Caramelized Salmon Filet and Jasmine Rice

A very simple dinner and usually one my favorites, but for no apparent reason at all, my heart was not in this meal last night.  I had made a trip to the supermarket earlier in the day with the thought of having salmon for dinner in the back of my mind.  When I saw the beautiful Scottish filets which were on display in the seafood case, I decided then that was going to be my dinner. As I continued with my day, however, my desire for the salmon lessened.  Have you ever had that feeling when you just don't want what's for dinner?  As the afternoon progressed into the evening and the evening morphed into night,  I continuously delayed cooking hoping that I would find some inspiration.  I did not. So, while it really was delicious and I do recommend that you make it and I was very thankful to have it (don't get me wrong), here is my uninspired undesired salmon and jasmine rice.

I prepared the salmon filet by patting it dry and placing it in a shallow dish to marinate.  Next, the marinade was made by combining Dijon mustard, honey, Asian garlic chili sauce, a minced clove of garlic and some olive oil until an emulsion is formed.  Pour half of the marinade over the fish and let it sit for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, I preheated the oven to a hot 450 degrees and placed a stainless steel skillet in the oven to preheat as well.  When the pan was hot, I removed it from the oven, coated the bottom with a small drizzle of canola oil and placed the fish in, skin side down.  I cooked the fish for about 15 minutes until the glaze of the marinade just started to caramelize and the salmon was still moist on the inside.  I set it aside to rest while I made the rice. 

I use a standard ratio of twice as much water to rice and I assure you, it makes a perfect pot everytime.  Last night I used 1/2 cup of  a wonderful aromatic Jasmine rice to 1 cup of tap water, a pat of butter and a pinch or two of salt.  Bring the pot just to a boil, cover with a tight fitting lid, and turn the heat down to low.  Set a timer for 18 minutes.  When the time is up, remove the pot from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.  Remove the lid, fluff with a fork and return the lid to the pot until ready to eat.  The rice will stay warm in a covered pot for quite a while. 

Place a fluffy bed of Jasmine rice on the plate and nestle in your salmon filet.  Drizzle over any leftover marinade and enjoy!