Blackberry Chipotle Glazed Salmon Recipe - Also Known As Wedding Dinner Salmon

There are some dishes associated with the great events of our lives. The first dinner we cooked for our spouse. The first food we fed to our babies. The dish that makes Christmas Christmas.

Blackberry Chipotle Glazed Salmon is now one of those dishes for me. I will forever remember this as my son Matt's Wedding Dinner Salmon.

I wanted a dish that was easy enough to feed to a crowd of 40, but special enough to do honor to his marriage to Sarah, his lovely bride and our newest daughter. But, what to make?

Chicken? Not fancy enough. Steak? Expensive and not something that would play well in a large group of diverse eaters. Pasta? Too cheap-o. How about salmon? Wild Alaskan Salmon is lovely this time of year, and has that feeling that screams "This is a Special Occasion!" So, salmon it was.

I wanted to give it a southwest twist, a sweet note and packed with flavor. So, I thought of a blackberry glaze with some chipotle. Perfect sweet heat. I must confess here that this salmon recipe was not entirely my own idea. Genius home cook extraordinaire Joanne of Eats Well With Others made salmon with a chipotle/apricot jam glaze. and this is a take on hers. Thanks, Joanne. Please let me cook you dinner next time you're in my neighborhood! I owe you Big Time.

BLACKBERRY CHIPOTLE GLAZED SALMON

¼ cup seedless blackberry preserves
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
4 fillets (6 ounces each) wild Alaska salmon

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Stir together all ingredients except salmon. Place salmon fillets skin side down on an oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Spread a tin layer of blackberry mixture on top of fillets.

Place fillets in oven and turn down heat to 450 degrees. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, until fillets are cooked through.

Serve immediately.