Broiled Salmon

Chile, garlic and ginger make our recipe for broiled salmon cool again

Certain dishes are so uncool we owe them a second chance.

Broiled salmon jumped the shark before jumping sharks was even a thing.

Hoary staple of banquet hall weddings and in-flight meals, broiled salmon has been a dish catered to large crowds since the dawn of fish-broiling time. And for good reason: Ten minutes under the flame and the fish is crackly hot and perfectly cooked.

In other words, the technique is solid. It's what typically comes with it that's the problem: 1980s-era beurre blanc and maudlin medley of mushy veg, anyone?

To save the salmon, our Test Kitchen changed up the supporting players (see the recipe).

To start, we smothered the fillets in chile-garlic paste, white miso paste and maple syrup for a lively, sweet, spicy, umami-ish flavor boost. Then we dressed the cooked filets with a yogurt sauce infused with chile-garlic sauce, soy and ginger, as well as a few pieces of chopped scallion.

It's fast, light and simple–and the perfect pick-me-up for your next banquet feast or a quick weeknight dinner.