Thai Salmon Curry is simple enough to make in less than half an hour and delivers restaurant quality flavors.

Thai Salmon Curry

by Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime

I have been making curries for some years now since my family really enjoys Thai food. And as exotic as it tastes, it really is quite simple to make at home.

It is pretty simple to make if you buy your curry paste, although that can be made from scratch as well if you have all the ingredients available in your area. But most stores now carry a full line of curry pastes in bottles in the grocer aisle where the packaged Asian food is shelved, such as soy sauce.

I like to use Thai basil in mine, which has a bit of a peppery character compared to sweet basil, but the regular type is fine. I know if you don’t grown your own (which is difficult during cooler months anyway) that Thai basil can be near impossible to find unless you grocer has an expansive international produce section. And even for the sweet basil, it is common to find that ordinary grocers are totally out, or what they have is less than fresh. That being said, one might wonder if dried basil is a viable option to substitute. And while dried basil can be fine for things such as spicing tomato sauces and soups, part of its almost mint-like character is lost in the drying process. So don’t. It doesn’t work. But, occasionally you might see tubes of basil paste available in the produce section now. And while it is paste, and won’t have that leafy character, the flavor is okay, if you want to add a little bit to the sauce. Just be aware that it goes a long way and discolors the sauce as well.

Using fish in a curry really has its benefits. It is one of the easiest ways to prepare fish. Just place the fillets in the sauce and let them steam in the sauce for 7-10 minutes, and you’re set. Time was, I was remove the skin from the fish and cut it into little bites, but at some point I realized that was just a ridiculous waste of time. Not too many people like fish skin, but the fact is, when salmon cooks, the fish skin actually adds good flavor to the sauce, and like a miracle, the skin stays on the plate when you fork the fish away from it, as it separates easily.

I like to serve this curry with jasmine rice which I make in an electric steamer in about 20 minutes or less. The steamers do a great job and the rice is much less sticky that way and cooks perfectly. Just fill it, push the button and go. No more worries. The type of rice I use for almost all Asian foods is jasmine, with the exception of basmati rice which I demand for Indian and Middle Eastern foods and many other dishes. It is pretty much the gold standard for long grain rice, but the jasmine rice is exceptional, and has hints of flowery notes in the flavor (as opposed to the nuttiness of basmati). Of course, you can’t use these for all things, as other sizes of rice have their own uses since the textures can be much different (short grain sushi rice, for example, or Arborio rice for risotto).

The green beans for this I steam, because I like them bright and crisp and with a little crunch left in them. You can make them however you like, including oven roasted, or cooked in a pan. Canned and frozen green beans probably won’t be as satisfying so just use fresh. I figure on one small handful that I can grasp between my thumb and index finger per person when grabbing them at the store or farm market. (MMMmmmm….delicious farm markets! I can’t wait for it to warm up!)

The chiles I use are Thai birds or Thai dragons, but you can use a common variety of India hot if you can find them.  The ones I use clock in at around 500k scovilles which is hotter than a jalapeno but not as hot as a habanero. It’s just to add some bite, so use what you prefer, red ones if you can (they are sweeter). And be careful with peppers you are unfamiliar with.

I hope you enjoy!

~Sue

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