Name: Pine-Smoked & Maple-Glazed Wild Salmon
Yield: Provides 4 portions
Ingredients: 1 to 2 large handfuls green pine needles; 1/2 cup bourbon; 1/2 cup grade-B, freshly tapped maple syrup; 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard; 2 teaspoons freshly milled black pepper; Four 6-ounce salmon fillets, patted dry; Kosher salt, to taste; One 9-inch round wire cooling rack

Pine-Smoked & Maple-Glazed Wild SalmonTara Donne

For all the robustness of the ingredients of this dish, the end result is notably delicate. One might ask, "Oh, but won't the bracing scent of pine make the dish taste of Christmas fir or, worse, freshly waxed parlor?" It will not. The smoked needles impart a light, balsamic flavor akin to rosemary (indeed one might substitute a bundle of that herb in this recipe), and the light glaze allows the pine flavor to shine through. The overall effect proves an excellent complement to the moist, flaky fish this cooking technique yields. Should one desire a more intensely flavored glaze, one might make a bit extra to brush over the fish before serving.

Recipe notes

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