COCONUT MILK SALMON WITH MANGOES

Prep time: 40 minutes

Active prep time: 20 minutes

Special equipment needed: None

Special skills needed: None

Serves 4

This simple dish is quick to put together, pretty on the plate, and packed with omega-3’s and vitamin C.  It can be made with any type of salmon, but I prefer wild coho salmon.  My second choice would be wild sockeye salmon.  The fruity flavor of the mangoes and the sweetness of the coconut milk both compliment the natural flavors of the salmon.   The gentle cooking method avoids producing some of the strong flavors that are present in some salmon, making it appealing even for people who are not big fans of salmon.  This dish also works for rainbow trout, lake trout, or arctic char.

INGREDIENTS:

15 oz can coconut milk

¼ cup sweet chili sauce

12 thai basil leaves

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless, salmon fillets

2 small yellow mangoes

Soy sauce to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a medium bowl, mix coconut milk, sweet chili sauce, thai basil, fish sauce, and rice wine vinegar. 

The salmon on the left is a farm raised king salmon.  The one on the right is a wild caught sockeye salmon.  Note the color difference.  The sockeye will be more flavorful and the king will be more mild.

I like to make sure my fish is completely boneless.  With many pin bones, salmon can be challenging.  Needle nose pliers usually work well.

Place salmon in the bottom of a glass baking dish.  Depending on the thickness of the fish, you may need a square 8x8 dish or a 9x13.  Pour about ½ of the liquid mixture over the fish.  It should coat the top of the fish and be about ½” deep on the bottom of the pan.  If the fish is more than halfway submerged, you have too much liquid.  Retain the remaining liquid. 

Top the fish with all of the mangoes.  Bake for 20 minutes.  You can vary the time to suit your taste for how done you want your salmon.  At 20 minutes, it should be just cooked through unless your fillet is very thick. 

Bring the remaining liquid to a boil and season to taste with soy sauce.  Serve the fish and mangoes on top of a healthy scoop of jasmine rice.  Spoon some of the pan juices and some of the reserved liquid over the rice.