I've always felt awkward and nervous in fancy restaurants. Surely they can all tell that I don't belong there, and don't even want to be there! But in grad school I started dating a guy who liked to take me out to nice places, and I didn't feel like I could say "Can't we just hit up a burger joint instead?" So I would swallow my discomfort and order whatever food seemed safest, cheapest, and most familiar.
One evening he took me to a trendy new Asian fusion restaurant. I ordered an old standby: chicken fried rice. My new beau ordered apple-glazed salmon. I was intrigued. The only salmon I'd ever eaten had come from a can. I was from the midwest after all; the extent of fresh fish I'd eaten was the catfish and trout that my grandpa had caught.
When our food arrived, the handsome man across the table pronounced his fish delicious and encouraged me to try a bite. It wasn't just delicious - it was divine! And being the ladylike date that I was, I promptly scarfed down his entire meal.
It must have been true love, because he still married me, despite being relegated to a boring meal of rice that night and countless more instances of meal swapping. And since then I have searched for an apple-glazed salmon recipe to serve him in atonement for that fateful night. These recipes tended to call for things I don't keep on hand, like apple cider or bourbon, so I finally came up with the recipe below. It's easy and delicious, and most importantly the perfect amount for both of us!
That Married Couple's Apple-Glazed Salmon
Ingredients
2-3 salmon fillets (boneless, skinless, my grocer sells 6 oz portions)
1 apple
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp syrup
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp Balsamic vinegar
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line pan with foil to make cleanup easier. Spray with non-stick spray.
2. Core apple (I don't bother peeling it) and slice up apple into thin slivers.
3. Melt butter in small saucepan and add apples and cinnamon. Cook for a few minutes to start softening apples.
4. Add remaining ingredients and cook for a few more minutes.
5. Put salmon on pan. Cover fish with apples and half the sauce.
6. Cook for about 20 minutes or until done. In the meantime, let remaining sauce simmer and thicken on stovetop.
7. Serve with extra sauce and enjoy!
Do you have any good fish recipes to share?