Tag: smoked salmon in coconut milk sauce

Smokey, spicy, aromatic, and easy to make. Inspired by a native dish of an area in East Java, I recently added smoked salmon in spicy coconut milk sauce into my list of favorite menu. The idea is simple: add sauce (and flavors) to an otherwise dry fish. As for the sauce, all it takes: mix coconut milk with garlic, shallots, and chili peppers and bring it to a boil. Then add galangal root  for some lemony aroma. That’s it. (The original recipe involves serving a type of smoked fish that is not available in the States. So I substitute it with smoked salmon.)

Here’s my easy recipe:

We’ll need:

• 2 fillets of smoked salmon
• 3 garlic
• 3 shallots
• 5 Thai peppers (or other type of chili peppers that you prefer)
• Salt
• 7 fl oz of light coconut milk (1/2 can of the regular 14 fl oz—Use the rest of the milk for Braised Collard Greens, next blog post)
• 1 inch cut of galangal root, smashed (No galangal root? Substitute with zest from one lemon or lime)
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable/canola oil

Steps:

• Chop garlic, shallots, and Thai peppers in a food processor
• Heat up a medium size pan over medium heat and add oil
• Sweat garlic, shallots, and peppers for about one to two minutes
• Add coconut milk, salt, and galangal root to the pan. Stir until it starts to bubble.
• Add the fish fillets and coat with the sauce. Since the fish is already smoked/cooked, I just need to mix it with the sauce. I let it sit in the bubbling sauce for two or three minutes.
• Discard galangal root
• Serve with hot jasmine rice and braised collard greens

Thanks for reading and have a great week!