Crispy Salmon with Blackberry, Ginger, Balsamic Glaze and a Peppery Salad

This crispy salmon recipe with blackberry, ginger, balsamic glaze, is a unique blend of ingredients that combine sweet, spicy, savory, and peppery flavors together to make an interesting explosion of taste! I must have been channeling my inner Bobby Flay for this sauce, because it has a good depth of flavor despite the fact that it comes together relatively easily. Also, it is quick enough for a weeknight but elegant enough for a special occasion, so it is definitely a good one to have in your repertoire of crispy salmon recipes.

Serves 4

Wine Pairing:

While most suggest not to pair a red wine with salmon, the rich blackberry, ginger, balsamic glaze pairs well with the berry notes found in a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Ingredients:

4 – 6 oz Salmon Filets

1 garlic clove, minced, about 1 tablespoon

2 tablespoons ginger, minced

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 cup blackberries, halved

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the peppery salad:

4-6 cups arugula

5 radishes, halved and sliced

1/2 red onion diced

1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Instructions:

1. Start the glaze by sautéing garlic and ginger in olive oil and salt and pepper on medium-low heat for about 2 minutes. Once softened, add blackberries, honey, sugar, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes until the blackberries become soft. Gently stir and slightly mash the blackberries with a back of a spoon to break apart. The mixture should still be chunky, but the blackberries should be distributed throughout the sauce. Allow to simmer for another 10 minutes until the mixture has reduced by half and remove from heat.
2. While the glaze is simmering, make the salad by combining arugula, radishes, red onions, and goat cheese. Toss to combine.
3. Now for the salmon, preheat a stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Dry the salmon filets and sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Add about 2 tablespoons of oil to the stainless steel pan and add the salmon, skin side up. Allow to cook undisturbed for 10 minutes. Flip and cook skin side down for another 10 minutes until salmon is cooked through. Baste the top of the salmon with the hot oil along the way to prevent it from drying out and speeding up the cooking process a bit.
4. To plate, distribute salmon and salad between 4 plates. Drizzle the blackberry, ginger, balsamic glaze over the salmon and salad.
5. Bon appetite! Enjoy this crispy salmon with blackberry, ginger, balsamic glaze and peppery salad.

If you like this recipe, be sure to try my Salmon with green tea soba noodles and wasabi vinaigrette or my crispy salmon with butternut squash and gnocchi!