We often hear people being intimidated by trying to cook fish, worrying about making it too soft or unpalatable. We personally prefer fish like salmon done well, or at least firm with texture on the surface. Whether baked or grilled, the key is keeping the SKIN ON! This locks the moisture in, keeping the flavor without drying out. When grilling, place the skin onto the grate (towards the heat), and flip only to sear the top.
For this recipe, we coated salmon steaks with a savory seasoning after coating with agave— after lightly brushing the salmon with agave, we generously seasoned with a Molasses & Sage rub from Spiceology. Any particular seasoning will do, but we prefer something with a bit of kick, usually including flavors of chili powder, black pepper, and paprika. Next, they were placed in the preheated oven and baked at 400ºF in a glass dish SKIN SIDE DOWN for about 10-15 minutes. The oven was then set to HI broil and salmon was placed on the center rack, flipped to let the exposed meat crisp and slightly caramelize the agave topping for about 2 minutes. If you opt to grill, place the salmon fillets skin side down in a grill heated to about 450ºF for about 7-10 minutes, then flip onto direct heat for 2-3 minutes. Allow to rest for a few minutes and serve!
