I honestly can’t recall a time where I didn’t have a salmon dish that I loved. Every recipe I’ve ever tried has been delicious, and every time I make salmon I wish we could have it more often. It’s something everyone in the family loves, and there really are endless ways to prepare it.
Yesterday I brought home the largest fillet of salmon that I could find, and I knew that I wanted to give it the Maple Glaze treatment. A simple rub of chili powder and salt is put on the salmon, and then it’s put on the grill. At the very end of cooking, the tiniest drizzle of real maple syrup is added, and it takes the salmon to a spectacular level. I can never get enough!
I did have to make a trip to Penzey’s yesterday afternoon to pick up a new bottle of Ancho Chile Powder. Ancho is a mild chili powder with a great depth of flavor- I like to use it in places where I want the flavor, but not the heat. It also pairs with sweet things amazingly well- the maple syrup/ancho chile combo is not to be missed.
If you didn’t have any real maple syrup on hand, I think you could use a good quality honey. Warm it up though so that you can drizzle it thinly. No syrup on hand? Maybe you could increase the brown sugar in the rub to a tablespoon, but keep a careful eye on it when cooking, as you don’t want the fish to burn.
I took my very large fillet of salmon and cut it into more manageable pieces for grilling. Not only did this make it easier to flip it as it cooked, but it also helped the fish to cook more evenly. It was SO good, and I’m already thinking about making it again.
Maple-Glazed Salmon
1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon brown sugar 1 teaspoon sea salt 4 salmon fillets 2 tablespoons real maple syrupDirections:
Combine the paprika through the salt in a small bowl and mix well. Sprinkle all of it all over the salmon pieces.
For grilling: Rub your grill grates with a bit of oil before putting the fish on over medium flame. Cook the salmon about 4 minutes per side, adjusting for thicker or thinner pieces of fish. Just before taking the salmon off the grill, drizzle with the maple syrup and let cook for an extra 30 seconds, then take off the heat.
For broiling: Use a broiler pan that has been oiled or sprayed with cooking spray. Rub the spices into the salmon and broil for 5-6 minutes. Drizzle the salmon with the maple syrup and broil for one more minute, keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn.