Salmon with a Butter-Passion Fruit Vodka Garlic Dill Sauce

If it's Friday, it must be a Fish Course!!!


One month in on my resolution to have a fish course at least once a week.  And for the second time this month, Steelhead Salmon was on sale!  So, fully half of my posts are Salmon posts.  But that is a good thing.  Salmon has so many health benefits it deserves a place of honor.


The last time I made Salmon, I made an Orange Juice Marinated Steelhead Salmon.  Other than salt, pepper and a little grated cheese, the secret to that recipe was the marinade.  Today, I wanted to Have a more pure taste of the salmon and the secret was going to be in the sauce.  And oh my what a sauce...

Butter-Passion Fruit Vodka Garlic Dill Sauce

The secret to this sauce is Alize Gold Passion brand Passion Fruit blended Vodka.  Alize is one of those finds I made when I lived in the US Virgin Isles and the booze was cheap.  But a great find it is.  I love to cook with the stuff!  When you cook Alize Gold, the alcohol cooks out, and what is left is the strong taste of the passion fruit, with the earthy hints of the vodka.  It also adds a beautiful rich color to the sauce that makes the garlic practically glow.  Golden garlic... Now that's presentation!


The actual recipe is inspired by one using white wine.  So, if wine is handy, or you prefer not to try a new bottle of liquor just for a single recipe, feel free to substitute White Wine.


For the fish, All I did was put the fish in a baking dish with 1/8 of an inch (just a splash) of a sweet rice wine vinegar.  Just enough to steam the fish and keep it moist while it cooks.  I used a remote prop thermometer to cook the fish to an internal temperature of 135 degrees.  This only took about 15 minutes.


While it cooked, I made the sauce.


2 TBS Butter
2 TBS Alize Passion fruit Infused Vodka
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
4 cloves garlic (smashed and minced)


Start with the butter melting.  This is one of those impossible to follow directions, but heat the butter to just before it starts to brown.  Hard to explain, but you want the butter HOT.  Add the garlic and reduce the heat to medium.  Sautee for just 3 minutes.  Add the Alize and the lemon juice.  Continue to heat until the alcohol burn off, about 10 more minutes.  As the sauce reduced, it takes on this incredible golden color!


When the fish is done, add the sauce and sprinkle Dill over the top.  The fish is wonderfully cooked, to just flaky moist degree of done.  Please DO NOT OVERCOOK THE FISH.  Best way to insure this is to use that remote thermometer.  Every degree above 135 takes away from the texture and taste of a fabulous fish!

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