Many of my clients tell me that they love fish, but only order it when at a restaurant because they’re unsure about how to cook it. Cooking fish can be intimidating; no one likes raw fish, unless it’s supposed to be that way (sushi lovers) or overdone, dried out fish. Then there’s the concern that the entire house will reek of fish for days afterward. This recipe alleviates all of those concerns, I promise.

I can take zero credit for this recipe. All of the kudos go to Mr. Lagasse (aka “Emeril”). Trapped inside one cold evening this past winter, I flipped on the only television program that I watch with any regularity, the Food Network (of course, right?).

I caught the very last recipe that Mr. Lagasse was demonstrating in this particular episode of “bam cooking”, as I like to call it. The finished product looked delicious and the ingredients are staples in my pantry. I hurriedly scribbled down the instructions, ingredients, and measurements on a scrap of paper, then promptly threw it into a drawer and forgot about it.

Last week, faced with a pound of salmon my husband had purchased, I wanted to do something different from my standard sea salt/fresh black pepper/olive oil. Suddenly I remembered the recipe and dug it out of the drawer. I quickly threw together the ingredients, slathered the mixture onto the fish, and pulled together a couple of vegetable sides while the sugar/salt/lemon concoction worked its magic.  

And magic it was. A 45-minute resting period allowed the sugar to melt into the fish, rendering each bite ever-so-slightly sweet yet perfectly balanced with the salt and citrus. Thanks to its high fat content it can be difficult (although certainly not impossible) to cook salmon until it’s too dry - but this fish was especially moist.

Due to conflicting schedules that evening, I ate dinner before my husband got home. Let’s just say that it’s a good thing that I ate when I did. After his very first bite he pronounced it the best salmon recipe ever; and devoured the leftovers over the course of the next two days. I didn’t get one more, single morsel. I’ll have to make it again soon, and disguise the leftovers.

You know that fish (especially fatty fish) offers some serious healthy heart benefits. It’s the omega-3’s that are so supportive of heart health. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish twice a week; it’s a good protein source without all of the saturated fat found in fatty red meats.

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper (I used about 6 grinds of the mill)

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until well combined.

Spread on fish and let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes.

Broil 6-8 minutes or until internal temperature reads 180 degrees. Alternately, bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then broil on high for 3-4 minutes.