Honey Garlic Salmon

It’s easy to turn up your nose to salmon until you’ve had it prepared properly. This Honey Garlic Salmon recipe, fresh out of my vaults, is the one that started me on a lifelong love affair with salmon at the age of 16. Since then, I’ve tinkered with all kinds of salmon concoctions, including salmon burnt ends (yes, really).

Salmon is a rich source of omega-3 fats. While it’s healthy for you, the buttery texture is hard to ignore. Salmon isn’t as expensive as other seafood, yet feels luxurious. If you’re using this as a main dish, you want about ½ lb of fish per person. As a snacking food, you can cut that in half.

Honey Garlic Salmon Ingredients

Salmon

CUSO’S SPICY GARLIC BUFFALO BBQ RUB

2 tbsp chili oil

1 cup honey barbecue sauce (your choice)

2 tbsp minced garlic

Crackers or crostini

Honey Garlic Salmon Instructions

Set your smoker for 225
Dust the salmon with CUSO’S SPICY GARLIC BUFFALO BBQ RUB
Mix together the chili oil, barbecue sauce, and garlic
Apply the mixture evenly to the surface of the salmon. Leave some in reserve for when the fish comes out of the smoker
Smoke for 3-4 hours (the salmon will be pull-apart flaky)
Brush once more with the reserved sauce
Serve with a fork for flaking and crackers or crostini.

PitMaster’s Memo: Salmon Flavor Pairings

If you haven’t cooked salmon often, you might wonder what flavors marry with this type of fish. On the sweet end of the spectrum, think orange juice, honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar. If you want something for a bright finish, look to lemon and lime. Your choice of spicy elements includes garlic, ginger, horseradish, onion, sesame, smoked paprika, and chili. For milder herbs, took to dill, chives, and mint.

What about fruit? Try mango, pineapple, grapefruit, melon, and apple. For vegetables, there’s asparagus, beans, bok choi, broccolini, cabbage, carrot, escarole, snap peas with mushroom, spinach, and sweet potato fries.