Maple Salmon

The flesh flakes easily when you press it with a fork, which takes about 20 minutes uncovered at 200 degrees C. Start checking at 15 minutes if your fillets are thin, since salmon goes from just done to dry quickly. The colour turning from translucent to opaque all the way through is the other sign.

Yes, but thaw them completely in the fridge first and pat them dry before they go into the marinade. Water left on the surface dilutes the maple and soy mixture so it slides off instead of coating the fish. Once dry, marinate for the same 30 minutes.

A couple of hours in the fridge is fine and gives a deeper glaze, but it is not an overnight marinade. The soy sauce keeps drawing moisture out and seasoning the fish, so a long soak makes it noticeably saltier and firmer. Turn the fillets once partway through however long you leave them.

Yes, but keep the heat moderate: the maple syrup in the marinade burns well before the salmon is cooked through. In a pan, cook it over medium and spoon the marinade over near the end rather than at the start. The oven method bakes it uncovered at 200 degrees C for about 20 minutes precisely because that heat is gentle enough not to scorch the glaze.

Honey is the closest swap in the same quantity and glazes just as well, though it tastes floral rather than woody. Brown sugar stirred into the soy sauce until it dissolves also works. Whatever you use, keep it to the 1/4 cup the recipe calls for, or the glaze turns sticky and overwhelms the fish.

Rice soaks up the sweet and salty pan juices, which is the main thing you want from a side here. Roasted vegetables or a green salad balance the sweetness of the glaze. The recipe makes 4 fillets, so it feeds four as a main course.