The easiest 10-minute dark roasted cherries simmer down with your bourbon, balsamic, and maple marinade for this rich and flavorful, show-stopping sauce atop flakey succulent salmon. Perfect for a simple, healthy, wildly delicious summertime dinner.
EMERGENCY ALERT:
Cherry season is upon us. Expect plump, sweet and juicy fresh cherries to appear in the following locations:
- produce department of grocery stores and supermarkets
- local farmers’ markets
- fruit stands
- cherry farms
- your yard perhaps if you try to grow them
- my refrigerator…
In the event of an encounter, it is crucial that you are prepared with an appropriate action plan. This may include:
- classy cheese and fruit board
- cobbler
- ice cream (Note this would require chocolate.)
- preserves
- salad (Stay tuned for recipes to come!)
- sauces (READ ON)
I am alerting you because cherry season is SERIOUS.
It is also short-lived. Meaning the time for your action plan is NOW. Or the cherries will be all gone and you’ll be stuck making apple cobbler which is fine and all but really we can do better.
So get to it. Time is precious.
We can start with this glorious and shockingly easy roasted cherry bourbon balsamic salmon. A common theme with my salmon recipes, the leftover marinade simmers down into a glaze; then, all you have to add are the TEN-MINUTE roasted cherries. Bake the salmon 6-10 minutes while all that is cooking and BOOM. DONE.
Bringing the meal together
Here I served it with dijon and herb roasted baby potatoes (herbs de Provence, topped with freshly shredded parm), roasted asparagus (EVOO, garlic, topped with lemon, sea salt, pepper), and skillet cornbread (which is freezer-friendly and the PERFECT wholesome on-demand dinner bread).
With a teensy bit of planning, you can have it all ready to go at the same time!
- Marinate the salmon. (Can be the day before)
- Steam potatoes (10 min), then toss with EVOO/dijon/herbs (see recipe).
- Potatoes into oven (25 min total). Cherries into oven (10 min).
- Prep asparagus.
- Pour excess marinade into a saucepan. Add roasted cherries. Gently simmer.
- With 10 minutes left on the potatoes: salmon, asparagus, and cornbread (already made from frozen or in skillet) into oven.
- Check salmon after 6 minutes.
- Remove potatoes, asparagus, and cornbread.
- Top potatoes with parm immediately.
- All the good food on plates. Glaze on salmon.
And your weeknight dinner or low-stress meal for a special occasion is READY TO DEVOUR.
Roasted Cherry Bourbon Balsamic Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Dijon
- 2 tsp bourbon
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- sea salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 2 4-5 oz filets king salmon
- 6-10 dark sweet cherries
- sprinkle fresh thyme leaves (opt.)
Instructions
- Mix dijon, bourbon, balsamic, maple, and a pinch salt and pepper to a zip-top baggy. Add salmon and marinate at least 1 hour (or up to 1 day).
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- Roughly chop cherries into quarters, removing pits. Place on a pan lined with foil. Roast 10 minutes, or until they begin to break down. Mash lightly if necessary.
- Transfer excess marinade to a small saucepan. Add roasted cherries and thyme. Bring to a light simmer and cook until reduced to a glaze (4-6 minutes).
- Meanwhile, place salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast 6-9 minutes, depending on thickness and desired degree of doneness. (I lean toward 6.)
- Remove salmon and rest a couple minutes. Any juices that accumulate can be poured into the saucepan and stirred into the glaze.
- Top salmon with cherry reduction and enjoy!