Salmon with Coconut and Miso

Salmon with Coconut and Miso recipe

Salmon is a contentious item in our house. Everytime I suggest we have a salmon based supper I get a muted response from all concerned. The only time fish gets an enthusiastic response if it’s in a pie or if breaded and fried. When I spotted this recipe on the New York Times website I thought I’d chance my hand by dishing up Salmon with Coconut and Miso and I’m bloody glad I did.

This recipe was originally billed as a curry, however, I feared the lack of spices would confuse matters. It’s more of a broth based supper with the fish being cooked in a fragrant mixture of onions, garlic and ginger with miso paste and coconut milk. Spinach gets stirred through at the end along with handfuls of fresh coriander and garlic for a spring-like hit of greenery. I was a bit jury’s-out on miso having only really had it as a soup when on a diet or in my Spicy Miso pasta. In this dish it adds a huge savoury hit which goes so well with the fish. Don’t feel you have to use salmon; I mixed in a bit of cod in mine to bulk it out and any firm fish or prawns would also be brilliant.

According to a comment on the NYT website a curry doesn’t have to be spicy it really refers to the aromatic sauce served with rice or breads. So you can call this a curry if you like. I’ll just call it supper and a successful one at that because everyone ate it without a single complaint.

Ooh what a lovely fresh line up for this recipe. You can add as little or as much spinach as you like if you’re alarmed by the size of this bag. I only used a handful, safe in the knowledge I would only have to pick it out of Georges serving later. I had white miso in my fridge to use up; this is available at most supermarkets, however, I imagine most Miso pastes would work well.

This is a super speedy dish so get your rice on to cook first. You can always leave it covered in a tea towel while you finish your dish. Next, take a high sided pan and heat two tablespoons of oil over a medium flame. Add the finely sliced onion, garlic and ginger. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until just softening. Measure in the miso paste and cook for 2 more minutes until it’s caramelised slightly and smells fragrant.

Pour in the coconut milk, stirring well to scrape up all the lovely flavour from the bottom of the pan. Then refill the tin with 400ml water and stir that in too.

Bring the whole flavoursome pot up to the boil then turn down and simmer for a couple of minutes to reduce slightly.

Cut your salmon, or chosen fish, into 2 inch cubes then drop into the simmering broth and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Check the fish is cooked then turn off the heat. Squeeze in the lime juice, stir, then add as little or as much spinach as your family will tolerate and stir to wilt into the sauce.

Have a lovely big mouthful of the sauce to check for any additional seasoning or a touch more lime juice. Serve piping hot over rice with generous handfuls of freshly chopped basil and coriander and lime wedges if you like. And a spoon, so you can eat this really quickly; it’s that delicious, you really don’t want to waste any time.

This is such a comforting dish. Not in a big bowl of mashed potato way, more of a soothing, light, spring-like way. I’m rambling now, so I’ll just let you get on with making this recipe.

Lucy x

Salmon with Coconut and Miso recipe

Serves 4, generously

You will just need a large high sided pan for this

2 tablespoons oil, I used flavoured Wok oil

1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, sliced

2 tablespoons crushed ginger, fresh or from a jar

Salt and pepper

60ml white miso paste, although I’m sure regular miso paste would also be fine

1 x 400ml tin coconut milk

400ml water

750g salmon, or any firm-ish white fish or a mixture of both, cut into 2 inch-ish cubes

Juice of half a lime

A couple of handfuls fresh spinach, add as much or as little as you like

Generous amounts of chopped fresh basil and coriander and lime wedges to serve

Rice to accompany this

Put your rice onto cook, this is a quick recipe. Drain and keep warm.

Take a large high sided pan and heat the two tablespoons of oil over a medium heat. Add the sliced onion, garlic and ginger, season well with salt and pepper then cook for about 3 minutes until everything is just softening. Add the miso paste, turn down the heat, and cook for a couple of minutes, to caramelise the paste.

Pour in the coconut milk, stirring well to get all the caramelised miso from the bottom of the pan then refill the can with 400ml of water and add to the pan. Stir again then bring up to the boil, turn down then simmer for a couple of minutes to reduce the broth.

Gently stir in the cubed fish and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until it’s just cooked through. Turn off the heat and add the lime juice and spinach, stirring gently to wilt. Taste to check for any additional seasoning or lime juice.

Serve in bowls over rice with generous handfuls of chopped basil and coriander.