Salmon fillets are lacquered in a sherry vinegar-maple glaze that’s infused with coriander seeds, fennel seeds, ground allspice and Aleppo pepper for a stunning main dish that takes just 15 minutes to make.
Hello my dears,
I’ve been waiting all week for inspiration for this essay to bubble up, but every time I’ve sat down to write, there’s been… nothing.
This will be the last Friday newsletter of the year, and the last new recipe of 2024 (!!), which feels monumental. But all I hear is, quiet.
I think it’s a sign that we could all use a bit more quiet this week—after all, tomorrow is the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year. Therefore, in lieu of an essay today, I’m leaving you with this quote from , from our podcast conversation back in November:
“If you have no expectations, all that’s left is the ability to enjoy.”
One more time:
If you have no expectations, all that’s left is the ability to enjoy.
My hope for all of us as we head into Christmas and the New Year, is to arrive empty. Let’s drop all expectations and projections of what should be or what has been so that we can allow things to be as they are. When we free ourselves of expectations, we become present in our lives, better able to enjoy the simple joys of the moment, and better able to pivot when things don’t turn out as planned.
This holiday, let’s wipe the slate clean. Let’s be free, my loves!
A quick favor! If you appreciate this newsletter, would you mind clicking the heart ❤️ in the upper left? It really helps support this work.
Your Favorite Newsletters of 2024
Before we jump into today’s recipe, I thought it would be fun to share the top five newsletters of the year! What were your favorite recipes/newsletters?
FLASH SALE!
This weekend only (through Sunday) I’m offering a flash sale of 30% off paid subscriptions—the biggest discount of the year. The newsletter price will increase to $6/month ($65/year) in January to accurately reflect the cost of producing this content, so now’s a great time to lock in 2024 pricing! Also, if you’re looking for a last-minute gift, consider giving a gift subscription of the newsletter. You can schedule when the subscription will start and send a personalized message. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support. I’m so grateful for all of you.
Spice-Crusted Glazed Salmon
Today’s salmon recipe was actually inspired by the Spice-Roasted Squash recipe featured above (before I pulled the list!). I’m having a love affair with whole spices at the moment (don’t tell James), especially with coriander seeds, which have a fruity pop that reminds me of Fruity Pebbles. Here they’re combined with crushed fennel seeds, ground allspice, Aleppo pepper, sherry vinegar and maple syrup to create a slightly sweet, tart, and wildly nuanced glaze (and crust) for salmon. It’s so, so good.
The dish looks fancy but is deceptively easy, coming together in just 15 minutes. If you’re nervous about cooking salmon in a skillet, this is a great recipe to start with. The fillets cook for just 1 minute on the flesh side then are flipped (since they’re still raw in the center, there’s no risk of them falling apart). They finish cooking skin side down, continuously basted with the glaze, which looks chef-y, but which is really easy to do (check out the video above).
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