Maple-Glazed Salmon

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Finely grate 1 teaspoon of zest from the orange and set it aside. Cut the orange into wedges for serving.
3. Stir the maple syrup, soy sauce, mustard and garlic together in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat, stirring now and then, until it reduces to about 1/2 cup and coats a spoon, about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on it, because maple syrup can foam up. Stir in the orange zest. Scoop 2 tablespoons of the glaze into a small bowl and set it aside for serving.
4. Lay the salmon skin side down on the pan. Pat the top dry, brush it with the oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Brush on half of the remaining glaze.
5. Bake for 10 minutes. Brush on the rest of the glaze and bake until the thickest part flakes easily with a fork and a thermometer reads 145°F, 6 to 10 minutes more. For a deeper color, broil for the last minute or two and watch it closely, since maple burns quickly.
6. Slide two wide spatulas under the salmon and move it to a platter, leaving the skin on the paper if it sticks. Spoon the reserved glaze over the top and scatter with the pecans and green onions. Serve with the orange wedges.

Good to know

• Fillets work too: use six 6-ounce fillets and bake 12 to 15 minutes in all.
• Make ahead: the glaze keeps up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Warm it gently so it brushes on easily. Leftover salmon keeps 3 to 4 days and is good cold, flaked over a salad.
• Swap: use gluten-free tamari if you need the glaze gluten-free. Toasted walnuts or sliced almonds can replace the pecans.