This brown sugar salmon is caramelized to a crispy exterior and served with a rosemary mustard sauce. An easy dinner in 20 minutes.
Last week on the flight out to California for the CrossFit Games, I sat next to a woman who boarded the plane in a straw hat with sunglasses on and stilettos.
That alone probably tells you enough about the experience but in case you want some more color, she dug through her designer bag right before take off, grabbed a prescription pill bottle and popped 3 of whatever was in it.
It was kind of unfortunate because prior to that I was having a ton of fun reading her text messages to a girlfriend as she ripped apart some guy she had previously dated.
The font on her phone turned up to what I call the “mom font”. You know, the one so big that one letter takes up an entire row of text.
It’s barely considered being noisy when the text is practically jumping out and attacking you.
So an hour and a half into the flight, she’s sleeping (with an eye mask on) and I’m watching some weird ass Nicole Kidman movie trying to figure out how she does an American accent so well when all of a sudden the seatbelt light goes on and we get the typical “folks, just hitting a little patch of rough air, please return to your seats…” speech from the pilot.
Not a big deal, typical turbulence, honestly nothing to even bat an eyelash at.
Unless you’re the pill popper beside me.
Next thing I know her hand is around my arm and I look over to see she’s talking to me.
I take the headphones off and she looks me straight in the eye and says “I’m scared. Are we going to die?”
My first thought was “I’m pretty sure I’m not, but why don’t you tell me what those 3 pills you took were before I make a judgment call on you.”
Except I had 3 more hours next to her so I didn’t say that.
I tried to reassure her the turbulence wasn’t that bad and we’d be fine but she proceeded to tell me she didn’t even have a good last meal if this was the end.
So I asked her what she ate last and she said: salmon.
I like salmon. In fact, I really like it. Especially when wrapped with bacon.
But, I can’t really say it’d be my first choice for a last meal (I honestly don’t think I could even pick one food to end on, there are just too many choices!) but I really wouldn’t be upset if it did in fact end up being my last meal.
Particularly if it was this brown sugar salmon recipe.
Caramelized on the stove top with brown sugar, finished in the oven and a lemon rosemary mustard sauce poured on top to serve – it’d be a pretty decent last meal.
So here’s to crazy people on airplanes…thanks for the inspiration (and the entertainment).
MORE SALMON RECIPES:
Baked Wild Sockeye Salmon
Blackened Salmon Tacos
Crispy Salmon Bites
Sheet Pan Turmeric Salmon with Cherry Sauce
Brown Sugar Salmon with Rosemary Mustard Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb. wild salmon
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced rosemary
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Combine brown sugar, salt & pepper in a shallow dish.
- Coat salmon filet (or filets if you’ve cut it into 2 pieces) on all sides with the sugar mixture.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
- Once hot, add the filets skin side down to the pan.
- Cook for about 3-4 minutes until the skin is browned and crunchy, flip and cook on all 3 remaining sides for about 3 minutes per side, until each is golden brown.
- Transfer skillet to the oven and broil on high for another 3-5 minutes, until salmon is cooked through.
- While salmon is in the oven, whisk together the remaining olive oil, mustard, rosemary and lemon juice in a small bowl.
- Remove salmon from the oven, plate and drizzle the mustard sauce over top.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
that looks heavenly. I need more salmon in my life.
Beautiful salmon dish, love all the greens on the side. Pinned!
I love your story. It reminded me of one of my travels years ago. Anyway, this recipe is a two hit-combo. It looks so delicious and very healthy. I will definitely do this recipe. Thanks for sharing! :-D
That looks so yummy!! Love the idea of that mustard sauce!
I am ALL OVER this for dinner next week. I can’t get over how incredible the rosemary mustard sauce sounds!
I find it SO funny you asked her what she ate. I just can’t see you being that calm with a total stranger and weirdo ;)
I might be a bad flyer – but I’m not pill popping bad… I love people watching on a plane, too. Good and equally frightening times. :)
Remind me not to ever sit by you on a plane. Between the snarky texts I send and the trashy books & audiobooks I read, I’m destined to show up on the blog looking less than my best :)
[I will be pill free though… cocktails, yes. Pills, no]
OMG – hilarious! Thanks for sharing a great chuckle along with a yummy looking recipe. Your photos are just stunning :)
Ugh, nothing worse than being stuck on a plane next to a crazy. :) Salmon might not be my best choice for a last meal, either, but this salmon sure looks delicious! Maybe as a second to last meal. ;)