Broiled salmon: a beginner's guide

No oceans here. 

I live in land-locked Colorado, and getting beautiful, fresh fish at the supermarket is impossible.  The seafood counter at my local Safeway sells thawed fish for the same exact price as the bagged stuff in the freezer case, and that's as good as it gets.  But I do like fish, and I'm not a snob about it being frozen, so I just go straight to the frozen section and stockpile bags of Alaskan salmon, swai, and raw shrimp for whenever I'm in the mood.  It's easy to thaw individual filets in a sinkful of water for half an hour, and the shrimp thaws even faster than that when placed in a colander under warm running water.

This Colorado selection needs some help in the flavor department, however; at best it's bland, and sometimes it's a little fishy.  None of this stuff is sushi grade. Ever.

Enter broiling.  Marinade the fish or slap a simple sauce on it, fire up the broiler, and your mediocre "wild" (I really hope it is) salmon becomes the centerpiece of a tasty little meal.  We may not be able to pull it straight out of the ocean and grill it on the beach, but we can still maintain the spirit of simplicity.

Here are some of my favorite saucy salmon broils; the Asian-y flavors go well with some jasmine rice with ginger and steamed edamame mixed in, and the mustard sauce is great with herbed roasted potatoes and a salad.

Honey-Soy Broiled Salmon

Combine:

½ cup low sodium soy sauce
¼ cup honey
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, mince

• in a large zip-top bag.  Mix well and reserve about 1/3 of the mixture in a small bowl, then, add 4 salmon filets and marinade for 15-30 minutes in the refrigerator.  When ready, broil on high about 5 inches from the broiler for 6-8 minutes.  To serve, pour the remaining sauce of the filets and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish

Sriracha Salmon (also works with firm white fish)

Combine equal parts mayonnaise (I hear veganaise is amazing, actually) and Sriracha sauce and smear in a medium-thick layer over salmon filets that have been rinsed, patted dry, and lightly salted.  Broil on high about 5 inches from the broiler for 6-8 minutes.

Herbed Mustardy Salmon  (also works with firm white fish)

In a mini food-processor, combine:

2 garlic cloves
3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon dry white wine
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

Smear in a medium-thick layer over 6 salmon filets that have been rinsed, patted dry, and lightly salted.  Broil on high about 5 inches from the broiler for 6-8 minutes.