Whiskey-Glazed Salmon With Salt-Crusted Potatoes

By Genevieve Ko

Published March 16, 2022

Whiskey-Glazed Salmon With Salt-Crusted Potatoes
Jenny Huang for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(1,184)
Comments
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The savory snap of baby potatoes crusted in salt is just what you want with the subtle sweetness of this fish’s glaze. The fish and the potatoes cook and come together at the same time in this fast meal. To achieve silky salmon without turning on the oven, gently cook it in a shallow pool of sauce that thickens to a syrup as it simmers. The potatoes, prepared using a technique from the Canary Islands, simply boil in generously salted water, then finish cooking with a splash of the liquid. When it evaporates, the salt that remains crusts onto the spuds. Shaking the pan vigorously helps the salt coat the potatoes evenly and sheds excess crystals. Serve with a salad or, after the glaze is scraped onto the fish, throw baby spinach into the still-hot skillet and stir to just wilt.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Potatoes

    • 1½pounds baby gold potatoes, scrubbed
    • 2tablespoons coarse sea salt or kosher salt

    For the Salmon

    • 2tablespoons granulated sugar
    • 6tablespoons whiskey
    • 2tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
    • 4(5-ounce) salmon fillets
    • Salt and black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

511 calories; 19 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 33 grams protein; 810 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the potatoes: The potatoes should all be the same small size, about 1 inch in diameter, so cut any larger ones in halves or quarters. Place in a large saucepan with 4 cups water and add the salt. Bring to boil over high heat, then continue boiling until a paring knife slides through a potato easily, about 15 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    About 5 minutes before the potatoes are tender, start the salmon: Combine the sugar, whiskey and Worcestershire sauce in a large skillet, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Season the salmon with salt and pepper, then add to the skillet skin side down (or the flat side if the fillets are skinless). Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the salmon becomes opaque about halfway up the sides, about 5 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, carefully tip the saucepan into the sink to pour out all but about ¼ cup cooking water, keeping the potatoes in the pan. Return the saucepan to the stove with the potatoes and a thin layer of cooking water at the bottom, and set over high heat. Cook, shaking the pan often, until the liquid evaporates and the potatoes are crusted in a fine film of salt, about 5 minutes. The pan should be extremely dry and coated in salt and the potatoes will sound crackly when shaken.

  4. Step 4

    Flip the salmon and continue cooking until just opaque from top to bottom and a paring knife slides through with almost no resistance, about 5 minutes longer. If you started with a 1-inch-thick fillet, this will be medium-rare. The timing will vary depending on the thickness of your fish and your preferred doneness. If you’d like, use tongs to peel off and discard the skin if there is any. The glaze should have thickened and be syrupy.

  5. Step 5

    Divide the potatoes and salmon among serving plates and drizzle any glaze from the pan over the fish.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,184 user ratings
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Comments

Jeanne De Pasquale Perez

I do the same technique but with soy sauce and Chinese 5 spice. I marinate the fish- skin up in soy sauce for about a half hour then flip it to cook skin side down. I add a little water to the pan - rub the salmon with the spice and poach for about 10 minutes with a lid. The Chinese 5 spice and the soy give a nice color to the fish which is moist and easy to serve.

dinny

interesting, is there an alternate alcohol that would work if one is not fond of whiskey?

Donna D

Raised by a commercial fisherman, fish was never cooked with skin on, it was always removed along with any grey or discolored flesh, which is not to be eaten. Fresh or properly trimmed fish, does not give off an unpleasant odor when cooked. It should smell like salt water when uncooked, if there’s an odor, pass on it. Salmon was the first store bought fish I prepared for my kids, trimmed of skin, cut into 1” cubes, sautéed in a mix of 1/2 olive oil, 1/2 honey until cooked through but not dry

Debnev

Commenting only on the salmon. Very good, but honestly I couldn't taste the whiskey.

Doug

For me, turning the heat up at the end, while the fish was top-side-down, such that the rest of the liquid was evaporated and you ended up with a brown, sugary, glaze was key.

Sheila Q

Amazingly simple, and delicious as prescribed. Appreciated the spinach suggestion, which was great and takes 30 seconds to add a nice green picking up the flavors from the pan. Potatoes were perfect and liked the science experiment feeling I had waiting to see if all this shaking and watching would produce the salt coating— and it did!!!

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