April Recipe: Glazed Salmon w/Bourbon Brown Sugar Glaze

For April, we focused in on self care. The winter months can be a tough time for a lot of people, and early spring seems to tease good weather only for it to snow a few days later. So we wanted to take this time to breathe, slow down, and nourish ourselves with great food. 

Glazed Salmon
w/Bourbon Brown Sugar Glaze

Christina Williams, West & Taylor
www.westandtaylor.com

I personally love this recipe, and any recipe with Salmon as the star, for when I’m my mood is low and my anxiety is high. Salmon is high in the omega-3 fatty acids that are excellent for mental health. Self-care for me is all about doing things and eating things that will help calm my overactive mind and anxiety. This recipe is quick, easy and delicious and it helps me feel good about eating healthy, but still has a sweet hit with the glaze that makes this self-care meal feel just a bit indulgent. 

Total Time: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients

• 2-4,  4oz Salmon Cuts (Skin off makes this recipe a quicker cook)
• ¼ cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbls Brown Mustard
• 1 Tbls Worcestershire Sauce (or vegan alternative)
• ½ cup Bourbon
• 1 Tbls Honey
• 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste (start with 1 tsp each and go from there)

Preparation

• I serve this with a nice garden salad, so before I start prepping vegetables for that I start the glaze to use it as a marinade.
• Whisk together the brown sugar, mustard, worcestershire, bourbon, honey, apple cider vinegar and seasonings. Feel free to add up to ½ cup more of brown sugar and ¼ cup of Bourbon if you would like to make your glaze go a bit farther and have more for drizzling at the end. 
• Place the Salmon filets in the marinade while you prep your salad vegetables. 
• Once vegetables are cut, or after 15 minutes in the marinade, take them out. Usually, you would want to pat your protein dry before placing in a hot pan. However, with this the glaze forms a delicious crust that works so well with the salmon. 
• You can completely forgo the marinade if you do not have the time or patience to wait. If you do not marinade, brush the salmon filet with the glaze mix and then follow on to the next step, just as if you had marinaded.
• In a pan that is at medium-high heat with a little oil of your choice (veg or olive), place your salmon in and do not move them. Let them cook and form the crust that the sugar from the glaze will make. Lower the heat to medium and let them cook for about 3-5 minutes on this side (if you have the skin on, let cook for at least 7 minutes to crisp up the skin).
• Flip them over using a fish spatula (if you do not have one of these, I highly suggest them for fish that tends to flake and break when turning) and let cook for approximately 2 minutes, for a medium to medium-rare cook. Feel free to cook longer if you prefer your salmon more on the ‘done’ side, however, turn your heat to medium-low. You want the glaze to form a dark crust that holds its sweet flavor, not one that is burnt-there is a fine line.
• If you’d like to drizzle some glaze over top of your salmon and your sides, reduce more of the glaze down, for about 1-2 minutes on high heat until it is near a syrup texture. 
• Serve your Salmon with vegetables and rice or a salad and enjoy.