Maple Syrup and Seafood: a tasty Canadian union

3 maple syrup recipes for Canadian farmed Atlantic salmon, mussels and rainbow trout

March is maple syrup season! One of Canada’s great contributions to the food industry, maple syrup is a favourite natural sweetener to use in cooking. To welcome the season, we’ve collected three recipes that pair this sweet delight with some of Canada’s top farmed seafood products. Try one today for a fresh, local and purely Canadian culinary experience.

Maple BBQ Salmon

4 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 Atlantic salmon portions
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic salt
  • 1/8 tsp. ground pepper

Directions

  • Mix the maple syrup, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.
  • Place salmon portions in a shallow dish, and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish, and marinate salmon portions in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning over at 15 minutes.
  • Drain the salmon steaks and discard used marinade.
  • BBQ the salmon portions over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked to taste.

Mussel on the Half Shell with Blueberry Maple Vinaigrette

4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 lb fresh blue mussels
  • 1⁄2 cup white wine
  • 2 chopped green onions
  • 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
  • 1⁄3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1⁄3 cup maple syrup
  • 1⁄2 cup wild blueberry juice
  • 2⁄3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1⁄2 tsp. dijon mustard
  • 1⁄2 tsp. salt
  • 1⁄4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Mussel on the Half Shell with Blueberry Maple Vinaigrette

Directions

  • Put mussels in a small pot
  • Add wine, green onions and garlic
  • Cover and steam for about 3 to 5 minutes on high heat until mussels open up
  • Break the shells in half and place on a serving platter

Vinaigrette

  • In a bowl mix mustard, salt, pepper and garlic. Add maple syrup, Balsamic vinegar, blueberry juice and oil and whisk until it emulsifies. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. (for best results prepare vinaigrette the day before.
  • Place a mussel in each half shell then top with the vinaigrette garnish and chopped chives and lemon zest.

Pan-Seared Maple Whiskey Rainbow Trout with Caramelized Red Onions

Ingredients

  • 2 farmed rainbow trout portions
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup whiskey or bourbon
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp. rosemary
  • 1 tsp. thyme

Directions

  • Mix together all ingredients except trout. Marinade trout in mixture for at least 1 hour.
  • Heat some olive oil in a large skillet. Pan sear trout, about 5-6 minutes per side, until flesh flakes easily with a fork. Remove trout from pan.
  • Reduce heat and add reserved marinade to skillet.  Simmer until thick.
  • Pour sauce over trout and serve with caramelized red onions and roasted seasonal winter vegetables, such as butternut squash, sweet potatoes, turnip, and leeks.
  • Slice two or three large red onions into rings, about 1/4″.
  • Sauté in melted butter over medium-low heat until butter has thickened and onions are a rich caramel colour, about 30 minutes.

Caramelized Red Onions

  • Slice two or three large red onions into rings, about 1/4″.
  • Sauté in melted butter over medium-low heat until butter has thickened and onions are a rich caramel colour, about 30 minutes.

Sheri Beaulieu

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