Asian Barbeque Glazed Salmon

Even if you don't normally like salmon because of its strong taste, you will probably like this! The glaze is so flavorful that it really masks the fishy taste but, in my opinion, compliments the "better" flavors. I'm pretty sure the sauce will be delicious on many other types of meat as well, so I'll be trying that in the future.

This is another Cooks Illustrated recipe that turned out to be a winner. They offered recipe variations for three other different glazes that I'd like to try as well.



For 4 servings, you will need:

1 tsp. light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. cornstarch
4 center-cut skin-on salmon fillets, 6-8 ounces each
ground black pepper
1 tsp. vegetable oil

Glaze:
2 tbsp. ketchup
2 tbsp. hoisin sauce
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. Asian chili-garlic sauce
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1. Whisk the glaze ingredients together in a small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and simmer 3 minutes until thickened. Set it aside.

2. Adjust the oven rack to the middle spot and heat oven to 300. Combine brown sugar, salt, & cornstarch in a small bowl. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and season with pepper. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture evenly over top of the fleshy side of salmon, rubbing evenly to distribute.

3. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until it's just smoking. Place the salmon flesh side down and sear it for one minute, until well browned. Turn it over with tongs and cook it on the skin side for one more minute.

4. Remove the skillet from the heat, spoon the glaze over the fillets, and place the entire skillet in the oven* for 7-10 minutes until the salmon's thickest part reaches 125 degrees.

*If you don't have an oven-safe skillet, transfer the fillets to a baking dish instead.