Sensational salmon

I went through a salmon phase sometime in my life but I think the love was too intense and now I tend to ignore the fish if I see it in the supermarket freezers. But a new curried recipe has restored my faith in this oily, so-good for you fish. The coconut milk in tandem with red Thai curry sauce packs a punch that stands up well to the assertiveness of salmon flesh.

Serve with a simple couscous salad (recipe below).

Baked salmon with Thai curry sauce

You'll need four skinless salmon fillets, each about 2 x 3 inch. Combine a cup of coconut milk, 2 healthy teaspoons of prepared Thai curry paste (I used the Thai Kitchen brand), some Thai fish sauce and a pinch of brown sugar, to taste. Sliced chillies are optional. I washed my fillets and squeezed a bit of lemon juice over them and set them aside in the fridge for 10 minutes. I like to do this to get rid of any overly strong fish smells. Then take any flat baking pan that will accomodate the fillets without crowding. Line with aluminium foil for easy cleanups afterwards. Grease the pan with 2 spoonfuls olive oil. Now, dredge the fillets in the curry marinade/sauce and lay them on the pan. Spoon the rest of the marinade over the fillets. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 15-20 minutes or until you see the oil in the coconut milk separating. Serve fillets, spooning some of the scrumptious sauce over each.

Easy couscous salad



Prepare about half a cup of finely chopped onion and a half cup (or more if you like) of green bell pepper. You can also substitute red pepper, or use both colours. Chop a couple of ripe red tomatoes (I had none to hand and canned plum tomatoes were my substitute).

Now prepare the couscous by pouring a cup of instant couscous into a largish serving bowl. Add a cup and a half of boiling water (my usual proportion of couscous to water is 1 to 1 1/2) and cover with an inverted plate for 5 minutes. Lift cover and fluff up the couscous with a fork. Season with salt and lemon juice. Add chopped vegetables. Season further if necessary.