I am all about shortcuts, but not about store-bought sauces. With the exception of this salmon recipe. It feels like I’m cheating when I make the sweet chili glazed salmon, and I guess I kind of am, but that’s between you and me. Ok, there is a touch of work, you throw together store-bought Asian sweet chili sauce with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and all of a sudden it feels like a restaurant-style meal. The recipe originated from Bon Appetit a couple of years back, and is actually one Epicurious’s Blue Ribbon Winners (an all-time top ranked recipe). If you have not started scoping out the blue ribbon recipes, start; you’ll find a lot of, well, winners.
In the winter, make the salmon in the broiler (see original recipe), if it is summer, throw it on the grill. I like to pair this meal with jasmine rice (with some of the leftover sauce, and a touch of mayo or sour cream, and salt), salted avocado, and another vegetable like wilted spinach with butter and lemon juice.
Sweet Chili Glaze Salmon
adapted form Bon Appetit April 2010
1/4 cup Asian sweet chili sauce
2 TBS soy sauce
2 tsp finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves — minced
kosher salt
6 6-ounce salmon fillets with skin
Prepare charcoal or gas grill. In a bowl whisk together all of the ingredients (except the salmon). Place the salmon on cookie sheet with a lip. Lightly salt the fish then place a large spoonful of the sauce over each filet. Reserve 1/4 of the sauce for post cooking (*note: do not let the spoon touch the fish during this process so that you can use the sauce later). Let the salmon and sauce sit for 10 minutes. Place the salmon on the grill (non-skin side down). Cook for 3 minutes, then rotate to get grill marks. Cook another 3-4 minutes then flip and cook until desired doneness (the salmon should feel like the tip of your nose on the non-skin side). ~2 – 5 more minutes. Take off grill and cover with aluminum foil. Serve with another small spoonful of the sauce.