Cholula and Agave Seared Salmon

With Red Cabbage Slaw

This recipe was inspired by the countless sriracha seared salmon’ recipes out there. I don’t usually have sriracha hanging around, but I do have Cholula sauce. The reason for this is my fiance likes to drown his eggs in it (men,insert eye role). And instead of honey, I used agave because I’m impatient and honey doesn’t come out fast enough! Salmon is one of those proteins where no matter what you do to it, the distinct flavor of the fish will prevail over all else. This ‘Cholula Agave Salmon’ recipe uses the marinade to enhance the oils and flavors of the fish. Searing the agave on the fish produces a beautiful glaze that covers the salmon, yielding a slight crunch before the flaky center. Pan sear on each side for a ‘sushi like’ center, or finish it in the oven for a fully cooked fish.

How to achieve a crisp glaze on protein:

If you’re curious why sugars (honey, agave, granulated sugar ect.) cause the food that they are on to crisp up (or in many cases, burn), here is why.  When sugar is added to a heat source, the sucrose breaks down into glucose and fructose. If cooked long enough, these smaller molecules recombine into new molecules. Every time a reaction occurs, the flavor and texture slightly changes. This is why our agave glazed salmon hardens on the outside in some spots. When you cook salmon with a sugary marinade you will notice you don’t really taste the sweetness of the agave, but you might taste more of a ‘burnt candy’ flavor. While ‘burnt candy’ sounds like something you might get as a gag gift at Harry Potters ‘Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes Shop’, it actually works very well with the earthy flavors of the fish and the heat of the Cholula.

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Cholula and Agave Seared Salmon

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• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

Sweet and heat, this seared salmon offers a slight crunch before the flaky center!

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Ingredients

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Ingredients for red cabbage slaw

• 1 small red cabbage, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp Cholula (or sriracha )
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar (or white vinegar )
• 1 large carrot, julienned (or 4 baby carrots julienned )
• 1/4 cup scallions, chopped
• 1 tbsp lime
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

Ingredients for salmon

• 1/4 cup soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
• 2 tbsp ginger, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1&1/2 tbsp Cholula (or sriracha )
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or white vinegar )
• 2 tbsp agave (or honey)
• 2 tbsp sesame oil for searing (or olive oil)

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Instructions

Make the marinade for the salmon

1. Place salmon in a tupperware, glass container with lid or ziploc bag. Add soy sauce, agave, cholula, lime, rice vinegar, garlic and ginger. Stir to combine and cover the fish. Place the fish in the fridge and marinade at least 1 hour, up to overnight.

Make the slaw

1. Combine cabbage, carrots, scallions in a bowl.
2. In another small bowl, mix together rice vinegar, sugar, lime and sesame oil. Mix until the sugar is mostly dissolved and pour over the cabbage mixture. Stir to coat.

Sear salmon

1. Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees
2. When the salmon is done marinading, remove from the fridge and leave until room temp.
3. Heat sesame oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the salmon, reserving the marinade. Sear over medium high heat until a crust begins to form, about 3 mins each side. Be careful not to burn.
4. If you like your salmon rare, transfer to a plate and let sit 5 mins with aluminum foil over before serving. If you want to cook it more. place it on a foil lined baking sheet and bake in the oven at 350 for 15 mins. Baking time will vary depending on preference and size of salmon.
5. To garnish sprinkle sesame seeds and scallions over the top. Serve with red cabbage slaw and enjoy!

Notes

Tips:

 

• Due to the sucrose in the agave, the salmon will burn if you cook it at high heat for too long.  I like to finish mine in the oven because I like my salmon cooked through.  Salmon does tend to dry out, so check it every 5 minutes to make sure it is not losing its oils. 

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Dinner, Entree
• Cuisine: asian

Keywords: agave, cholula, fine dining, Fish, fish recipe, Frozen seafood, gourmet, heat, honey, red cabbage, red cabbage slaw, salmon, salmon dinner, salmon meal, seafood recipe, slaw, spicy, sriracha, sweet

Did you like my ‘Cholula and Agave Seared Salmon’ with red cabbage slaw recipe? If so, go check out my ‘Butternut Squash Boats with Sausage, Eggplant and Toasted Chick Peas‘ recipe!

This dish would look beautiful served on this ‘Talavera Melamine‘ serving platter, don’t you agree?

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