Bourbon Salmon

7/3/2014

I have to admit that the convenience of pre-marinated salmon in the supermarket fish case is tempting when I'm rushing through the isles at 5:00, anxious to pick up a quick dinner to take home and feed to my hungry family but the risks of buying pre-marinated fish far outweigh the convenience factor for me.

Curiosity got the best of me one day though and I bought a couple of pieces of bourbon marinated salmon from the supermarket and brought it home and tried it. To tell you the truth, it was pretty tasty BUT it was the fear of the unknown that got me. I had no way of knowing how much salt and sugar and "other spices" were added to the fish and/or the marinade. Plus, I had to wonder how long that fish had been soaking in that brine bath?

People say that I'm a control freak but in this case, it works to the advantage of our health. When I'm in control of the amount of sodium and sugar that goes into the food that I prepare for my family, I feel like I have more control over our overall health.

I found a recipe for a Smoked Barbecued Salmon in the July issue of Cooking Light magazine that sounded similar to the salmon that I had tried from the grocery store, so I thought I would give it a try. I renamed the recipe Bourbon Salmon - just because. I tried the recipe just as it was written in the magazine but next time, I think I will use about half the sugar and salt that it calls for.

Bourbon Salmon
1/2 cup bourbon
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons black pepper
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 pounds salmon filets

Combine bourbon and salmon in a ziploc bag and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Drain and pat salmon dry. Combine brown sugar, pepper, salt and lemon zest.