As I was reading The Broken Girls, I was trying to think of what recipe the story would inspire me to make. Food doesn’t factor real well into the novel – at several points, one of the main characters eats packets of crackers in lieu of dinner. *shakes head sadly*
I wanted a good, hearty meal to shake the chill of the dreary weather, both here and in the book, and since the story takes place in Vermont, I decided that maple syrup had to factor into the recipe.
So, I give you Rosemary Maple Dijon Salmon
I’ve discovered over the years that not a lot of people cook fish or seafood at home. This always surprises me since I grew up in a house where these things were regular menu items, thanks to my dad, who never met a piece of fish he didn’t like. (My father has to be the only person who looks forward to Lent every year because it means he’s assured a seafood dinner at least one night each week.) Now that I make my own meal plans, I cook fish or shrimp once or twice a week since it provides a nice break from the usual chicken dish. (And, it’s usually way healthier than my forever-preferred option, which is pasta.)
My husband was not very into salmon when I first met him, so I had to work some to get him on board with this particular fish making a weekly appearance in our dinners. I now have several salmon dishes in my repertoire that he repeatedly asks me to make.
I think people’s main stumbling blocks with serving fish are 1) finding the easiest way to cook it, and 2) making the end product taste “not fishy”.
I’ve found that the easiest way to make salmon is to pan-sear then steam it on the stove. You can also pan-sear then bake it in the same amount of time, but the steaming option works best in the summer months when you can’t bear to turn on an oven. Of course, cooking time will vary with the thickness of each piece of fish, but I generally start with about 10 minutes and then do the Fork Test — once it flakes easily with a fork, it’s done. Sometimes it can take 15-20 minutes, total, but I’ve never really had to cook salmon more than that. Just do the Fork Test and all shall be well.
Keep in mind that searing the fish is a key flavor boost for this recipe. You want to be sure you don’t flip the fish too early so you’re rewarded with a nice, golden-brown crust. This seals in all the juices and enhances the flavor of the salt and pepper you’ve sprinkled on the fillets.
I also like to drown my salmon in lots of seasonings or sauce. OR BOTH. This salmon dish does just that. It’s based off a chicken recipe I found online, and it’s sweet, savory, and delicious. The fish cooks on the stove for 10-15 minutes, and you make the sauce while the fish is cooking. Couldn’t be simpler. You can serve this dish with any kind of starch, but if you’re staying away from carbs, I find roasted broccoli works well to soak up any extra sauce.
And, there’s definitely extra sauce. 😀
Rosemary Maple Dijon Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 lb salmon, cut into 2 pieces
- olive oil for brushing
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup Dijon mustard**
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp salt (if your mustard is high sodium, leave this out)
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS:
- Lightly brush salmon fillets, flesh-side up, with olive oil and then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Chop ½ teaspoon of rosemary. Set aside.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
- Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Place oiled and seasoned salmon fillets flesh-side down on the pan and sear, 3-4 minutes. Flip fillets to skin-side down and sear 1 minute.
- Add a tablespoon of water to the hot pan, cover, and then turn the heat down to low. Let salmon steam 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness of the fillets. Once salmon flakes easily with a fork, it’s done.
- While the salmon is cooking, make the sauce. Add the remaining ingredients (mustard through fresh sprig of rosemary) in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisking continuously, heat until ingredients are thoroughly combined and are heated through.
- Once the salmon is done cooking, remove pan from heat and transfer the fillets to dinner plates. Remove the full sprig of rosemary from the saucepan and spoon the rosemary maple Dijon sauce over each filet. Serve immediately.
