Poached Salmon made exotic with a simple, amazing Coconut Lime Sauce!! Tastes like a Thai coconut curry sauce – but it’s quick and easy. The trick is to caramelise garlic, ginger and lemongrass with a smidge of sugar before adding the coconut milk. It’s incredible what a difference it makes!
Poached Salmon
Poached fish has a bad reputation. The mere mention of it conjures up visions of pale, overcooked, flavourless fish swimming in murky water.
It’s time for a makeover.
Enter – THIS Poached Salmon swimming in an outrageously tasty caramelised Coconut Lime Sauce with lemongrass, ginger and chilli. Poached fish never tasted so good!! 😂
This poached salmon is lightly seared on the outside first then we finish cooking it by poaching in a simple Thai coconut curry sauce.
How to poach salmon
The “normal” way to poach salmon involves bringing a pot of water to the boil with some basic aromatics like lemon and sprigs of herbs, then the salmon is gently simmered until it’s cooked.
This isn’t my favourite way to cook salmon. I miss the flavour you get from searing.
So my method of making poached salmon involves lightly searing first THEN poaching in the same skillet.
Coconut Curry Sauce – real easy!
Looks like Thai Red Curry, tastes like Thai Red Curry…..
Sure, it doesn’t have quite the same depth of flavour – but it requires a fraction of the time and ingredients. I think even those with sophisticated South East Asian palettes will still be mighty impressed with the flavour of we manage to get in this so quickly and with so few ingredients!
Here’s what goes in the coconut curry sauce – and it’s all things you can pick up at supermarkets.
The one thing that some supermarkets may not carry is Chilli Garlic Sauce which, as the name suggests, is a spicy garlicky paste. But don’t worry if you can’t find it – just sub with any chilli paste, even if it’s not Asian (eg Franks), OR use a chilli sauce like Sriracha.
Caramelisation makes all the difference!
If you’re looking at the ingredients suspiciously, thinking surely she’s exaggerating, how on earth can so few ingredients make a coconut curry sauce that tastes like Thai Red Curry? I don’t blame you. I’ll be honest – I’ve tried a few simple Coconut sauces before and been disappointed.
So here are the 2 key things in this recipe that add depth of flavour into this otherwise simple sauce:
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Sear the salmon first. Just lightly – to add colour and flavour to the salmon as well as leaving behind tasty brown bits in the skillet (it’s called fond!) that adds flavour into the sauce. This is a cooking fundamental – never waste those precious golden bits from searing things!
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Caramelise the aromatics (garlic, ginger, lemongrass) with a touch of sugar. It’s amazing how much more flavour that adds to an otherwise simple sauce!
What to serve with poached salmon
There’s enough sauce to serve this over jasmine rice or any rice you prefer, or with noodles (pictured). I’ve used vermicelli noodles here because they’re quick to prepare – just soak in boiling water for a few minutes,
Add a side of steamed Asian greens and voila! A healthy, Omega 3 rich dinner on the table in 20 minutes!!! – Nagi x
PS If you’re wondering if salmon is good for you, the answer is yes, we should all eat more of it! It’s rich in protein and Omega 3 fatty acids which do all sorts of good things for you – brain, joints and heart. So don’t shy away from salmon because you think it’s too fatty or too high in calories – it’s good fat.
MORE QUICK & EASY SALMON RECIPES
-
Christmas Baked Salmon: Easy & Make-ahead – Dead-easy, eye-catching centrepiece!
-
Sesame Crusted Salmon (that crust!)
-
Honey Garlic Salmon (super quick)
-
Salmon Cakes (they’re baked!)
And if you love coconut milk sauces, you’ll love these!
-
An amazing easy Thai Coconut Noodle Soup
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Poached Salmon in Coconut Lime Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets , 180g/6oz each preferably skinless (Note 1)
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp oil , separated
- 2 garlic cloves , finely grated
- 2 tsp ginger , finely grated
- 1 lemongrass , peeled, finely grated (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp chilli garlic paste or other chilli paste, adjust to taste (Note 3)
- 400 g/14oz coconut milk (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
- 2 tsp lime zest (1 lime)
- Lime juice , to taste
Garnish/serving:
- Fresh coriander/cilantro leaves , finely chopped (recommended)
- Finely sliced large red chillies (optional)
- Vermicelli noodles OR , soaked per packet, or rice
- Steamed jasmine rice
- Steamed Asian greens
Instructions
- Sprinkle both sides of salmon with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non stick pan or well seasoned skillet over medium high heat. Add salmon, skin side up, and sear for just 1 1/2 minutes until golden. Turn salmon and cook the other side just for 1 minute, then remove onto a plate (should still be raw inside).
- Turn heat down to medium low and allow skillet to cool.
- Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil. Add garlic, ginger and lemongrass. Cook until garlic is light golden ~ 1 minute.
- Add sugar and cook for 20 seconds until it becomes a caramel (see video). Then stir in chilli paste.
- Add coconut milk and stir, scraping the bottom of the skillet to dissolve any bits stuck on the base into the sauce.
- Stir in fish sauce, increase heat to medium. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Place salmon into the sauce, lower heat and simmer gently for 4 minutes, or until just cooked.
- Remove salmon, stir in lime zest and juice to taste. Adjust salt to taste with fish sauce.
- Serve salmon over noodles or rice. Spoon over sauce, garnish with coriander and chili if using.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
That time he got my sneakers wet so I took them off and made him carry them back to the car.
Hi Nagi, I love this with the salmon – but I’m also cooking this with a few non-fish eaters. Interested if I should do it in two batches – one Salmon, the other Chicken OR do I make extra sauce – and at the end, add your poached chicken recipe https://www.recipetineats.com/poached-chicken/ pieces into just the sauce component? Interested in your thoughts. ( or any one else’s) Cheers
Hello!! Hoping to make this recipe later this week. Just wondering, could I prepare the sauce ahead of time? Then on the day, simply cook the salmon in the already made sauce? TIA! Karsha
10/10, so easy to make and so delicious!
We love this recipe. I have made it numerous times. Thinking I will try it chicken one day too
This was amazing! Having the leftover sauce with prawns tonight. Yum!
Fantastic recipe – sooo delicious!
Amazing dish – so delicious!
This is sooo yum! It is going on high rotation now
This dish is amazing – we had it last night with Nagi’s coconut rice and cucumber salad…there was silence as we ate as it was just that good! I was wondering, could the dish be adapted to use meat or chicken? (Obviously not poached though). We have friends coming for dinner and they don’t eat seafood but the sauce is that good I feel they need to experience it!
In the notes it’s says you can sub with prawns or chicken.
Can the sauce be made ahead of time?
This was delicious! I was surprised at how much salmon the recipe asked for, but in the end, it was so good that we gobbled it all up. The sauce was first-class. Even my brother, who has an aversion to sauce, was scraping the pan.
One thing to note though is that grating the lemongrass and ginger takes ages. Took me about 20 mins, but it could just be me that’s slow!
This is a favourite recipe for many reasons: absolutely delicious, quick and easy and looks spectacular on the plate. For 2 people, we use a 165 ml tin of coconut milk to reduce the fat and it still tastes great. It is also an easy meal to cook on a 3 burner stove when camping: 1) salmon; 2) rice or noodles 3) steamed veggies. Yum.
Thanks Nagi,
Absolutely delicious. Added more lime juice because we like tangy. Just looking at the ingredients I knew that I’d like it, but I wasn’t prepared by how much my husband liked it as well. Thank you, Nagi. You’re amazing. I’ve tried other recipes as well and my family and I have enjoyed them all.
Wow! Made this tonight. It was soooo easy and tasted fantastic. I added jalapeños for a little spice. Will definitely make this again.
Hi I’m making this recipe for 8 & the ingredient for lime zest says 4 tsp (1 lime), I’ve zested 3 normal size limes & still only got just about 2 tsp, so not sure what to do?
I’ve made this 3 times now and am about to make it again tonight. The flavours are unbelievable, a new favourite for me. I accidentally doubled the garlic, lemongrass, ginger and lime (2 salmon fillets only) and it’s honestly perfect like that 🙂
I’ve tried several dishes very similar to this and always found them lacking something. This was so flavorful! I like a lot of Thai chili and extra fish sauce and lots of lime, and I used 1/2 tsp red curry paste and 1/2 tsp sriracha, but I think this would have been delicious as written too. Will absolutely make again.
Omg!! I’ve never had anything like this before. Simple, delish, follow the recipe to the T and you will not be disappointed!
Have made this twice now and it’s a winner. Husband loved it as did I. Cooked it last night because his friend was coming he loved it too and said it was restaurant quality. Absolutely delicious.
Hi Nagi! I am translating MKR and I’m thrilled that you have been inspired by the last season recipes. Good work, as always! Still your biggest fan! 🙂