Kitchen Improv

Salmon With Curry Lime Sauce

The other day I was craving spicy curry in coconut milk. Instead of making my usual green Thai curry with chicken and vegetables, I made a curry lime sauce and served it over grilled salmon. This was unusually good considering it was such a quick-fix meal. Served with steamed green beans and coconut-ginger jasmine rice, this certainly hit the spot for a healthy, weeknight meal.

If you like very spicy curry, increase the curry to two tablespoons. This is the amount I used and while it’s very flavorful, it is not for the spicy-adverse.

The coconut milk should be unsweetened and also regular coconut milk — not coconut water, powdered varieties, or the light version. The texture of the sauce just won’t be right with anything but the real deal.

Ingredients
1 large wild salmon filet, about 1lb. Sockeye works great for this.
1 tbsp green curry paste (Mae Ploy is my favorite)
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 can coconut milk (usually 14oz)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
2-3 paper-thin slices of red onion

Method
Heat the curry paste over medium-low heat in a two-quart sauce pan for about 30 seconds. Add the lime juice. Stir to combine and then add the broth. Again, stir to combine and heat until it simmers. Next add the coconut milk and salt. Simmer until the sauce is reduced by half. This takes about 30 minutes.

While the sauce is reducing, grill the salmon over a medium flame. You can season with salt and pepper, but I find the sauce is enough flavor for me. Cook until the fish is just done and slightly flaky. Remove from grill and cut the fillet into single-serving pieces, about 3-4 oz each.

When the sauce has reduced and the salmon is just done, turn off the heat and add the cilantro. Mix to incorporate then spoon the sauce over the salmon. About 2-3 tablespoons per person is a good amount. Garnish with a few paper-thin slices of fresh red onion. Serve imediately.

Serves 3-4 people.