Coconut Curry Salmon and Vegetables
I love the flavors of this Thai influenced dish. In fact, I use the same combination of coconut milk, curry paste and lime in a variety of recipes that I prepare. I always keep several cans of coconut milk and Thai red curry paste on hand. They have a great shelf life, and are a go to ingredient for me when I want to prepare a quick meal. The flavors lend themselves well to vegetarian dishes, adding depth of flavor and spice as well as fish and poultry dishes. For the most authentic flavor I like to include lemongrass and fresh ginger in the ingredient list, but if you are looking for ultra easy more then ultra authentic, you can prepare a delicious dish with just a few ingredients.
At first glance this recipe may look complicated. The ingredient list may look long, but most of the ingredients are vegetables that you may have on hand often.
You can use a variety of vegetables as well. I prefer to use bok choy or nappa to provide the bulk in this vegetable mixture, but you can use green cabbage if that is what is available. Other great vegetables to include are broccoli, red peppers, zuchinni, and carrots. If you think about this combination of vegetables it is easy to visualize the array of color that they provide!
You should also include fresh green onion and basil and cilantro leaves to create a really authentic dish, but if those are not available you can substitute as necessary. As with any dish or ingredient list there are items that make a dish authentic and delicious, and sometimes substitutions are required. For the best flavors avoid substitutions, but if you are searching for a quick and easy meal, the slimmed-down version of this recipe will still provide a delicious meal with little preparation time! Serve this with some steamed jasmine rice, my 10 year old likes to eat the rice last, ladled with the coconut milk broth!
- 4 each salmon filets (6 ounces each)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped lemongrass
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1 half lime, juiced
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 1 stalk fresh lemon grass (bruised and cut in two inch pieces)
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 can coconut milk (about 14 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste
- 3 cups chopped bok choy
- 2 cups broccoli florets (cut bite sized)
- 1 each zucchini, diced (or gray squash)
- 1 each red bell pepper, 1/2 inch dice
- 1 each tomato, diced
- 3 each scallion (chop white section, cut green section in 2 inch pieces)
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 bunch fresh basil or Thai basil
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
- 1 half lime, cut in 1/4's
- 1 teaspoon jaggery (or brown sugar)
Combine all ingredients for salmon marinade.
Toss salmon in marinade and refrigerate until needed.
At least 1 hour, but longer is better.
Heat oil in large saute' pan on medium heat.
Add garlic, ginger, and bruised lemongrass.
Saute' for 30 seconds, stir in coconut milk and red curry paste.
Bring to simmer.
Place salmon filets in simmering coconut milk.
Poach until salmon reach a temperature of 130 degrees, which is slightly underdone.
Gently lift salmon from liquid and set aside.
While continuing to simmer coconut milk, add all remaining ingredients except for herbs and scallion greens.
Nest salmon filets on top of vegetables and cover.
Continue to simmer on medium to medium low heat for 4 to 6 minutes until vegetables are tender.
To serve, toss vegetables with green scallion, cilantro, and basil.
Divide vegetables onto 4 plates and top with poached salmon filets.
Garnish with a squeeze of lime and cilantro leaves.