Ok, that’s two great salmon gigs in a row. It’s getting scary how well I’m cooking this fish.

To prove my manliness this time, my recipe came from the new issue of Esquire, a magazine I actually read and enjoy (as opposed to last week’s Prevention recipe which tasted amazing, but, well… came from Prevention).

Anyway, since it’s not the exact recipe that was in the magazine (originally credited to Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier of Ogunquit, Maine), I’ll post my appended directions here with a new title.

Drunken Salmon

Rinse 2 salmon fillets, pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat skillet over medium to high heat. When hot, add 2 tbsp butter (I used margarine) and melt without burning. Once foaming subsides, add 1/4 cup brown sugar and stir until combined (mine didn’t combine that well, possibly because the sugar was from the freezer or because of the aforementioned margarine substitute). I also threw in some chopped up ginger for more flavor.

Add salmon and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and add 1/4 cup bourbon (I didn’t have any, so I improvised with some tequila and lime juice) and cook until desired doneness, about 3 minutes.

Even with the additions and strange alcohol substitute, this worked out really well. If you get the timing right, the fish will be cooked through, but tender, and you’ll get a nice glaze effect on top of the fish. Next time, I’ll try it with real butter and bourbon, which I imagine will taste different, but every bit as good.

What is it with salmon and brown sugar? It’s like the peanut butter and jelly of quick fish.