Whiskey - Marinated Salmon with Pistachio Crust (VIDEO)

I hope you'll make this recipe soon. If you do, please tag me #innichka_chef on Instagram, Facebook, Patreon, or Pinterest.

I’m a big fan of seafood; I love any kind! The fishy taste has never been a problem for me. When I eat meat I want to taste a meat, and when I eat fish I want to taste fish. Makes sense to me. But in my new home-country, this type of philosophy is crazy. I've gotten so many surprised looks from people when I tell them that, and they ask, "What?! Are you crazy?! Wouldn't you prefer to taste the butter" (they say "butter," but it seems most people actually use margarine without knowing the difference unfortunately)

My husband, like most Americans, is truly afraid of the plain taste of seafood and is afraid of seafood leftovers. He has also never been a fan of salmon either. He never orders it in restaurants. At least not that I've seen. The only time he orders seafood on the menu is if he knows it will come swimming in butter.

A few years ago I cooked a ton of salmon for some event. Everyone was talking about how great the salmon was, and my husband gave it a try. From that moment on, that was the only way of preparing salmon he would accept. I promise you, even the pickiest salmon eater will enjoy this kind! Today I'm going to share that very recipe with you, and it takes just a few minutes to make the marinade.

While I was getting ready to shoot this video and making sure I had all ingredients for it, I realized I was missing the key ingredient. Whiskey! Oh yes, whiskey marinade salmon has to have whiskey! That day my husband came home from work with a bottle of whiskey and said it was a gift from a customer. Apparently a very happy customer! I looked at him and said, "Thanks for saving my time. Now I don’t have to run to the liquor store." He said, "That’s great, but check the price online first."

I did.

I was shocked to find out it was a 40-year-old bottle worth $400.

OMG, did I use it?

No.

A regular small 100ml bottle of Jack Daniels for just a few dollars worked just fine. Remember, the whiskey in this recipe isn't for drinking, so any whiskey will work. Cooking evaporates the alcohol, so you don't have to worry about the alcohol content in it. It's safe for kids, and my children love this salmon.

Now that your mouth is watering, let’s begin…

Prep time: 5 minutes

Inactive time: 30-60 minutes

Baking time: 12-15 minutes

Total time: 47 minutes

Yield: 8 adult servings

Author: Inna of Innichkachef.com

Ingredients

2 salmon fillets (each fillet makes 4 servings)

⅓ cup coconut sugar

1 lemon, juiced

⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce

⅓ cup avocado or grapeseed oil

⅓ cup whiskey

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

⅔ cup roasted pistachios (for the crust)

Directions

1. Wash the fish and dry with paper towels.

2. To make the marinade, mix all ingredients except the fish and pistachios in a bowl.

3. Place the fish in the marinade and cover with plastic wrap.

4. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.

5. Crush the nuts with a knife.

6. Remove the fish from the fridge and dry with paper towels. Set the extra marinade aside.

7. Place the salmon on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.

8. Apply the crushed nuts on top of the fish and bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes.

9. Meanwhile, to cook the sauce, simply place a saucepan on low-medium heat and add the marinade.

10. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

11. The sauce should thicken. If you don’t achieve the desired consistency, add 1 teaspoon of corn starch, then mix and let cook for another minute or so.

12. Take the salmon out of oven and drizzle (don't pour) the sauce over the fish.

Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

The recipe can easily be doubled for a big party or scaled down if you are just making enough for your family.

This salmon is great next day too, so don’t be afraid of leftovers.

I hope you'll make this recipe soon. If you do, please tag me #innichka_chef on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.