Salmon with Magic Butter Sauce

On Friday I decided to go for a run for the first time in over a year. I don't know if it was the weather or what but I was feeling inspired and hit the park where I used to work for a nice long trail run. After the first 2.5 miles I was feeling pretty good so I went ahead and continued on for about another 1.5 miles. Note to self, when you haven't run in that long, no matter how good you feel, you should probably stop after the first 2.5 and ease yourself back in. I'm still paying for that one.

Before I couldn't walk anymore 

Naturally after my run I was STARVING. Breakfast was long gone at that point and I had some salmon in the fridge that I needed to cook before it expired. Protein and healthy, the perfect post-workout meal. I did some research and came across a sort of DIY marinade in which you could choose the kind of preserves and herbs you felt like using with a couple of base items. Plus it had "magic" in the title. Anytime you boast something like that I want to see if it's really that magical. 

For this recipe, you will need:

1/2 cup of butter

3 tablespoons of fruit preserves (I used apricot)

1 1/2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon of minced herbs (I used basil, chives, and parsley)

2-4 small salmon fillets

Olive oil

Start by heating enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Be careful to not burn the oil.

Make sure the skin is removed from your salmon fillets, season them with salt and pepper, then roll them and tie them tightly with kitchen twine.

Sear them on each side for about 2 minutes, then tent the skillet with foil and cook the fillets for about 4-5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from the pan.

Add the butter, balsamic vinegar, preserves, salt and pepper, and herbs to the pan. Stir to combine and simmer until bubbly. Pour immediately over the salmon. 

I could not believe how good this sauce turned out. Sometimes adding "magical" to a recipe is very overreaching but this one deserved it. The combination of the preserves with the fresh herbs was unexpected and delicious. My parents tried some too and both were raving about it. It's a quick easy recipe that's definitely going to enter the rotation.