Alaskan Sockeye Salmon with Cherry Wine Sauce is the Summer supper you need to make. It is sockeye salmon season and it happens to be our local Flathead cherry season. And what a better combination of flavors to serve up.
I’ve made this cherry wine sauce before with grilled pork chops, but trust me, this stands up perfectly to this flaky delicious filet of salmon.
I received a little care package from my friends at Copper River Salmon in Alaska this week and I had to put my own Montana Spin on an Alaskan delicacy. I was born and raised in Alaska so it’s never lost on me that Alaskan salmon is the ONLY salmon you should be buying. I’m some what of a “salmon snob”, so if it’s not Alaskan it’s not worth my time. Copper River Salmon just happens to be my favorite salmon as well, but this years allocation for commercials fishing has put a little bit of a damper on availability. This Sockeye Salmon came from the Prince William Sound and it is just as delicious.
The difference with sockeye salmon is the oil content, I also say it’s a lot meatier than most salmon, which is why it stands up to this wine sauce. It has a bright red color and is full of heart healthy and omega 3’s.
Nothing is better to me than a fresh fillet of salmon grilled up with some dill butter on a hot summer night. But it just so happens to be a stormy summer night and I am definitely not grilling. A little trick I like to use for indoor salmon cooking is the broil setting on my oven. It turns out perfectly cooked every time. Broil for 10 -15 minutes and serve with this glorious wine cherry sauce on top. I even crumbled the leftover salmon on eggs in the morning and it was fantastic. Start with a good fillet of salmon and you won’t have to do much to it.
Wine Pairing Recommendation: I used a California Red Blend, {Orin Swift Abstract} for the sauce so naturally I’m going to drink a glass of the same wine I used to cook with in this recipe. My biggest recommendation is to always good with what you want to drink.
Alaskan Sockeye Salmon with Cherry Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 whole fillet {half a side of salmon} Sockeye Salmon, skin removed
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 2 cups Fresh Cherries, pitted
- 1 1/2 cup Red Wine, {I used a red blend here}
- 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Honey
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice, {about half of a lemon}
- 4 tablespoons Cold Butter, cubed
- Chopped Parsley, for garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat your broiler on your oven.
- Step 2 Place the salmon on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or foil. Drizzle with olive oil and liberally season the salmon fillet with kosher salt. Allow to sit at room temperature while your oven preheats.
- Step 3 Broil in the top rack of your oven for 10-12 minutes depending on the thickness. For me it was a solid 12 minutes.
- Step 4 Meanwhile, in a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat add the cherries, wine, balsamic vinegar, and honey. Bring to a boil and reduce liquid by half, simmer for 10 minutes. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and stir in lemon juice. Slowly start adding the butter and stir into the sauce until melted and sauce is nice and shiny.
- Step 5 Remove salmon with a large fish spatula and maybe an extra hand {really, I just slid the whole fillet off of parchment paper onto a plate so it shouldn’t be that difficult} to a serving plate and pour sauce over top. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve. Enjoy!
Savor and Enjoy!
