In the event that your salmon filet tries to do a sweeping overhaul of the nation's healthcare system just before the midterm elections

Give it a good shellacking*.

Pacific Northwest Lacquered Salmon

Adapted from The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins.  The original recipe calls for the salmon to be grilled**, but as tasty as that is, the process can be really messy with this marinade.  I find broiling to work wonderfully instead.

8 Tbs. (1 stick) butter

1/3 c. honey

1/3 c. packed brown sugar

2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp. liquid smoke flavoring

3/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 center cut salmon filet (about 2 lbs), skin on, in 1 piece

Combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, lemon juice, liquid smoke, red pepper flakes and salt in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring every so often, until smooth, 5 to 7 minutes.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

Arrange the salmon in a shallow rimmed dish.  Pour all but 1/3 cup of the cooled marinade over it.  Let stand for 30 minutes.  About halfway through sitting time, stop by and spoon marinade on the side back over the salmon again.

Preheat broiler.  Cover a baking sheet with foil, spray a cooling rack with non-stick spray, and set the rack on top of the baking sheet.  Transfer the salmon to the rack.  Broil for 10-12 minutes, watching carefully.  Because the marinade is full of honey and sugar, it will tend to caramelize quickly and burn easily.   If this happens before the full time is up, move salmon down to a slighly lower rack, and add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.

While salmon is cooking, rewarm remaining marinade.  Just after salmon comes out, drizzle the extra marinade on top.  Serve immediately.

For an entertaining history of the word "shellacking", click here***.

* Hopefully, like Mr. Obama, the salmon will absorb the lesson and achieve surprising legislative victories during the lame duck session, or at least make all of the picky eaters in your family happy for once.
** Now with the grilling?  Is there no end to these absurd partisan attacks?
*** To be fair to the Bush administration, I suppose I should work on a recipe that would involve a good thumping.   Will keep you posted.