The Popular Cocktail Flavor That Works Wonders On Salmon

Salmon is one of those buttery-tasting fish with a flavor that can be showcased with lots of simple salmon ideas. But if you're interested in pushing beyond the standard issue garlic, herbs, and lemon juice that often goes on a baked salmon, what else can you do? Here's another question — do you like dirty martinis?

I should clarify: We spoke to Maricel Gentile, chef and owner of Maricel's Kitchen, and the author of "Maricel's Simply Asian Cookbook." She has a recipe for what's known as the dirty martini-inspired salmon. This doesn't mean a salmon served alongside a dirty martini, although that's not a bad idea. Gentile's recipe instead relies on what makes a dirty martini and salmon such a good pairing, and involves cooking and garnishing the salmon with that drink's fixings.

According to Gentile, "The briny olives, herbaceous vermouth, and crisp gin notes would bring a beautiful contrast to rich salmon. I would create a chilled olive and herb relish with a splash of vermouth for garnish, or use the flavors in a quick marinade before searing." Now, you may ask: Why exactly does a dirty martini pair well with salmon? Well, for one, briny olives and salmon are an established pairing, most notably in the forgotten, vintage seafood dish salmon mousse. But any modern Mediterranean salmon recipe will also add plenty of salty olives. 

Remember that we're not talking about the usual martini, made with vermouth and gin (or vodka) and a whole olive chilling on top. The specific, savory ingredient which makes a martini "dirty" is olive brine, which adds a hearty, salt-filled kick to the drink. It tastes more like olives than gin, so you're capturing that salty taste in your salmon while cooking in notes of earthy gin and sweeter vermouth. So make sure the olives are thoroughly brined; you might also consider soaking the olives in gin to bring more of that sharp liquor taste. If you prefer regular martinis over dirty ones, you can make a similar salmon marinade without the brine, and just the vermouth, gin, and a few olives.

If you're looking to get creative, and a martini of any kind isn't your style, there are other savory cocktails which also can serve as the basis for a salmon dish. When we asked Gentile, she brought up sake and bourbon as possible avenues. "A miso-yuzu salmon glazed with sake, or a grilled salmon with a bourbon-maple glaze, both work beautifully because the drink's flavors balance the fish's richness," she says. Instead of salty, you could also mess around with citrus (that's sake and yuzu) or more caramel flavors (the bourbon). If you'd pair a drink with salmon, there's room to think about how you might cook it with salmon.