Maple Bourbon Glaze
Dark amber maple syrup and straight bourbon reduce together into a lacquer of extraordinary depth — the alcohol strips the raw sweetness and leaves behind toffee, vanilla, and oak that clings to pork ribs, caramelizes on Brussels sprouts, and gives roasted salmon a glassy, sweet-bitter finish. A spoon of Dijon and a pinch of salt tie it together.
Ingredients
For 4 servings · tick what is ready
Use the scaled ingredient list. Steps and temperatures stay unchanged; use a larger pan or dish if needed. Seasonings to taste stay to taste.
How to make it
Whisk together the maple syrup, bourbon, soy sauce, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan until fully combined and smooth. The mustard will need a few extra seconds of whisking to fully integrate. Taste the raw mixture — it will be intensely sweet with raw alcohol and sharp mustard. These edges will round significantly during cooking.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once boiling, reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 8–12 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until the glaze has reduced by approximately half and coats the back of a spoon heavily. Watch carefully in the last 2 minutes — maple syrup glazes go from perfect to scorched very quickly. The alcohol will burn off in the first 2–3 minutes of simmering. Remove from heat when a finger drawn through the spoon coating holds a clean line for 5 seconds.
About this recipe
By ForkRecipe Kitchen · Source: ForkRecipe / FoodML and contributors. Recipe content available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Serving count is an estimate; check quantities in the source recipe.