Honey Dijon Salmon

A couple of our guests for Christmas Eve are not able to eat beef for various reasons, so we needed to make sure we had an alternative to the prime rib that was being served as a main course.  It was an easy choice to add this salmon to the menu.  It helps that it is super simple to prepare, and cooks easily along side the prime rib on the grill or in the oven for just a short time right before dinner is to be served.

Gather Up:

• 1 wild-caught king or coho salmon fillet, 16 to 24 oz (you can also go with 4 steaks about 6 oz each)
• 1/4 cup local raw honey
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard (sugar- and HFCS-free)
• 1 tbsp pastured butter, melted
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (HFCS-free)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp coarse black pepper
• 1/3 cup raw pine nuts

In a small prep bowl, melt the butter in the microwave (don’t let it go too long…you’ll have a BIG mess on your hands).  Mix the remaining ingredients, except the salmon and the pine nuts, with the melted butter and whisk well with a fork.

Get the oven or grill warming up to 400 degrees (indirect if grilling).  Grab a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the salmon, then line it with aluminum foil with the shiny side down (i.e. NOT facing the food).  Alternately, if grilling, you can simply make a “pan” out of a doubled up piece of foil (start with a piece twice as long as the fillet PLUS about 4 inches, then fold in half and work the edges up to form a rim like I have above).  Place the fish on the foil, then drizzle generously with the honey-dijon sauce.  Sprinkle pine nuts over the surface of the fish.

Cook for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the fish is just opaque and easily flakes with a fork at the thickest part.  You can actually prepare this recipe using still-frozen salmon (which makes it very handy for nights you haven’t planned ahead) – just increase the cooking time to between 35 and 40 minutes.  Serve with a nice salad and some steamed veggies or roasted asparagus (when in season).  Depending on how generous you were with the sauce up front, you can also serve a little reserved sauce on top as well.  Enjoy!