Sesame Chili Salmon Pickled Cucumber & Coconut Sticky Rice
Salmon and cucumber- what a combination! It’s a traditional flavor profile that’s been around for years. Let’s add a new twist to tradition. Let’s pickle cucumber to give a slightly sharp taste that goes amazingly well with the salmon that’s been grilled with a little, fiery chili and aromatic ginger and paired with sticky rice and sugar snap peas. Now you have a delicious combination of texture, flavor, aroma and that delightful umami mouth feel.
We all work with a food budget. If you can buy wild caught Alaskan salmon, believe me, you’ll be able to tell the difference in taste and quality. For the Thai red chili, fresh ginger, sugar snap peas, rice wine, sesame oil, soy sauce, and spices, you can buy them at your local Asian market where they have better quality and are normally cheaper than your local store. Give this recipe a try. I’m sure you will love it. Any leftovers make for a take-to-work lunch the next day. Enjoy!
Sesame Chili Salmon Pickled Cucumber & Coconut Sticky Rice
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4x 4oz salmon fillets, skin and bones removed
1 tablespoon local clear honey
1 tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce
1 Thai red chili, seeds removed, minced
1inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
Pickled cucumber:
1/2 cucumber, sliced lengthways into ribbons
4 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of fine sugar
¼ cup of water
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
Coconut rice:
1 cup of coconut milk
1 cup of water, boiling
1 cup of premium white Japanese rice
To serve:
2 cups sugar snap peas, steamed
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon roasted peanuts
Preheat grill to medium
How to make:
For the pickle: Heat the vinegar, sugar and water in a small pan. When the sugar has dissolved, simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the cumin, coriander and mustard seeds, then pour the pickling liquid over the strips of cucumber. Cover with plastic and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours to infuse the flavors.
For the salmon: To make the marinade, combine the sesame oil, honey, soy, chili and ginger together in a bowl. Add the salmon fillets and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
For the sticky coconut rice: Place all the rice ingredients into a medium size saucepan and place over a high heat, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 10- to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
For the salmon: Place the salmon on a foil lined baking tray. Place under the grill and cook for 5 minutes, turn the salmon over and baste with more of the marinade. Cook for a further 5 minutes or until cooked all the way through.
To serve, spoon the rice and sugar snap peas onto 4 plates. Top with the salmon and dress with the pickled cucumber. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and chopped peanuts, and serve immediately.