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- 1
Make the maple glaze
In a small saucepan, stir together the maple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest, ground ginger, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, and the soy sauce. Bring it to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring, and cook just until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon — about 2 minutes. Pull it off the heat. The glaze does most of the heavy lifting in this recipe, so taste it: it should be sweet, bright, and gently warm from the ginger and chili.
- 2
Prep the salmon
Pat the salmon filets very dry with paper towels — this is what gives you the proper golden crust later. Season the flesh side with salt and pepper, then dust each filet very lightly on top with about a half teaspoon of flour. Spoon 1 to 2 teaspoons of the warm glaze onto the flesh side of each filet.
- 3
Sear skin-side down
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until it shimmers. Lay the filets skin-side down in the hot pan, leaving room between them — work in two batches if your pan is crowded, since steam is the enemy of a real sear. Cook undisturbed for about 1½ to 2 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the bottom edges look set and opaque.
- 4
Flip, then finish off the heat
Season the now-up-facing skin side with a little more salt, pepper, and another quick drizzle of glaze. Flip the filets gently. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then turn the burner off entirely and let the salmon rest in the hot pan for another 2 minutes. The residual heat finishes cooking it to that buttery, just-set center — no flaking, no chalky overcooked edges.
- 5
Finish and serve
Lift the salmon onto plates. Spoon plenty of the remaining maple glaze over the top, then shower each filet with the chopped pistachios. A wedge of lemon on the side is welcome. Any extra glaze is brilliant drizzled over rice, roasted vegetables, or even a simple grain bowl the next day.
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Maple-Glazed Salmon with Lemon and Pistachios
Created by: WholeFoodWendy
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 4 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- crushed red pepper flakes, a pinch
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 2 lb skin-on salmon filets
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
Instructions
- Make the maple glazeIn a small saucepan, stir together the maple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest, ground ginger, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, and the soy sauce. Bring it to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring, and cook just until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon — about 2 minutes. Pull it off the heat. The glaze does most of the heavy lifting in this recipe, so taste it: it should be sweet, bright, and gently warm from the ginger and chili.
- Prep the salmonPat the salmon filets very dry with paper towels — this is what gives you the proper golden crust later. Season the flesh side with salt and pepper, then dust each filet very lightly on top with about a half teaspoon of flour. Spoon 1 to 2 teaspoons of the warm glaze onto the flesh side of each filet.
- Sear skin-side downHeat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until it shimmers. Lay the filets skin-side down in the hot pan, leaving room between them — work in two batches if your pan is crowded, since steam is the enemy of a real sear. Cook undisturbed for about 1½ to 2 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the bottom edges look set and opaque.
- Flip, then finish off the heatSeason the now-up-facing skin side with a little more salt, pepper, and another quick drizzle of glaze. Flip the filets gently. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then turn the burner off entirely and let the salmon rest in the hot pan for another 2 minutes. The residual heat finishes cooking it to that buttery, just-set center — no flaking, no chalky overcooked edges.
- Finish and serveLift the salmon onto plates. Spoon plenty of the remaining maple glaze over the top, then shower each filet with the chopped pistachios. A wedge of lemon on the side is welcome. Any extra glaze is brilliant drizzled over rice, roasted vegetables, or even a simple grain bowl the next day.