Cooking with Sara: Brown Sugar Salmon

Blog Update: I've decided to do a weekly entry with a recipe for you all. I figure that way, I'm putting myself on a mini-deadline to try out the zillion recipes I've been eyeing. It also forces me to hone the techniques of the recipes I already do love. And, hey, blog content without having to dream up something witty, right? Right? Bueller?

This week's recipe was originally intended for bacon. (Yeah, sounds totally kinda gross, but I did make it, and I'll vouch for its yum!) But, it turns out that the same ingredients (plus a couple more) can be thrown on salmon with Freaking Amazing results. It's our most favorite way to eat salmon now, so I thought I'd pass the recipe on to you.

Brown Sugar Salmon

1 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. dry mustard powder
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

2-4 Salmon filets (easier to cook if they're no thicker than 1")

2-4 Tbsp. butter (~ 1 Tbsp per filet)

Combine dry ingredients in a ziploc bag and shake (the bag and your booty) to mix. Rub mixture onto salmon filets, approximately 2 Tbsp rub per filet. Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium heat and add filets - rub side down - to skillet. Allow to sizzle and brown and form a crust before flipping the salmon filets. (After you've flipped, they should look something like the photo above.) This step will only take a minute or two.

At this point, it depends on how thick your salmon is. My filets were thick, so I needed to add some liquid to the skillet and cover it with a lid to finish cooking. My favorite liquids to add for finishing are: Bourbon, Amaretto, or chicken or vegetable broth. Add approximately 1/2 cup of liquid and let it come to a sizzle before covering with a lid. Check for doneness by flaking the filet with a fork.