top. Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature
for 10 minutes while the glaze cools and the oven preheats.
Place the salmon on top of the foil. Sprinkle with the salt and
pepper. Rub to coat, then brush the glaze all over the top.
Fold the sides of the
aluminum foil up and over the top of the salmon until it is completely
enclosed. If your piece of foil is not large enough, place a second piece on
top and fold the edges under so that it forms a sealed packet. Leave a little
room inside the foil for air to circulate.
Bake the salmon on the
center rack for 15 to 18 minutes, until the salmon is almost completely cooked
through at the thickest part but still has several minutes to go. The cooking
time will vary based on the thickness of your salmon. If your side is thinner
(around 1-inch thick) check several minutes early to ensure your salmon does
not overcook. If your piece is very thick (1 1/2 inches or more), it may need
longer.
Cook with the skin on.. Never serve with the skin.
Change the oven setting
to broil, then return the fish to the oven, placing it on the upper third rack.
Broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until the fish is cooked through. Watch the salmon
closely as it broils to make sure it doesn’t overcook. You also can use an
instant read thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the fish; fish is
cooked at 140 degrees F (I like to pull mine out a few degrees early, then let
it rest a few minutes so that the carry over cooking allows it to reach
temperature).
Remove the salmon from
the oven. If it still appears a bit underdone, you can wrap the foil back over
the top and let it rest for a few minutes. Do not let it sit too long—salmon can
progress from "not done" to "over done" very quickly. As
soon as it flakes easily with a fork, it's ready.
Serve with additional Bourbon Glaze drizzled over the top.
I prepared 3 large salmon fillets for a party of 37 people, along with Sweet and Savory Green Beans, Sweet Potato Casserole, Salad, Breadsticks and desserts. (salmon was cooked at the event venue) It was a real hit.
For the Bourbon Glaze, I prepared the recipe times 8.
Recipe adapted from wellplated.com