A pan-seared salmon with a sweet glaze is a classic and delectable meal. It's impressive, it's cost-effective with the right preparation, and it's really easy! You can use any skillet you have, whether that's cast-iron, stainless steel, or non-stick.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients that you'll need:

• One 12oz filet of salmon, skin-on
• Heavenly Organics Acacia Honey
• Lemon
• Soy Sauce
• Water
• Aromatics to your liking: (Grated Ginger, Grated Garlic, Sliced Scallions, etc.)
• A neutral oil like Vegetable, Canola, Avocado or Sunflower

Cooking the Salmon

Cooking a salmon can seem daunting, especially when nobody likes floppy, chewy salmon skin. To ensure that the skin crisps, heat your pan on medium-high, and add enough oil to coat the bottom—about a tablespoon. Make sure that your pan is really hot.

A good way to tell is if the oil in your pan starts to shimmer, but different oils react to heat differently, so a good way to test it is to lay down a vegetable of some kind—like a carrot—into the pan. If it hisses loudly and starts to fry, you'll know the pan is hot enough.

To prepare, remove your salmon from the packaging and wipe it down with a paper towel to dry the skin and flesh completely. It won't crisp if there's any moisture, and this will save you time. Additionally, you can season the skin with a sprinkle of salt, but be careful! The soy sauce is going to be salty already.

When the pan is searing hot, lay the fish skin-side down, and away from yourself to make sure that none of the oil splashes on you. Salmon skin can take a lot of heat, so don't be afraid to let it sit in that hot oil for several minutes, and try not to move it until it naturally unsticks from the pan. If you have a kitchen weight, this is a good time to use it.

Making the Glaze

While your salmon cooks, place a tablespoon and a half of Heavenly Organics Acacia Honey into a measuring cup, along with a generous squeeze of lemon and two tablespoons of water. Then, add enough soy sauce to raise the level in the measuring cup to a quarter of a cup, and then mix your glaze until the honey is dissolved.

Taste it! If it's too sweet, add more lemon. If it's too sour, add more honey. If it's too salty, add more water. If it's not salty enough, add more soy sauce. But remember: it's going to thicken in the pan, so the salt is going to become more intense.

Finishing the Cook

As the fish cooks, it will turn from its translucent pink into a lighter, opaque shade. When that shade has reached about two-thirds up the side of the fish, which should only take about ten minutes, use a spatula to flip the fish onto the top of its flesh. You only want to keep it on that side for a minute at most, because the flesh will cook very quickly. We just want to get some color along the top of the fish. Remove it from the pan and let it rest on a plate. It will continue cooking.

Hot Tip!

Add your aromatics to the pan: grated ginger to taste, 1-2 cloves of garlic, scallion whites. Let them turn golden in the hot oil for a minute or two, and then add your sauce, using your spatula to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the sauce reduce until it's thick and glossy, and then add your salmon back to the pan. Use a spoon to baste the salmon with the glaze, with the toasted aromatics, and then immediately plate. It's ready to go!

Additions and Replacements

Sliced green onions and sesame seeds make a wonderful garnish, adding a boost of flavor and a delightful texture. Placed on a bed of rice, this makes a great meal.

When you're making your sauce, consider adding a splash of seasoned rice vinegar with the lemon, or even a squeeze of orange juice. That acidity can go a long way!