Peppery Balsamic Salmon

Prep Time:  5 minutes                Cooking Time:    Glaze: 15 minutes     Salmon: 15 minutes
Number of Servings:   4

Ingredients:

4 – 6 ounce/175 g salmon filets
2 tablespoons (30 mL) white balsamic vinegar glaze (recipe follows)
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons (10 mL) whole black peppercorns, crushed or cracked (not ground)*

2 tablespoons of white balsamic glaze (to finish)
Kosher salt

*Cracking, or crushing peppercorns is best done with a mortar and pestle.  If this is not available, place the peppercorns on a cutting board and use the bottom of a heavy skillet, or roll over them with a rolling pin.  The goal is to get large, coarse pieces of pepper.  This adds texture and flavour without over-powering the dish (the finer the grind the more pungent the flavour and bite).

Method:

1. Make the glaze:  Place ½ cup white-balsamic vinegar, ¼ cup dry white wine, and 1 tablespoon of honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer, and gently cook until it has reduced (to about ¼ cup) and becomes syrupy (about 15 minutes).   Remove from heat and let cool.
2. Preheat oven to 375⁰F (190⁰C).   Place salmon filets on a lightly-oiled parchment-lined baking sheet.
3. Lightly brush each filet with some of the glaze – 2 tablespoons should be sufficient.   Ensure that you have enough glaze left to brush on at the end of cooking.   Sprinkle with a little salt, and a teaspoon or so of the freshly crushed black peppercorns.
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fillet), or just until fish flakes just a little – do not over-cook.
5. Remove from oven;  brush on the remaining glaze;  sprinkle with the remaining cracked peppercorns; sprinkle with a little Kosher salt.
6. Serve immediately.