| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 35 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Cook: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups cold water, for poaching the fish
- 2 lime leaves, torn into pieces
- 4 salmon fillets (approximately 1-inch thick), preferably organic, skinned (about 1 1/2 pounds in total)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
- 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves, plus more, for garnish
- 1 lime, zested and juiced plus lime segments, for garnish
- Fish sauce, to taste (recommended: nam pla)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- This is because the easiest way to poach salmon for this dish is to do it in the oven. So: pour the water into a roasting pan, add the lime leaves and then the salmon. Cover the pan with foil, put in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes, by which time the salmon should be tender. Remove the pan from the oven and drain the liquid off into a pitcher. Keep the fish warm simply by replacing the foil on the pan.
- Melt the butter in a wide, heavy saucepan that has a tight-fitting lid, and add the oil to stop the butter burning. Soften the onion in the pan and add the spices, then keep cooking till the onion is slightly translucent and suffused with soft perfume of the spices. Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon so that it’s all well coated. There’s not enough onion to give a heavy coating: just make sure the rice is fragrantly slicked.
- Pour in the reserved liquid from the pitcher, about 2 1/4 cups, and stir before covering with the lid and cooking gently for 15 minutes. If your stove is vociferous you may need a flame tamer.
- At the end of the cooking time, when the rice is tender and has lost all chalkiness, turn off the heat, remove the lid, cover the pan with a dish towel and then replace the lid. This will help absorb any extra moisture form the rice. It is also the best way to let the rice stand without getting sticky or cold, which is useful when you’ve got a few friends and a few dishes to keep your eye on.
- Just before you want to eat, drain off any extra liquid that’s collected in the dish with the salmon, then flake the fish with a fork. Add to it the rice, egg, cilantro, lime juice and a drop or 2 of fish sauce. Stir gently to mix – I use a couple of wooden paddles or spatulas – and taste to see if you want any more lime juice or fish sauce. Sprinkle over the zest from the 2 juiced halves of the lime and serve. I love it served just as it is in the roasting dish, but if you want to, and I often do (consistency is a requirement of a recipe but not of a cook), decant into large plate before you add the lime zest, then surround with lime segments and add the zest and a small handful of freshly chopped cilantro.
- This is one of those rare dishes that manages to be comforting and light at the same time. And – should you have leftovers, which I wouldn’t count on – it’s heavenly eaten, as all leftovers demand to be, standing up, straight from the fridge.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 765 |
| Total Fat | 44 g |
| Saturated Fat | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 28 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Protein | 59 g |
| Cholesterol | 235 mg |
| Sodium | 188 mg |
Reviews
Watched a rerun of your cooking show this morning and made this for dinner. I poached the fish over the stove, worked as well. Didn’t have cilantro but substituted with home grown chives and parsley. Added saffron to the poaching liquid before cooking with the rice. Absolutely delicious and so easy to prepare.
Added fresh chillies for extra kick!
Yum!
As I started making this I had some doubts between the simplicity of the ingredients and the high cost of fresh salmon. By the time I finished the first bite all those doubts were gone. This is a truly stunning dish that will hopefully be in the regular rotation (if it works half so well with a less expensive fish. I’m torn that it might need a little more pop (though I did forget to buy fish sauce but the every bite is still so close to perfect.
This recipe is a family favorite! I almost always use smoked salmon (not lox or cured salmon, but the cooked stuff… comes out perfect every time! The fish sauce, lime, and lime zest are key – I’ve tried it without them and it’s not quite the same.
I loved it. I incorporated it with a creole rice dish that has spinach, celery, bell pepper, scallion and parsley. Also chicken instead of salmon, so the poaching time was a lot longer. But the result was sublime. Such a great recipe, and such a wonderful idea, not something I would have ever come up with on my own. She’s the best!!
Absolutely divine! This is now and the only way I like to eat fresh salmon. A hint of India, Thailand and comfort in one easy to make dish. I indulge in extra spices, lots of lime zest in the poaching water and a liberal dash of fish sauce just makes the dish for me.
My husband and I have enjoyed this dish quite regularly at our dinner table, (and usually left over for breakfast). However, we recently made it for dinner guests, and we were robbed of our usual breakfast leftovers! They loved it as much as we do, and as such, we watched what could have been our leftovers depart in heaping spoonfuls onto their plates. Heartbreaking.
We use a med. curry with some heat, and substitute the lime leaves for zest. It works out perfectly for our taste.
We use a med. curry with some heat, and substitute the lime leaves for zest. It works out perfectly for our taste.
I followed the recipe almost to the letter (although I did not have lime leaves and substituted zest and the juice). In terms of the poaching of the fish and the cooking of the rice, it turned out perfectly. I also added some frozen peas at the end which my husband liked. I would add more curry and/or spices next time though. Was a bit bland for us although the flavors did blend nicely. I will make again and “kick it up a notch”.
I have prepared this dish several times now and it is wonderful. It is a go-to meal any time wild salmon is on sale at the grocery store. As stated in the recipe, the leftovers are the best cold the next day. I don’t like to give recipes a 5-star rating unless they are exceptional and this one fits the bill.
This was so delicious, we (us + 2 kids)ate the whole pot full! I couldn’t find the lime leaves, so I squeezed a lime into the poaching liquid and threw in the lime skin too. I found that the salmon took longer than stated to fully cook but I guess it depends on the thickness. I added some salt to the recipe too, so as not to have too much of the fish sauce (a little smelly).
I’ve never tasted anything like this. I wouldn’t call it breakfast but it makes a great lunch or dinner. Personally it reminds me more of Indian flavors. I used extra egg and tons of fresh lime juice, yummy! Nigella is my favorite!