Cooking
I like bourbon, but not whisky. I know, I know, bourbon IS whisky, but to me there's a big difference. American bourbon is smooth and sweet and has complex flavors that I enjoy in food--warm spices, fresh herbs, toasted nuts, all kinds of fruit, vanilla, coffee, toffee, chocolate, caramel and more. Whisky, is fire water. Though a fan of all whisky, Chef Michael Symon summed it up this way, "drinking whisky should be a massage, not a wax!"
Disclaimer: Knob Creek provided me with access to Michael Symon and a sample of their fine product.
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Cooking
Bourbon Glazed Salmon Recipe
Symon was in San Francisco to talk about bourbon and Knob Creek in particular, an award winning bourbon made in small batches. It's aged in very deeply charred oak barrels, and is bottled at 100 proof. It has a distinctive sweetness and big flavor. Symon told me he like the boldness of it, saying it goes great with the kinds of things he likes to cook. "It's smoky, you can taste the age, like you can with a good salami. It has great depth of flavor, like wine and I appreciate what goes into making it--the 9 year aging process." Bourbon matches Symon's approach to cooking, "Things I like to cook take time and patience like charcuterie. Knob Creek is the charcuterie of the spirit world"
We talked a bit about using Knob Creek in cooking, he uses it in spicy glazes, with fruit like cherries, peaches or apples, and says it works equally well with pork or seafood. According to Symon, "It has complexity. I wouldn't use it with halibut but with salmon it holds up well--paired with mustard or maple, hard caramelized onions, anything sweet and smoky."
Inspired by Michael Symon, I created this very simple but luscious recipe for salmon glazed with bourbon, maple syrup, brown sugar and soy sauce.
Bourbon Glazed Salmon
4 servings
4 servings
Ingredients
4 4-5 ounces pieces of wild salmon
4 4-5 ounces pieces of wild salmon
2 Tablespoons bourbon, preferably Knob Creek
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1-2 drops liquid smoke, optional
1-2 drops liquid smoke, optional
Instructions
Combine the bourbon, maple syrup, soy sauce and liquid smoke in a large zip top bag. Add the salmon to the bag and squeeze out as much air as you can, then seal it. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Combine the bourbon, maple syrup, soy sauce and liquid smoke in a large zip top bag. Add the salmon to the bag and squeeze out as much air as you can, then seal it. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Remove salmon from the marinade, pat it dry with paper towels and sear the salmon, skin side down in a very hot pan, such as cast iron for a couple minutes or until the skin is beginning to get crisp and no longer sticking to the bottom of the pan. Transfer salmon to the oven and cook until internal temperature reaches 120 degrees, the temperature will be higher by the time it reaches the table. The time will vary depending upon the thickness of the salmon filet or steak, but a rule of thumb is 10 minutes per inch thickness.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Knob Creek provided me with access to Michael Symon and a sample of their fine product.
- Cherry Vanilla Balsamic Shrub Recipe
Once again, I’m a Canbassador. That means I receive a couple shipments of stone fruit, more than enough to preserve, and I share my results and recipes with you. I already received a large box of dark red cherries and will be working on peaches next....
- Spirit Works Barrel Aged Gin: Drinks On Friday
Barrel aged gin has been gaining popularity the past couple of years. It started perhaps with Seagram’s Distillers’s Reserve and then a handful of craft distillers got in on the act and more recently Beefeater began producing one. Some distillers...
- Sockeye Or King Salmon?
Both wild Sockeye and wild King salmon are in the market now, and available fresh and will be until late September or early October. Both types of wild Pacific salmon are a true delicacy, and very healthy. They are high in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin...
- Winter Cobb Salad:recipe
Last year I had the pleasure of having breakfast with Michael Symon at a demo that he did at Williams-Sonoma. From recipes in his cookbook, Michael Symon's Live to Cook, he made creamy scrambled eggs with goat cheese, potato pancakes and of course,...
- Pomegranate Glaze Recipe
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