Pomegranate-Balsamic Glazed Salmon

Ingredients
For the glaze
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (I ran out of normal balsamic, so I used pomegranate balsamic.)
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Pinch cayenne pepper

For the fish
1 teaspoon brown sugar
¹⁄₂ teaspoon kosher salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon cornstarch
4 (6 ounces each) salmon fillets
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil

Instructions
1. Whisk glaze ingredients together in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, simmer until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300*F. Combine brown sugar, salt, and cornstarch in small bowl. Pat salmon dry with paper towels and season with pepper. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture evenly over top of flesh side of salmon, rubbing to distribute.

3. Heat oil in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place salmon, flesh side down, in skillet and cook until well browned, about 1 minute. Using tongs, carefully flip salmon and cook on skin side for 1 minute.

4. Remove skillet from heat and spoon glaze evenly over salmon fillets. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until center of thickest part of fillets registers 125*F on instant-read thermometer and is still translucent when cut into with paring knife, 7 to 10 minutes. Serve. 

Comments
This recipe is from the Cook’s Illustrated 2011 Annual.  I loved this glaze and method of cooking.  The fish was perfectly cooked and moist, the glaze was super flavorful with just the right amount of sweet thanks to the pomegranate juice.  I really enjoyed this salmon and might try out the other glaze (recipes in this volume of Cook’s Illustrated. 

Shown here with Caesar Salad.

Cook’s Illustrated 2011