Honey Bourbon Glazed Salmon with Charred Green Beans and Cauliflower Couscous
by Chef Chris Lee, Nushagak River Adventures Lodge
Ingredients
Honey Bourbon Glazed Salmon with Charred Green Beans and Cauliflower Couscous
4 six-ounce Nushagak River king or silver salmon fillets
1 head of cauliflower, grated on box grater
½ pound of fresh green beans, cleaned and trimmed
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 tbsp lime zest
2 tbsp Italian parsley
2 tbsp cilantro
⅓ cup honey
⅓ cup bourbon whiskey
2 tbsp brown sugar
2½ tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp whole grain mustard
1 tbsp finely minced ginger
1 medium garlic clove, finely minced
½ tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
½ tbsp canola oil
Assorted micro greens when available
To Prepare the Glazed Salmon
- Line two sheet pans with foil for easy cleanup. Spray both pans with cooking spray or rub lightly with oil. Combine honey, bourbon whiskey, brown sugar, soy sauce, whole-grain mustard, finely minced ginger, garlic clove, and crushed red pepper in a small pan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring continuously.
- Reduce heat to medium, and maintain a steady boil for about five minutes, stirring frequently. Take the pan off the burner, and let the bubbling settle down to check it. The mixture should be a syrup and reduced to about one half. It will get a bit thicker as it cools. You may need to boil it for another minute or two to achieve the syrup consistency.
- Add 1 tbsp of fresh lime juice to the mixture and stir well. Pour half of this mixture into a small bowl; leave the rest in the pan.
- Preheat the oven to high broil. Position an oven rack about seven inches from the broiling element.
- Season four, six-ounce salmon fillets lightly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides. Brush with the sauce on the top and sides.
- Place the filets on a prepared sheet pan, and place the pan under the broiler. Broil for five minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the fillets to another pan, flipping each fillet to the opposite side. This will prevent smoking when you return the pan to oven. Brush the second side with the remaining sauce.
- Return it to the broiler for four minutes. If the top is not nicely browned and slightly charred in places, move the rack up one level and cook for another 15 seconds to one minute. Watch carefully at this point so that the glazed salmon doesn’t burn.
To prepare the Cauliflower Couscous
- Grate a head of cauliflower on a box grater and toast it in a pan with a ½ tbsp canola oil. Chop cilantro and Italian parsley, and grate lime zest. Add 2 tbsp of each to the pan with a pinch of salt and fresh pepper, and serve immediately.
To prepare the Charred Green Beans
- Blanch in salted boiling water for 45 seconds and then drain. Put in a hot saute pan with canola oil. Let them sit without stirring until they begin to blacken. Then stir. Once charred, add thinly sliced shallot and a touch of butter to the pan. Then season with salt and pepper.
- Top with micro opal basil, micro celery, and micro Swiss chard as available.
Nushagak River Adventures Lodge
1-877-876-NUSH (6874)
Check out Chef Chris Lee’s Food Blog at FishTheNush.com!
This Honey Bourbon Glazed Salmon with Charred Green Beans and Cauliflower Couscous recipe originally appeared in the April 2019 issue of Fish Alaska.
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