GREEN CURRY BRAISED SALMON
It is not just the green curry paste that adds flavor to the salmon; so do the fish sauce and coconut milk.
4 salmon fillets, about 6 ounces each, skin and pin bones removed
1 (13½-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
¼ cup Thai green curry paste
1 tablespoon firmly packed golden brown sugar 1 cup water
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
2 cups snow peas, stem ends trimmed and strings removed
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3 green onions, including green tops, thinly sliced
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Remove salmon from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature.
Open can of coconut milk without first shaking it. Spoon out the thick cream that has separated and risen to the top. Set cream aside in a small bowl. Pour out remaining thin coconut milk and reserve it separately.
In large saute pan, warm coconut cream over mediumlow heat. Add curry paste and whisk until mixture is smooth and comes to a simmer. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Add thin coconut milk, water and fish sauce and bring to a simmer, stirring once or twice.
Add salmon fillets in a single layer, turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Flip salmon, re-cover and cook for 2 minutes longer. Scatter snow peas around salmon, submerging them in the liquid, re-cover pan, and cook until snow peas are bright-green and salmon is cooked through, about 2 minutes longer. Remove pan from heat.
Transfer salmon to warmed dinner plates or shallow pasta bowls. Stir lime juice, green onions and cilantro into curry sauce. Spoon curry sauce and snow peas around the fillets, dividing the sauce and peas evenly. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.