This is an archived post from “The Aroma of Bread,” and was first published 19 Jun 2012.

I was reading Dick Eastman’s Newsletter this morning and I read an article about the original recipe for Jack Daniel’s being found in a Welsh book of herbal remedies. Presumably, John ‘Jack the Lad’ Daniel’s left Wales for Lynchburg, Tennessee and was not heard from after a few letters. It was during this period that Jack Daniel’s Whisky was born. 

While this is not a recipe from Marie’s collection, it is a post that was inspired by a recipe, the recipe for Jack Daniel’s.  Butch enjoyed whisky, be it Jack Daniel’s or the brand he drank most often in his later years, Early Times. An Early Times and seltzer was a great way to start an evening out with friends.

In late summer 1949, probably in September, Butch and Marie joined Otto and Cel Hannen on a road trip to New Orleans. On their way south, they stopped at the Cherokee Dam on the Holston River in East Tennessee. The dam had been built recently, being completed in 1942, and we all know that Butch would have found the whole mechanics of it fascinating. In the hotel room that night, they enjoyed a night cap of whiskey – for this occasion they chose Jim Beam.

• 

• 

• 

We always had a bottle of whiskey in the bar, ready for a visit from Butch. In 2000 when I was looking for a bottle of whisky to use in a new recipe, I pulled out the Early Times. It is the perfect whiskey for this recipe.

Grilled Orange-and-Bourbon Salmon

Description: Charlene Schubert, Alpharatta, GA, Cooking Light Magazine, June 1999, page 142

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup Bourbon
• ¼ cup Fresh Orange Juice
• ¼ cup Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
• ¼ cup Packed Brown Sugar
• ¼ cup Chopped Green Onions
• 3 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Chives
• 2 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
• 2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
• 4 (6-ounce) Salmon Fillets (About 1 Inch Thick)
• Cooking Spray

Directions: 

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag, and add salmon to bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 ½ hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill or broiler.

Remove salmon from bag, reserving marinade. Place salmon on a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Cook 6 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, basting frequently with reserved marinade.

NOTE: This recipe is the best with a lesser grade of bourbon, such as Butch’s favorite: Early Times