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Bourbon Peach Salmon

Bourbon peach salmon with a glossy caramelized glaze: simmer peach puree with bourbon, honey, soy sauce, and brown sugar until thick, then sear and oven-finish skin-on fillets. The result is deeply golden, lacquered edges with juicy salmon and extra warm bourbon-peach glaze for drizzling.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
marinating 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 3 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salmon and seasoning
  • 4 salmon fillets skin on
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper to taste
Glaze
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 peaches ripe, peeled and pureed
  • 3 tbsp bourbon
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 0.5 tsp ginger grated

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the bourbon peach glaze
  1. Combine peach puree, bourbon, honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 5-8 minutes, stirring until thickened into a glossy glaze.
Marinate the salmon
  1. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper, then marinate in half the glaze. Refrigerate for 30 minutes so the surface takes on a light peachy coating.
Sear and oven-finish
  1. Heat olive oil in an oven-safe cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place salmon skin-side up and sear for 3-4 minutes until the edges look deeply golden.
Flip and glaze
  1. Flip the salmon and brush generously with the remaining glaze. You should see a lacquered, caramelizing surface as the glaze thins slightly in the pan.
Bake until cooked through
  1. Transfer the skillet to a 400F oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until the salmon flakes and looks opaque. The glaze should appear glossy and caramelized on top.
Serve
  1. Serve immediately with extra warm bourbon peach glaze drizzled over the salmon. The glaze should pool lightly and cling to the lacquered edges.

Notes

Pro tip: simmer the glaze until it coats the back of a spoon—if it’s too thin, it won’t lacquer well on the salmon. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; rewarm gently in a skillet or microwave. Freezing is not recommended because the peach-bourbon glaze can separate after thawing. For a lower-sugar swap, replace the honey and brown sugar with an equal amount of a brown-sugar substitute formulated for cooking.