Spotlight on Wild Salmon

Salmon au Poivre with Maple and Balsamic Glazed Strawberries

Salmon is such a wonderful fish.  It has a terrifically distinct flavor that lends itself to many cooking preparations.  We are lucky to be in the Pacific Northwest on the Olympic Peninsula where salmon is abundant.

Today I am writing about Ocean Crest Resort’s Wild Salmon au Poivre with Maple and Balsamic Glazed Strawberries.  This is such a simple dish to prepare that any home cook can do it, and THIS TIME I will leave nothing out.

Simply start by preheating your grill and generously spray with no stick cooking spray.  Next you’ll want to spray your salmon with nonstick spray. I’m not messing around,  you don’t want your salmon to stick to the grill.  The nonstick spray will also aid in holding your seasonings on the salmon and caramelization.  Then season the fleshy side of your salmon with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, we use a Four Peppercorn Melange with black, white, green, and pink peppercorns.  Place your salmon fillet on the grill skin side up for about 2-4 minutes then flip and cook another 1-3 minutes, cooking time will depend on the thickness of the cut.  You want to cook your salmon to Medium Rare, it will continue to cook after it comes off of the grill due to a phenomena known as carryover cooking.

Making the glaze is very simple.  Mix equal parts Pure Maple Syrup, don’t use the cheap stuff, and Balsamic Vinegar, place them in a pan on medium high heat and bring to a boil.  Toss in your sliced strawberries and when the bubbles in the pan start to build on each other, that means the water has evaporated, your glaze is ready to be spooned over your salmon.  Even with the meekest of berries, this maple and balsamic mixture will make that berry flavor pop!

Notice I didn’t give measurements, that is because cooking is mainly ratios.  That way you can prepare this dish for 1 or more without having to do a bunch of math to adjust the recipe.

What do you think?  Sound good?  Can you taste it?  Have you ever had the Wild Salmon au Poivre at Ocean Crest Resort?  Tell us about it.

About the author

Jess Owen