If you need a versatile glaze for fish, this is it. I have tried it on salmon, cod, and bass. I haven’t tried this on chicken or pork, but as I write this, I am thinking, “Why not?” I just bet it will work for those also.
Originally, I made this with just enough sauce to marinate the salmon. But when son Karl (AKA the Sauce King) became old enough to make his personal preferences known, I started doubling the sauce. That way I could still marinate the fish, but also had enough additional sauce set aside to warm up for serving. Then Karl could pour it all over and let the sauce run into the side dish (potatoes, rice or pasta) and the vegetables. Little Karl never complained about eating his veggies when this sauce permeated them.
Even the adult Karl still prefers to drown the vegetables in this sweet and savory au jus. I have even thought about making a special cookbook for Karl with the title; “Would you like a little food with this sauce?”!
The white wine balances the sweetness of the sugar and also the saltiness of the soy sauce. I don’t marinade the fish in this sauce for very long–no longer than an hour. Otherwise, the citric acid from the juicy combination will slowly denature the protein in the fish and change the texture. If you let it sit too long, this citric acid will cause the fish to become opaque and look like it is cooked even though it is still raw.
I actually prefer to broil this, rather than cook it on a grill. The sugar content in the marmalade makes it too easy to burn on a grill. You can see that the fish still gets very dark edges when put under the broiler. I like the contrast of those little dark edges with the moistness of the inside of fish when I cook it just right!
Here is the rule of thumb for cooking fish: 10 minutes per inch of thickness. However, I find that it is good to remove the fish about a minute ahead of time, so residual heat can finish the cooking process without drying out the fish. I would rather put the fish back on the heat than serve it all dried out. And I have been known to do that, even during a “fancy” dinner party with friends–people are quite tolerant when awaiting food that someone else is making!
I like to serve this fish with a somewhat bland side dish that helps sop up the sauce: simple baked or scalloped potato, rice or pasta. A bright vegetable and/or salad rounds out the dish for beautiful presentation that provides a feast for the eyes even before the feast for the mouth!
ORANGE GLAZED FISH
1/4 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup White Wine
1/4 Cup Dijon Mustard
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Ginger
1/4 Cup Orange Marmalade
1 Pound Salmon Fillets
Vegetable Cooking Spray
3 Tablespoons Orange Marmalade, melted
Combine soy sauce, wine, mustard, ginger, and 1/4 cup orange marmalade in microwave safe cup or bowl. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring once. Reserve half of marinade, pour other half over salmon. Place salmon and marinade in plastic zip lock bag, and marinate for 30 minutes. Remove the salmon, and discard marinade.
Preheat grill or boiler. Spray rack or pan with cooking spray. Place the salmon on the grill rack or broiler pan. Broil or grill until done (approx. 9-10 minutes), turning and basting with marmalade once.
I love sweet sauces on salmon. Your recipe looks delicious.