Recipe Review | Coconut-Curry Salmon + Snow Peas

According to my family, this dinner was a "home run."  The salmon was tender and flavorful, the sauce had just enough of a spicy kick, and the snow peas added a delicious crunch to the dish. We all agreed that the fresh cilantro really added the final touch--so don't think about skipping that part. I served my salmon over coconut rice. Though, now that I've had the sauce, I might skip the coconut in the rice next time and just have jasmine rice. If you're interested in making coconut rice, simply substitute a can of light coconut milk for an equal portion of the water you would otherwise use when cooking your rice--it's that simple. 

Coconut-Curry Salmon + Snow Peas 

(via Cooking Light, October 2014)

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What you need (Salmon):

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons red curry paste

1 (15 ounce) can light coconut milk

4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets, skinned (about 1 inch thick)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

About 2-3 cups of cooked basmati or jasmine rice (You can get this going on the stovetop when you begin to prepare the fish.)

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What you need (Snow Peas):

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

12 ounces snow peas, trimmed

1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted (toast these in advance)

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What to do:

1. Start your rice.
2. Place brown sugar, lime juice, red curry paste, and coconut milk in a large skillet (use a skillet that has a lid), stirring to combine. Add fish to pan; bring to a simmer over medium-hith heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 9 minutes or until desired degree of doneness, turning once after 5 minutes. (My fish kind of fell apart a little when I tried turning it over. Don't worry if yours does too--it will still taste great!) Place fish on a plate; sprinkle with salt. 
   
3. Bring remaining sauce to a boil in skillet; boil vigorously 6 minutes or until reduced to about half.
4. While your sauce is reducing, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add snow peas; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in rice vinegar and sesame seeds.
5. Serve fish over the rice with snow peas on the side. Drizzle sauce over the fish; garnish with cilantro.