05/31/2026
When I’m not doing Denver Metro real-estate stuff – running around looking at properties, hosting Open Houses, searching for comparables, that kind of stuff – you will often find me in the kitchen.
I cook. I cook a lot. There was a time I relied on Gourmet, Bon Appetit, The New York Times for recipes I stored in voluminous binders. I still have recipes from, ah, let’s just say a long time ago.
It’s a much easier now. I pretty much rely on the NYT and random internet sites. I copy, paste and file in folders designated for chicken, fish, eggs – you get the idea. For me, finding good dishes is half the battle. Finding good dishes that are easy to prepare is total victory.
From time to time, I will share my discoveries. I made this recently. Easy to the nth degree. And you don’t have to hit Whole Foods for kimchi. King Soopers (yes, that’s what Kroger’s is called in Colorado) stocks it. This is a New York Times 5-starrer.
Salmon and Kimchi Skillet
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 (16- ounce) jar chopped cabbage kimchi (about 2 cups)
½ teaspoon sugar
4 (6- to 8-ounce) salmon fillets, patted dry
Salt
Chopped scallions and sesame seeds, for topping (optional)
Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Melt the butter with the sesame oil in a 12-inch, oven-safe skillet over high heat.
When the butter’s foam subsides, add the kimchi with its liquid to the skillet. Stir in the sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has bubbled away and the kimchi has softened, 3 to 5 minutes. If the liquid simmers away quickly, before the kimchi has softened, decrease the heat to medium and stir often.
Season the salmon lightly with salt. Nestle the fillets in the skillet, skin-side down if your fillets are skin-on, spooning kimchi on top of the salmon. Roast in the oven for 6 minutes.
Turn the broiler to high. Put the skillet on a rack about 5 inches from the broiler heat source and broil, turning and checking the fish and kimchi once, until the kimchi gets very deeply browned in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve topped with scallions and sesame seeds, if you like.
