A simple baked salmon recipe with some Thai kick for your taste buds!
True, wild Pacific salmon may not be native to Thailand but wow— do they go together.
The combination of Thai red curry paste, golden honey and baked salmon from the wild Pacific makes for a dish that’s surprising, distinctive and, as we’ve discovered, a little addictive. Perfect for a romantic evening or dinner with friends.
This recipe for two was passed on to us by our friend Chef Gavin Craig, formerly of Bishop’s Restaurant in Vancouver, BC. (For any Vancouverites in the audience, you can check out what Gavin is currently up to here.)
Our friend Brian the sommelier has also passed on some lovely suggestions for Salmon Safe wine pairings for this dish at the bottom of the page. Enjoy!
Time to Prepare: About 25 minutes
Ingredients
2 Tbsp Honey
1-2 Tbsp Red Thai Curry Paste
For the sauce:
¼ cup Plain Yogurt
¼ cup Sour Cream
1 tsp Lemon juice
2 Tbsp Fresh Mint (chopped)
1 cup of cubed orange and yellow pepper
For the stir-fry:
½ cup of small shiitake mushrooms (whole)
2 shallots, peeled and quartered
½ cup of green beans, halved
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
½ lime Cashews
Preparation
WARNING: Some Thai curry paste is very hot so, as the saying goes, taste before you baste.In a small bowl, mix the honey and Thai curry paste. Lightly oil the fillets and then brush on a light coating of the curry mixture.
Place fillets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and set aside while you prepare the vegetables and sauce. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Whisk the yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice and fresh mint together in a small bowl. Set aside. (I know, it’s a lot of setting aside, but we’re almost there.)Chop the vegetables into bite-sized pieces and mince the garlic. This medley of vegetables looks its best if you can get very small shiitake mushrooms and leave them whole. Put about a tablespoonful of oil in a large frying pan and set aside.
Pop the salmon in the oven for 10-14 minutes, depending on size. (When white dots start to appear on the surface, it’s done.)
Begin your stir-fry at about the 5-minute mark. Add the garlic to the stir-fry just as the vegetables turn tender-crisp, so it won’t brown and turn bitter. Finish the vegetables with a squeeze of lime and salt and pepper to taste.
When the salmon is done, slip a spatula between the skin and the flesh—that way, the skin stays behind on the parchment. Place it on the dinner plate and pour an artistic dollop of sauce over one side of the fillet. You can garnish with cashews and a sprig of mint. Arrange the vegetables around the salmon and serve!
Diet tags: Reduced fat, High protein
Number of servings (yield): 2
Salmon Safe wine recommendations from Brian the Sommelier:
A nice white with these curry flavors, says Brian, is the Eroica Riesling from Washington State’s Chateau Ste. Michelle. “This wine is a little off-dry but with lovely minerality and fruit and a great food wine, spicy or otherwise.”
You can also try a light red, such as a Four Graces Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. “Great fruit but with some spice, which should compliment the myriad of ingredients in this dish.”
Both of these wines are certified by Salmon Safe, which means they protect the habitat and watersheds of wild salmon. And that’s what we love to hear.
