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Citrus glazed salmon served over rice with green beans and spinach on a white plate.
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Citrus Glazed Salmon

At the risk of sounding trite, this citrus glazed salmon recipe is truly out of this world. It's a slight adaptation of the beloved "Javanese Roasted Salmon" from the Saucebox restaurant, a fashionable former dining spot in Portland, OR. And fittingly, given the source, it is precisely the sauce that makes this dish so utterly magnificent. Infused with the vibrancy of fresh lime juice and a bit of spicy crushed red pepper, the flavor profile is sweet and sour, delivers just the right amount of heat, and...fair warning here...has occasionally been known to inspire the furtive licking of plates.
Course Dinner
Cuisine American, Javanese
Keyword easy, quick, salmon
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 8 servings

Equipment

  • small heavy saucepan
  • medium skillet (stainless steel or cast iron)
  • large baking sheet

Ingredients

  • 8 six ounce salmon fillets Coho or Sockeye
  • ½ cup unsalted butter plus about a tablespoon more for searing the salmon fillets
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 fat cloves garlic, peeled and grated
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar
  • ½ cup fresh lime juice
  • ½ cup shoyu (or soy sauce)
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions

Prepare the Sauce

  • In a small heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
  • Add the crushed red pepper and the grated garlic, stirring until fragrant, or about one minute. Then add the brown sugar, stirring until the mixture is smooth and just begins to bubble, or about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and the shoyu (or soy sauce). Then increase the heat and boil until reduced to about 1½ cups, or about 5 minutes.
  • Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 teaspoons of water, and then add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, or about 3 minutes. Set the sauce aside.

Prepare the Salmon

  • Heat the oven to 400℉.
  • Place a skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add about a tablespoon of butter. Working in batches, cook the salmon fillets until light golden brown on the first side, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip them over and cook for another minute on the second side. Then transfer to a baking sheet.
  • Spoon about a tablespoon of sauce over each fillet, and then brush over thoroughly to coat.
  • Roast the salmon in the oven about 5 minutes, or just until it is opaque in the center.
  • Serve over jasmine rice with an additional spoonful (or two) of the sauce drizzled on top.