Cast Iron

Maple-Cardamom Glazed Salmon

by:
March 22, 2012
4
10 Ratings
Maple-Cardamom Glazed Salmon
Photo by James Ransom
  • Makes 1 lb of fish
Author Notes

Now is as good a time as any to admit my current affair with cardamom. So addicted am I to the sweet-savory spice that I've been incorporating it into dishes wherever possible. Here it partners with one of my favorite ingredients for glazing salmon: maple syrup. The syrup and spice make a deliciously complex coat for the fish -- the glaze strikes a chord between sweet and savory, with smoky paprika and cayenne pepper adding a hit of heat. I cooked it in the oven, but for an even smokier finish, try grilling on a wood plank. —alasully

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 pound wild salmon filet, de-boned
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • salt and pepper
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl combine maple syrup, cardamom, paprika, cayenne and a bit of freshly ground pepper. Whisk until mixture is smooth. Adjust to taste.
  2. Arrange salmon filet on a cutting board. Remove the bones (if your fishmonger hasn't already) and cut into pieces, size as preferred. Brush syrup mixture evenly over the salmon filets. Place a large cast iron skillet into the oven and allow it to heat up for about five minutes while the salmon rests.
  3. Place the salmon in the preheated skillet (scale-side down) and cook for about 10 minutes. Brush more glaze onto the salmon and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until the salmon is cooked to your liking.
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53 Reviews

LyndsayW
LyndsayW June 22, 2024
Absolutely delicious. Made with basmati rice and edamame and will no doubt add this to my biweekly dinner rotation! Thank you!
 
Peter
Peter September 15, 2021
We've made this recipe maybe 50 times over the last decade. It never fails to please. We don't bother with the pre-heated pan -- we just cover a sheet pan with tinfoil and pop it in the oven. When done just toss the foil and boom! No dirty dishes to wash.
 
Karen
Karen February 20, 2021
Love watching Food52. Salmon recipe Sounds so tasty. I'm gong to try tonight. It would be nice if all recipes on Food 52 would have nutritional facts.
 
bradleysuk
bradleysuk March 5, 2020
Try UK best salmon the link is mentioned below.
https://bradleysfish.com/product/sockeye-salmon-fillets-1kg-bag/
 
Sarah
Sarah June 9, 2019
fabulous flavors, will do it again - but bake it shorter - seemed a bit too long.
 
Rachel V.
Rachel V. January 6, 2019
wonderful - like suprisingly really wonderful. out new go to for salmon.
 
Michaelann
Michaelann June 15, 2016
Just made this tonight! Absolutely fantastic!! I've been looking for different ways to use cardamom besides cookies & cakes...this fit the bill!! I actually grilled it outside as it was warm in the Boston area today & worked out well. Made a Caesar dressing, goat cheese/oregano cream to serve with cold romaine leaves and balsamic roasted cherry tomatoes. Delicious!!
 
Adrienne
Adrienne February 25, 2016
This was a fantastic recipe. I too am obsessed with cardamom and it made the perfect meal with wild rice and sautéed kale.
 
Alaina C.
Alaina C. May 14, 2015
This was very good! Will be making again.
 
miriamnz
miriamnz April 11, 2015
4 @ 110g serves 257 calories; 3 serves 343 calories
 
Joetta G.
Joetta G. January 28, 2015
Just had this tonight for dinner and it was fantastic! I'm a big fan of cardamom, so it definitely wasn't too much for my tastes. I did set off the fire alarm twice because some of the glaze dripped into the pan and got too smoky, but it was worth it. :) Also, instead of smoked paprika I used 1/2 sweet and 1/2 spicy, which was yummy, and served with roasted veggies and Himalayan red rice.
 
SarahLloyd
SarahLloyd January 22, 2015
I found the amount of cardamon much too strong unfortunately. Next time I will cook it without or with a much smaller amount. Otherwise a nice dish, I assumed that this was cooked in the oven by the way not on the stove.
 
Ticketytwo
Ticketytwo October 19, 2014
Oops. I forgot to say, I made it with garlic ginger sautéed bok choy and put it on a bed of a quinoa wild rice blend
 
Ticketytwo
Ticketytwo October 19, 2014
I just made this and it was delicious! I also love cardamom. Put it in the oven on foil since I don't have a cast iron skillet. I used to, time to get a new one
 
FoodIsLove
FoodIsLove October 9, 2014
Loved the flavor. Will make it again. Have to admit that I made it on top of the stove in my cast iron skillet, skin side down(hot here in California and didn't want to heat up the kitchen). Used Costco wild salmon pieces and poured the maple syrup glaze into the pan while it cooked. Needed a bit of liquid so I added apple cider (yum) and finished the sauce at the end with a swirl of butter. Also served it with asparagus.
 
Nancy H.
Nancy H. May 6, 2014
It was great, used Keta salmon, portion sized and baked just 10 minutes. Roasted garlic asparagus with it. Yum.
 
BadCat
BadCat May 3, 2014
The flavor was a bit overpowering by itself but chopped up the salmon as an ingredient in a salad helped mellow the flavor.
 
kayakgirl
kayakgirl April 4, 2014
Tasty. But not amazing. easy though. served with braised brussel sprouts and baked sweet potatoes with a yogurt curry sauce. yummy, healthy, filling.
 
MaggieMayI
MaggieMayI March 24, 2014
I've been making this regularly since I found the recipe. My family loves it. It's tied for our favorite way to do salmon. The other one is with cajun spices and a Seville orange marmalade-lime juice glaze. Both are outstanding.
 
ewesterschulte
ewesterschulte March 23, 2014
I have whole cardamom pods to grind. It's the green, right? Not brown pods.
 
trefoiles
trefoiles August 1, 2018
Yes, but seed them first and bring just the seeds.