Honey, Does My Breath Stink?

This is another one of those homey “non-recipe” dishes that is unspeakably simple and easy, takes no time at all to put together, and yet is incredibly tasty.

I like this recipe quite a lot. The ingredients are basic : just fresh salmon, honey, garlic and light soy sauce; but the final flavors belie the simplicity of the dish’s components.

The key to getting tasty salmon from such pared-down ingredients is of course - as with most other dishes, really - the freshness of the fish. The fresher and better quality the fish, the tastier this will be. I generally like to use freshly-bought salmon, rather than ones thawed from my freezer compartment. Yes, I know. All the salmon sold here in the markets and supermarkets come flash-frozen anyway. But they are thawed before being sold. And when we re-freeze them after getting them home, then defrost them again at a later date, the flavor and texture are somewhat compromised. I mean, they’re still great for a lot of other dishes - and I almost always have batches of salmon filets (one of my favorite fish) in the freezer, and use them for lots of different recipes. But for this particular dish, I would suggest that “fresh” from the supermarket is best - the flavoring ingredients don’t have to work so hard to “neutralize” any fishiness that may be there. Plus, for broiling, the texture of fresh salmon usually works much better.

This salmon uses lots (and I mean lots) of garlic. And therein lies its appeal (unless of course you have a phobia of this aromatic bulb). And no, you do not get stinky breath from eating this. Or at least I haven’t received any complaints thus far.

The flavor combination works, and the overall taste is light and fairly delicate (which may seem surprising, given the amount of garlic used). There is the wonderfully fragrant aroma and subtle sweetness of finely chopped garlic that has been lightly caramelized, mellowed and rounded out by the honey. There is also the nice balance between the sweetness of the honey and the savory tones of the soy sauce.

We usually make extra sauce (which is always in high demand) and drizzle it over the salmon. And it’s gorgeous.

Broiled Honey Garlic Salmon Filets

Serves 4

4 pieces salmon filets
10 cloves garlic - finely chopped *
4 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons light soy sauce

* I sometimes use up to one whole head of garlic. Feel free to increase or decrease the quantity according to your garlic comfort level.

• Clean the salmon filets and pat dry.

• In a medium bowl, stir together the honey and soy sauce, until the honey is dissolved. Add the finely chopped garlic, and stir to mix.

• Marinade the salmon filets in the honey-soy sauce mixture for about 20-30 minutes.

• Place under the broiler for about 4-6 minutes (for filets with thickness of about ¾ to 1 inch), or until fish is cooked to the desired doneness.

• Serve hot.

We usually like our salmon a touch underdone - where the center still has a hint of translucency. Personally, I find it rather offensive to have to eat over-cooked, dry and coarse-as-tree-bark salmon; preferring instead the juicy, melt-in-the-mouth, unctuous succulence of “just cooked” fish.

And then, every mouthful becomes a sensual and sensuous delight.

Keep in mind that the fish (unless you are using huge, thick slabs of them) will continue to cook a little bit more even after they have been yanked from under the broiler. I tend to find that leaving them under the heat until they are cooked through and fully opaque produces somewhat overdone fish by the time they are served; whilst cooking them only until they are just a tad underdone will produce fish that is “just right” once they’ve been left to rest for a couple of minutes.

But this is all really down to personal preferences, so just do what feels the most comfortable for you.

Variations
As with most home-style dishes, this one is also open to lots of fun and imaginative flavor-experimentation. And I think it beats the standard, rather too tried-and-tasted (albeit tasty) teriyaki option for broiling fish.

Here are a couple of suggestions, but otherwise, just have fun with it.

• Reduce the amount of garlic used, and add a sprinkling of finely grated lemon or orange zest.

• Instead of using garlic, add finely grated ginger and some lemon or orange zest to the honey-soy sauce mixture.

• If a more robust flavor is desired, try adding a touch of hoisin sauce to the garlic-honey-soy sauce combination.

Happy salmon broiling!

Copyright © 2004 Renee Kho. All Rights Reserved.
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