Irish Whiskey Roasted Salmon

When you marinate your salmon in Irish whiskey with a bit of lemon zest, honey, garlic and thyme, the salmon takes on a marvelous flavor and texture and has a beautiful glazed look at the finish. With a side of Irish butter-braised cabbage and perhaps some good mashed potatoes (if you please–or mashed cauliflower for a lower-carb option), this heart-healthy meal is the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

Given current circumstances, it seems funny to talk about celebrating right now, but we do need to do things to bring us joy, curb the boredom and reduce our stress levels. I made this recipe before the COVID 19 scare really hit the US. Oh, I’d heard about the virus, but I wasn’t too worried about it. I initially thought people were over reacting … but now, as I’m writing this, it has spread to 48 states and the country has declared a national emergency. Italy and China are on lockdown, schools are closed, my yoga classes are canceled, the gym is closed, most public events are canceled. I’m having to admit this global pandemic is worthy of concern.

Everyone is out buying toilet paper, a phenomenon I didn’t quite understand until the supply became scarce and we were running low … and then I had to go out and fight the crowds to buy a pack. I only bought one, thinking there was no need to succumb to the panic of stocking up. In actuality I was really lucky to get ANY! The shelves were completely empty when I first looked … and then I saw someone with a pack on top of their cart and I headed back that way again and there was a kind employee unpacking TP from boxes and handing it out like candy to the shoppers that came up to him. As fast as he could unbox it, people were buying it.

Even as I was telling myself that I wasn’t going to go crazy stockpiling supplies while I was at the store, the natural empathy within me was getting swept up in the emotions of those around me and I found myself grabbing extra things off the shelf that I didn’t really need. Or buying two of some things when normally I’d just buy one. I did pretty good, though, and only bought a couple things that weren’t on my list.

Even so, I spent about 3 times as much as I normally do at the grocery store (which is reasonable, if you think about it, since I was shopping for 2-3 weeks, and then we made two more trips to other stores to get things we just HAD to have. (Hey, I was out of beer!) My kids and I did pre-plan the trips, though, thinking through what else we’d need if I were to get sick and couldn’t get out to shop. We were fairly well stocked to start with … my house always has LOTS of food in the fridge and the freezer, but now we’re sure we won’t run out of any of the things we regularly eat within the next few weeks. Well, aside from rice. My kids eat Basmati rice ALL the time. We normally buy rice at Costco in 20-lb. bags but today when we went to Costco, there was NO rice in sight. Not to worry, we’re not completely out yet and I do have brown, white and wild rice on hand. My kids will definitely survive without their favorite rice.

So now that we’re fully stocked, we’re staying at home unless we NEED to go out for something and washing our hands like crazy. Today I’m incredibly grateful that I work from home, so there’s not much need to leave the house, except perhaps to get some exercise. Mother Nature brought us some snow this morning, but this afternoon it’s melting and it feels tempting to go out for a walk. I know it’s important to exercise to stay healthy and since my normal exercise options are not available, I’ll find a way. Yoga in the basement and walks around the neighborhood seem like the logical choices, if I can just get myself to DO them.

Right now I can’t recommend anyone rush out to buy ingredients if you don’t need to, but if you do happen to have the things on hand to make this (or you’re at the store anyway), I think you’ll love this recipe. I’m not a whiskey drinker, but I know from experience how magical whiskey is when it’s used in cooking. The whiskey taste in the cooked salmon is subtle, but it really gives the fish a nice flavor and comes out so juicy and perfectly flakey.

If you need to substitute another whiskey for the Irish whiskey, I’m sure that Ireland will forgive you, given the circumstances. Stay safe and healthy, my friends!

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