Seared Salmon with Balsamic Glaze

Penny and Bernard will soon be spending some time in the Washington area helping out their niece Elissa and her husband Jean Marc care for little Sophie.  Penny asked for a few dinner recipes that everyone would enjoy and she could prepare without a big fuss.  

How does  this one sound, Penny? I  found it on Epicurious.com and made a few changes. Over 100 reviewers raved about this dish and how easy it is to prepare. Let's hope Sophie likes balsamic vinegar.

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 tbls. fresh lemon juice

4 tsps. light brown sugar

4 (6 ounce) center cut salmon fillets

2 tsps. vegetable oil

Stir together vinegar, water, lemon juice and brown sugar.

Pat salmon dry and season with salt and pepper

Heat oil in a 12 inch skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.  Increase heat to high and sear salmon, skin sides up, until well browned, about 4 minutes.  Turn fish over and sear until just cooked through, about 6 minutes more. 

Transfer salmon to plates and carefully add vinegar mixture to skillet (liquid will bubble vigorously and steam).  Simmer, stirring until thickened and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 5 minutes more.

Spoon glaze over salmon.

Serves 4

Notes: One reviewer simplified things even more by cooking the salmon in the oven (450) and spooning the glaze on towards the end of cooking.

How about serving basmati rice to soak up the delicious glaze along with stir fried zucchini and red pepper with parsley? This would be a delicious and visually stunning meal. If another vegetable in the market looks more appealing, go with it.