My Carolina Kitchen

For the fish:

4 6-ounce salmon fillets, preferably with the skin left intact

2 to 3 teaspoons grape seed oil, or other neutral tasting oil

Kosher salt or sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

12 ounces fresh red cherries, pitted (or 12 ounce package frozen pitted red cherries)

½ cup fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon cold water

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons honey

3 tablespoons port wine

A knob of butter

Cut the salmon into four pieces approximately the same size and weight. Put salmon on a plate, rub with oil, season with salt & pepper, and allow the salmon to sit at room temperature while you heat the broiler.

Preheat the broiler. Arrange the salmon in one layer, skin side down, on an unheated sheet pan lined with heavy duty foil for easy clean-up. Place the salmon under the broiler about six to seven inches from the source of heat. Broil 8 to 10 minutes or just until the pieces are cooked through. It is not necessary to turn the salmon. If salmon starts to get too crispy on the top, change from broil to bake and bake at 400 degrees until done. Do not overcook or the salmon will be dry. Allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.

While the salmon is cooking, combine the cherries and orange juice in a small saucepan over high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium. Make cornstarch slurry by stirring together the water and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth. Add the slurry to the saucepan and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened to a maple-syrup consistency, about 1 ½ minutes to remove the “corn starchy flavor”. Stir in the vinegar, oil, honey and port wine and heat for a moment or two. Remove the pan from the heat and if the sauce isn’t the right consistency, return the sauce back on medium heat and make a little more corn starch slurry. Add the additional slurry and stir for about 2 minutes to obtain the right consistency. Remove the sauce from the heat and add a knob of butter to give the sauce a shine.

To serve, transfer the salmon fillets to plates and top with the warm cherry sauce.

Adapted from The Complete 15-Minute Gourmet by Paulette Mitchell – serves 4