Peach Jam Glazed Salmon Recipe. Salmon fillets are baked and basted with a sweet and spicy glaze. A combination of New Mexico Chile Powder and Peach Jam has created a quick salmon recipe that has become a favorite for an easy weeknight dinner.
Living on the Front Range in Colorado there are three things you can always count on.
- The mountains are always to the west.
- John Elway is always on television.
- And the salmon fillets at Whole Foods are always reliable.
Being land locked, I envy those of you who live near the ocean and have access to all that fresh seafood … whine. Oh sure, we see some good fish come through our markets here and there. But you have to be scrupulous, be there at the right time and trust your fish monger. And, of course, be willing to pay the price.
I don’t feel very comfortable purchasing seafood that labeled as “fresh – never frozen.” I don’t know how it’s been stored, how it’s been shipped … so I usually just reach for frozen packages that have been flash frozen shortly after the catch. And I purchase from reputable markets.
Here’s what I know for sure. Tony’s Market is reliable for really good fresh Copper River Salmon when it’s in season and for their house prepped cooked shrimp.
At Whole Foods I love their Halibut when they have it and their fresh farmed salmon fillets. They are always – always great. Consistently fresh, buttery in texture and flavorful.
And for everything else? I’m ill informed and don’t have a clue on how to purchase. As you’ll find out below, I need to spend more time talking with Evan at the seafood counter at my Highlands Ranch Whole Foods.
Best Farm Raised Salmon
With that said, let’s talk about the Salmon Filets I buy at Whole Foods. I decided to ask Evan just why their Salmon is so good. Always consistently beautiful in appearance, fresh tasting and with a melt in your mouth buttery texture. I’m glad I did, here’s what I learned.
- Whole Foods has contracted with a company to exclusively provide them with ocean raised farmed salmon.
- These Salmon are fed a diet of 70% organic corn, along with watermelon rind and shrimp.
- This diet gives them more belly fat, a fresher flavor and a pinker color. And they’re higher in Omega 3’s.
- It’s shipped in to our local stores 5 – 6 days per week.
- Whole Foods hires a company to consistently inspect the farming conditions to insure quality.
There’s more to that story, but those are the facts that impressed me most. It’s the only place I’ll purchase farm raised salmon and now I know why.
They come in packages of two or four fillets for a quick grab and go experience. I buy them a lot.
My latest culinary adventure for this glazed salmon recipe was a peach jam and chile powder glaze.
Inspiration for This Peach Jam Glazed Salmon Recipe
An ample supply of homemade Peach Jam, and my gratuitous hoard of New Mexico Chile Powder gave me the inspiration for this easy baked salmon recipe. That’s not to mention the pact I made with myself to eat seafood once a week. Quick to the table makes this recipe perfect for a weeknight dinner. And it comes with a fancy shiny glow that looks elegant, makes you smile and your mouth water.
The combination of the chile powder, peach jam, brown sugar and brightened with fresh lime juice seems to fit perfectly with the texture and subtle buttery fresh flavor that the salmon brings.
How To Cook Salmon In The Oven
Pan frying salmon is pretty easy, but I prefer, and find it even easier, to bake it in the oven. For me, it’s a short cut to dinner bliss. Plus because it’s hands off you’re to tend to other dinner prep duties.
In a perfect world, searing the salmon skin stovetop in butter before sending it to the oven is definitely the way to go. You need an oven safe fry pan for this. And don’t forget to spoon some of that butter over the top of the filets.
But for this glazed salmon recipe, and because there’s a rub involved, I like to keep it simple by using a small sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Just rub the salmon with olive oil and then the chile powder and brown sugar mixture. Place the salmon on the sheet pan, skin side down and cook for 12 – 15 minutes. Basting with the peach, lime juice glaze every three minutes, or so.
How do you know when it’s done? Gently press on the salmon with the back of a fork to get a feel if it’s ready to flake. If the flesh separates easily, it’s done. And if you’re starting to see hints of albumin it’s probably done. And if you see a lot of albumin, you’ve overcooked it.
In culinary school we were told the fish was done just before it was ready to flake. Once out of the oven, the heat generated will will continue to cook the fish while you’re plating it. This takes practice to get this just right. I rely on the slightest hint of the presence of albumen and the fork test.
What is albumin?
Albumin is the white substance you see seeping from the muscle fibers of the salmon as it cooks. It’s coagulated protein. Protein is in liquid form in the fish when it’s raw. It coagulates with heat.
Peach Jam Glazed Salmon Recipe
I hope you give these easy baked glazed salmon fillets a try, and if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating. And leave a comment about your experience with the recipe. A tossed salad and sauteed asparagus are perfect sides for this salmon entree, keeping the meal super healthy. This Pickled Beet Salad with Arugula and Feta would be a fun choice.
And if you have a favorite glazed salmon recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.
More Baked Salmon Recipes
- Lemon Lime Salmon with Lemon Butter
- Parchment Poached Orange Jalapeno Salmon
- Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon
- Salmon with Garlic, Ginger and Black Pepper, from Abbe over at This is How I Cook
And moving away from the salmon party, the most popular oven baked fish recipe on my site, Heavenly Halibut. Halibut is slathered in mayo and butter and oven-broiled into a heavenly entree that your whole family will love. And don’t forget to check out my Seafood Category. Lots ideas for that pact you made to eat seafood once a week.
Peach Jam Glazed Salmon Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Salmon Fillets About 1 pound total, even sized fillets
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Chimayo Chile Powder or Ancho
- 1 teaspoon Brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Peach Jam heaping tablespoon
- Juice of 1/2 lime
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine the New Mexico chile powder and brown sugar in a small bowl. Rub the salmon fillets with olive oil and then the rub the chile powder mixture evenly over the flesh of the two pieces of salmon.
- Place salmon, skin side down on a small sheet pan that's been covered with parchment paper.
- Meanwhile in a small bowl, mix the the peach jam and lime juice together with a whisk.
- Cook salmon for about 12-15 minutes. Using a basting brush, liberally brush the salmon with the jam mixture every 2 - 3 minutes.
- Check the salmon for doneness after 12 minutes. Gently press on the salmon to get a feel if it's ready to flake. And check for albumen to be present. In culinary school we were told the fish was done just before it was ready to flake. Once out of the oven, the heat generated will will continue to cook the fish while you're plating it. This takes practice to get this just right. I more easily rely on the presence of albumen and the feel of the fish. When you press down on the fish, it should be willing to spread apart a bit. Meaning it's flaking.
