Ok, that’s two great salmon gigs in a row. It’s getting scary how well I’m cooking this fish.
To prove my manliness this time, my recipe came from the new issue of Esquire, a magazine I actually read and enjoy (as opposed to last week’s Prevention recipe which tasted amazing, but, well… came from Prevention).
Anyway, since it’s not the exact recipe that was in the magazine (originally credited to Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier of Ogunquit, Maine), I’ll post my appended directions here with a new title.
Drunken Salmon
Rinse 2 salmon fillets, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat skillet over medium to high heat. When hot, add 2 tbsp butter (I used margarine) and melt without burning. Once foaming subsides, add 1/4 cup brown sugar and stir until combined (mine didn’t combine that well, possibly because the sugar was from the freezer or because of the aforementioned margarine substitute). I also threw in some chopped up ginger for more flavor.
Add salmon and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and add 1/4 cup bourbon (I didn’t have any, so I improvised with some tequila and lime juice) and cook until desired doneness, about 3 minutes.
Even with the additions and strange alcohol substitute, this worked out really well. If you get the timing right, the fish will be cooked through, but tender, and you’ll get a nice glaze effect on top of the fish. Next time, I’ll try it with real butter and bourbon, which I imagine will taste different, but every bit as good.
What is it with salmon and brown sugar? It’s like the peanut butter and jelly of quick fish.
maneatfood.wordpress.com 
FIZZ-
You know what works awesome with brown sugar and salmon?
Fresh squeezed orange juice. Try this…
Get a big bowl, throw in about 2 cups of brown sugar.
squeeeeeze about 2 big or three oranges in to the bowl (without seeds)
add about two or three splashes of RICE WINE VINEGAR. I’d bet a little scraped orange zest wouldn’t hurt, but i never tried it.
A little Olive oil.
stir it up.
Then brush it on the fish and either grill or pan fry. You could probably bake it, too. when frying be careful not to burn – you want it carmalized but not charred.
the stuff carmalizes like a candy glaze and it’s awesome.
I tried it on chicken and it was bangin on the grill. The longer you let the meat sit in this concoction in the fridge, the more tender it will be when you go to cook it because the rice wine vinegar and oranges have the acid that will tenderize and precook it a little.
COOOL. i’ll try that bourbon thing one of these days sounds good.
lou