Smoked Honey Glazed Salmon with Charred Lemon

Salmon and a glaze is the easiest weeknight win in the book. The trick is getting the glaze on at the right moment. Too early and the sugars in the honey burn black before the fish cooks through. Too late and it just sits on top instead of caramelizing into the skin. So we do it in two passes: a light brush before the oven, then a heavier coat in the last 4 minutes under the broiler when the salmon is almost there. The Smoked Honey is already sweet, mustardy, and a little smoky, three flavours that pair into salmon like they were waiting for it. Charred lemon halves on the side because they take 30 seconds and they make the plate look like you tried twice as hard as you did.

What you need

Food:

4 salmon fillets, 5 to 6 oz each, skin on (wild Pacific or Atlantic, your call. Wild is leaner and cooks faster, pull 1 to 2 minutes earlier. Farmed is fattier and more forgiving.)

5 tbsp TGCS Co Smoked Honey Mustard (1 for the first brush, 4 for the heavier glaze)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari (tamari is gluten-free and a little deeper-flavoured)

1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger (optional, gives a small back-throat lift)

2 lemons, halved

Kosher salt and black pepper

Flaky sea salt for finishing

Fresh dill or chives for garnish

Equipment:

Sheet pan lined with parchment

Small bowl for the glaze

Pastry brush or the back of a spoon

Cast iron skillet for the lemons

Tongs

Instant-read thermometer if you have one

How to cook it

1. Preheat your oven to 400 F. Take the salmon out of the fridge 15 minutes before cooking. Fridge-cold fish cooks unevenly.
2. Pat the salmon dry on both sides with paper towel. Season the flesh side aggressively with kosher salt and black pepper. (Skin-on protects the bottom of the fillet from drying out on the pan. Skin-off works, cook 1 to 2 minutes less.)
3. In a small bowl, whisk together 4 tbsp of the Smoked Honey, the olive oil, soy sauce, grated garlic, and ginger if using. Reserve the remaining 1 tbsp of Smoked Honey on the side, neat.
4. Place the salmon skin-side down on the parchment-lined sheet pan. Brush the tops with that 1 tbsp of reserved straight Smoked Honey, this is your base layer. Slide into the oven.
5. Bake for 8 minutes. While it bakes, heat your cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot.
6. Place the lemon halves cut-side down in the dry hot skillet. Don't move them for 90 seconds. You want deep black-brown char on the cut face. Pull onto a plate.
7. Pull the salmon out of the oven. Switch the oven to broil on high. Spoon the prepared glaze (the one with garlic and soy) over the top of each fillet, generously. You want it pooled on top, not a thin smear.
8. Slide back under the broiler, top rack, for 3 to 5 minutes. WATCH IT. Honey plus mustard under a broiler is genuinely fast and the window is narrow. Stand at the oven. The glaze will bubble, darken, and start to char at the high points. Pull when the top is lacquered deep amber-brown and the salmon flakes when you press it with a fork at the thickest part. (Internal temp guide if you have a thermometer: 120 F for jammy-in-the-middle, 125 F for medium, 130 F for medium-well. The broiler step can push past 120 fast, so use the lower temp as your warning bell.)
9. Plate the salmon with the charred lemon halves on the side. Finish with flaky sea salt and a scatter of fresh dill or chives.
10. Squeeze the charred lemon over the fish at the table. ENJOY!