One of the most delicious ways to make salmon a more exciting dish is to add a maple-balsamic glaze to the mix. These instructions show how to bake your salmon with a fine glaze that brings a delicious flavor out of the fish, while at the same time not over-powering it with flavor. This simple recipe only requires less than 10 ingredients. The same glaze may be utilized if you were to throw your fish on the grill - just make sure it's wrapped in aluminum foil before putting it on.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Atlantic salmon
- Salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 fresh garlic
- 1 sweet onion
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (used to thicken the glaze)
Steps
Overall Preparation
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Prepare all the ingredients to be used in your kitchen work space so they are available to you throughout the food preparation process.
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Mince 3 cloves of garlic and chop 1/2 of the sweet onion into small chunks. Set aside.Advertisement -
Prepare your baking sheet by covering it in aluminum foil. Drizzle olive oil across the sheet.
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Set your oven to preheat at 450 degrees.Advertisement
Maple-Balsamic Glaze Preparation
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Retrieve a small bowl and add the 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir them together until a mixture is achieved.
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Thicken the maple-balsamic glaze using cornstarch. Add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to the mix and then put the bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds.
- Repeat this process until the desired level of thickness is achieved (personal preference). Do not add more than 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to the mix at a time.
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Ensure the maple-balsamic glaze is completely mixed. Set on the side.Advertisement
Salmon Preparation
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Remove the salmon from the packaging and remove the skin. Place your knife under the skin and pull the skin with your hand while making a light cutting motion with the knife.
- This can be a difficult process for someone new to performing this. If you struggle with this, consider purchasing the fish with the skin removed already.
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Cut the salmon into individual portions. Cut the salmon into 3-4 portions (4-6 oz), depending on how many entrees you would like to prepare.
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Place the individual portions of salmon onto the prepped baking sheet.
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Lightly apply salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings to each salmon portion.
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Use the maple-balsamic glaze set on the side to lightly glaze the salmon portions in the baking sheet. Take care to not over-glaze the Salmon portions. The glaze should be carefully applied using a sauce brush, with no "pools" of sauce covering any of the salmon.
- There should be excess glaze remaining in the bowl. The remaining maple-balsamic glaze sauce may be used when the food is served.
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Lightly add the minced garlic and chopped onions as a topping to each salmon portion in the baking sheet.Advertisement
Cooking the Salmon
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Put the baking sheet containing the prepped salmon into the oven.
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Allow the salmon to bake for 8 -12 minutes, depending on your desired level of tenderness for the fish.
- Cooking for 8 minutes will present you with rare salmon.
- Cook for 10 minutes for medium rare salmon.
- Cook for 12 minutes for it to be well done.
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Remove the salmon from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
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Apply leftover maple-balsamic glaze as desired, and enjoy!Advertisement
Expert Q&A
Video
Things You'll Need
- Knife
- Oven sheet
- Aluminum foil
- Small bowl
- Brush to apply the glaze
About this article
To make maple balsamic glazed salmon, combine maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Mix in a little cornstarch to thicken the glaze. Remove the skin from your salmon with a sharp knife, then cut the salmon into serving-sized portions. Place the salmon pieces on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and drizzled with olive oil, then season each piece with a sprinkling of salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings. Finally, lightly brush the glaze onto the salmon pieces with a cooking brush. Sprinkle minced garlic and chopped onion on the fish and cook it at 450 degrees for 8-12 minutes. For tips on how to serve your glazed salmon, read on!
