Restaurant vibes at home. Super simple, quick and luxe
Salmon is incredibly nutritious, containing:
Essential omega 3 fatty acids - these are called ‘essential’ because you must obtain them via your diet as your body can’t produce them.
Protein - 100g of salmon contains around 22-25g protein.
B vitamins - involved in many vital chemical reactions in your body - including the breakdown of food in to energy, the creation of DNA and red blood cells and the maintenance of mucous membranes (e.g skin, eyes and the nervous system)
and a whole variety of other micronutrients which keep you healthy
As well as being nutritious, salmon is also delicious!
Poaching the salmon in a wonderfully creamy and flavoursome coconut sauce, means that the fish stays moist (mmmm what a word), and gets infused with coconut-ty goodness.
I usually serve dishes like these with rice but this time I opted for vermicelli noodles and it gave the dish a great Asian vibe!
I wouldn’t be a dietitian if I didn’t tell you to serve with greens (aim for around half your plate). I chose pak choy but the choice is yours. Broccoli, snow peas, or even asparagus would be fabulous!
I hope you love this salmon dish as much as I did.
If you make it, be sure to tag me @kaitlinellis_dietitian. I’d love to see your creations!
[ Serves 4 ] [30 mins from start to finish]
Ingredients
4 small or 2 large salmon fillets
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves - minced
3 cm of ginger - grated
1 tbsp of lemongrass paste
1 tbsp of brown sugar
1 tsp chilli sauce (e.g. sriracha sauce)
1 can (400g) of coconut milk - you can use light varieties but the sauce won’t thicken as much
1 tbsp of fish sauce
Zest of 1 lime
Lime juice - to taste
1 chilli - sliced (to serve)
Your choice of greens - steamed (to serve)
100g uncooked vermicelli rice noodles - cooked as per packet instructions
Method
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a non-stick over a medium-high heat. Add the salmon fillets, skin side up. Sear for 1.5 minutes and then turn. Sear for a further 1 minute. Remove from the pan and set aside. At this point the salmon will still be raw on the inside - this is fine!
Turn the heat down to medium-low and heat the another 1 tbsp of oil. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for around 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and stir constantly for around 30 seconds to caramelise.
Add the coconut milk, chilli sauce, fish sauce and lemongrass paste to the pan and mix to combine (make sure you scrape the caramelised bits off the base of the pan). Increase the heat to a simmer for 2 minutes.
Put the salmon back in the pan with the sauce and simmer gently for around 5 minutes or until the salmon is just cooked through.
While the salmon is cooking, cook your greens and noodles.
Remove the salmon from the pan and stir the lime zest and juice in to the sauce.
Place the noodles and greens on to your plate, top with a salmon fillet and spoon over some of the coconut sauce. Garnish with sliced fresh chilli.
ENJOY!