Karl’s Orange Glazed Salmon

I suggested salmon for Eilene’s and my dinner tonight. Eilene’s response was, “Salmon, salmon, salmon!” Jan, sadly, is still eating blended foods, so she having the left over scallop soup from two nights ago. I am also making mashed yams and Carolina coleslaw to go with tonight’s fish.

Karl’s Orange Glazed Salmon

You may use store bought jelly for this recipe, but last Christmas, a week after I had made my marmalade give-away, a neighbor dropped off a box full of oranges from his backyard. We have been having a drought the last few years and the skins of his orange crop were not very attractive. These were simply not the oranges for making marmalade. Also, I had just made fifty jars and I did not need fifty more. What was I to do with them?

People like my marmalade because I have concentrated the recipe. The original Joy of Cooking recipe called for four parts water to one part fruit, to maximize the amount of jam produced. For my usual marmalade I have reduced this to two, or even one and a half, parts water to fruit. For this batch, I decided to eliminate the water all together. I juiced the oranges and I made a truly intense orange jelly with them. It was this jelly that I used on today’s salmon.

After Dinner Note: Jan is not supposed to eat solid food at the moment, but she could not resist a taste. Not everyone eats the fish skin, but the crispy bits at the edges, where it looks like it is overdone in the picture, was really good. It was all good and we were licking the plate at the end of the meal.

Karl’s Orange Glazed Salmon

Ingredients

1 Salmon filet (1-2 lbs)
2 Tbs. Grand Marnier
Pinch Kosher salt
1-2 Tbs. butter
1-2 tsp. orange jelly

Directions

1. Put the Grand Marnier in a shallow dish about the same size as the filet and marinate it for 20-30 minutes, skin side up.

2. Line a shallow baking pan with aluminum foil and lay the filet in it, skin side down. pour any remaining Grand Marnier over the fish.

Tip: Do not skip this foil liner or you will spend the next day cleaning the carbon off of your broiling pan (like I am). If you are marinating and broiling in the same pan lay the foil in the pan before you start marinating.

3. Sprinkle the filet with a pinch of salt.

4. In a small microwaveable cup, melt the butter, about one minute on high.

5. Mix the jelly into the butter and brush some of it over the salmon.

6. Broil the salmon 2 inches from the heating element for 5 minutes.

7. Brush more of the butter/jelly glaze over the salmon and continue broiling 5 minutes more.

Tip: A thicker filet may take longer. Salmon is done when a knife inserted into the thickest part of the filet flakes it easily, separates the individual flakes down to the skin with no underdone flesh near the skin.

8. Transfer the filet to a serving platter and brush it with the remaining glaze.