Salmon with black garlic glaze, topped with sautéed mushrooms and spinach over rice

This time of year always feels like a mad dash. As soon as Thanksgiving is over, we suddenly speed headlong into early December, and before I know it, I’m counting down the days to Christmas. Amid buying new winter gloves for little hands “But Mommy, I don’t like these mittens” and commuting in the icy cold between Harlem and midtown Manhattan, getting dinner on the table also feels like a mad dash.

Like many New Yorkers, we depend on FreshDirect for our weekly groceries. It’s a grocery delivery service for those of us without cars (or the desire to schlep heavy grocery bags by foot for blocks). In my pre-Christmas daze, something caught my eye: black garlic. I had vaguely heard of it before, but didn’t quite know what it was. The description intrigued me “Black garlic has a rich flavor and aromatic quality, reminiscent of molasses and soy sauce.” Oh my. That sounds good.

Photo Source: freshdirect.com

We try to eat wild-caught salmon and cod once a week. With black garlic in my fridge, I got online and the first recipe I found was Salmon with Black Garlic Glaze. Black garlic is regular garlic that has been fermented for several weeks, giving it the texture of oven-roasted garlic that’s oozing and soft and caramelized. It’s soft to the touch, so you mash it in a mortar & pestle or with the back of a wooden spoon, and then whisk it with other aromatic ingredients like soy sauce and fresh ginger. The recipe looked too good to be true for a busy weeknight dinner, especially when it’s 5:30 p.m. and I want to get dinner on the table by 6:15 p.m. tops. As I quickly scanned the recipe, it said it would take 5-7 minutes to reduce the sauce, and then another 10 minutes to cook the salmon. I already had leftover basmati rice, so I gave it a whirl.

After combining olive oil, soy sauce, freshly grated ginger, lemon zest, lemon juice, and brown sugar with the crushed black garlic cloves (about 3 or 4 of them for two salmon fillets), I reduced it into a thick, glossy sauce, literally in 5 minutes. I add the salmon fillets, gently spooning the sauce over them for 10 minutes flipping them over once at the 5 minute mark.

As I slowly reheated the leftover basmati rice, I set the salmon fillets aside on a plate to rest, while into the same skillet with the black garlic goodness, I tossed in some baby portobello mushrooms (already sliced, I buy them pre-sliced, I know), and handfuls of baby spinach.  Within 20 minutes I was calling Sean and Liam to dinner. Sean took in the aromas and said ‘that smells SO good’ and ‘hey, how did you get that sheen on the salmon like that?” We tucked in for dinner on a frigid December evening and I couldn’t believe how tender the salmon was and how complex the flavors were. Rich, sweet, umami goodness. I made it again tonight.

Salmon with black garlic glaze with mushrooms and spinach

Serves 2

Ingredients

• Two (2) salmon fillets, skin-on
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 black garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 4 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 handfuls baby spinach
• Steamed basmati or jasmine rice

Preparation

1. Season salmon with salt & pepper.
2. Smash black garlic in a mortar & pestle OR with a fork or back of a wooden spoon until it turns into a rough paste.
3. Add all remaining ingredients and reduce this mixture in a non-stick pan on a slow heat so it starts to bubble and becomes noticeably thicker (about 5-7 minutes).
4. Place your salmon in the pan with the garlic sauce and cook for 10-12 minutes, coating it with the sauce during cooking. Turn once halfway through.
5. Remove salmon fillets to platter. Add fresh mushrooms and baby spinach, increasing the heat slightly, and sauté until the mushrooms are browned and the spinach has wilted.
6. Serve salmon fillets over steamed basmati rice and stop with mushrooms and spinach.