Coconut Lime Salmon

It looks like a lot of ingredients, but this recipe actually came together pretty easily and required very little chopping.  The flavor was delicious, and the dish paired exceptionally well with a side of brown rice. 

 

Coconut Lime Salmon 

 

Ingredients

Salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces

2 tbsp butter

3-4 baby bok choy, thoroughly washed, stem end removed, and sliced in half

4 clove garlic, thinly sliced

1 tbsp cooking oil

 

Sugar rub

 2 tbsp white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

 

Coconut lime sauce 

1 tsp lemongrass paste, or finely minced lemongrass

1 tsp ginger paste, or fresh grated ginger root

14 oz can coconut milk, full fat

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

1/4 tsp tumeric

Lime zest from one line

Juice of 1/2 lime

2 kaffir lime leaves (optional)

 

To serve (optional)

Lime wedges

Chopped fresh cilantro leaves 

 

 

Directions 

Prepare the salmon. Sprinkle salmon lightly with salt and let come to room temp while preparing sauce ingredients. 

Gather the sauce ingredients. In a small container combine the lemongrass and ginger.  In another bowl combine remaining sauce ingredients and set aside. 

Cook the bok choy. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the garlic and bok choy.  Cook, stirring and turning occasionally, until bok choy leaves are wilted and crisp-tender.  Remove bok choy and garlic to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Cook the salmon. Combine sugar rub ingredients.  Generously sprinkle top of the salmon fillets with sugar rub. 

Melt 2 tbsp butter in skillet over medium heat. Place salmon in skillet, sugar rub side down. Allow to cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, then cook a further 2 minutes, moving the fillets around n the pan a bit, until the underside is deep golden and caramelized. Sprinkle the top with some sugar rub (you may still have some leftover), then flip salmon and cook the other side until golden (about 3 minutes more).  Be careful not to overcook the salmon or burn the sugar rub. Remove salmon to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Prepare the sauce. Keep the browned butter in the skillet and maintain medium heat. Add the lemongrass/ginger to the skillet and stir, scraping up any browned bits and cooking for 30 seconds or so.  Add the remaining sauce ingredients.  Bring sauce to a boil, and allow to gently boil and reduce for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.  

Serve. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in any juice from the salmon to the sauce and stir in well. Place salmon fillets in the sauce skillet.  Serve with bok choy, and cilantro and lime as optional garnishes.

 

Link:

 https://www.seasonsandsuppers.ca/sugar-seared-salmon/