Roasting salmon in a cool oven for a long time may sound counter intuitive, but slow roasted salmon yields a moist fillet that looks almost raw, yet it has a melty tender texture that’s full of flavour. Short of vacuum sealing and cooking in a thermal circulator, I can’t think of a better way to prepare salmon. You get all the tenderness of poaching without diluting its natural flavors in water.
If that’s not enough to convince you, slow roasting salmon is simple. I usually just coat the salmon in a dry brine and throw it in a cool oven for 30 minutes. Because salmon tends to have a distinct taste that I’m not particularly fond of, I like to pair it with strong flavours. This time, I made a deconstructed Thai green curry giving the heat, salt and sweet components to the tender slow roasted salmon and the creamy coconut, fried garlic and kaffir lime flavours to the creamed spinach below.
The inspiration for this one came on a plane somewhere over Georgia. I was flipping through channels on a flight to Miami, when I came across a National Geographic special documenting the journey of sockeye salmon back to their place of birth. After battling their way up river, and past a hungry clan of marauding bears, the females started shooting out eggs like a Gatling gun. Meanwhile the males swam around vibrating and making the “o” face while fertilizing the eggs. It was striking…
I’d imagine that most people might have been grossed out or even offended by the wanton aquatic fornication. A smaller minority may have been mildly curious from a purely clinical point of view. But I’m not right in the head, and I found myself captivated by the imagery on the seatback LCD. All I could think about was how good all those eggs would taste slathered all over some hot rice and how those red fleshed wonders would melt in my mouth after being slow roasted in my oven.
Ingredients
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1
pound
sockeye salmon
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1
tablespoon
brown sugar
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2
teaspoons
Thai green curry paste
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2
teaspoons
vegetable oil
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10
ounces
spinach (trimmed and thoroughly cleaned)
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2
cloves
garlic (minced)
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5
kaffir lime leaves (sliced into fine chiffonade)
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1
can
coconut milk (just the cream off the top)
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1
teaspoon
brown sugar
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1/2
teaspoon
kosher salt (less if you use regular salt)
Steps
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Put the oven rack in the middle position and preheat to 200 degrees F. Using tweezers, remove any pin bones from the salmon. Slice the salmon into 2-3 even pieces.
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Mash the brown sugar, green curry paste and oil until smooth and spread all over the salmon. Place the fillets onto a baking sheet and put them in the oven. Bake until the thickest part registers 125 F on an instant read thermometer, about 20-30 minutes.
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For the spinach, blanch in boiling water until just wilted then drain, rinse under cold water and wring out any excess liquid with your hands. Roughly chop the spinach.
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Heat a saucepan over medium heat, add a splash of oil then fry the garlic until it turns brown. Add the kaffir lime leaves and fry for a few seconds.
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Provided the can hasn't been disturbed, there should be a thick layer of coconut cream on the top. Carefully open the can and skim the thick white cream off the top and add it to the pan, you should get about half a can of cream. Add the brown sugar and salt and stir to combine. Add the spinach into the pan to reheat.
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To serve, spread a layer of creamed spinach down then top with a piece of slow roasted salmon.
The Chicago Prophet says
What the best (closest?) substitute I can use if kaffir leaves are not available? Thanks.
Marc Matsumoto says
Kaffir lime leaves are one of those things with a very distinct flavor that is hard to substitute. That said, you could just go for a totally different flavor and use something like cilantro or basil.
Thao Barrett says
Made this last night and it was delicious. I only had red curry powder so I made my own paste using the coconut water left in the can after I scooped the cream off the top. Also didn’t have access to kaffir leaves so I used lime zest instead. I’m sure it’s a totally different flavor, but was still good nonetheless. One thing I would say is that I thought it could use a crispy texture to tie it all together. Could you suggest something? Could the salmon be pan-seared before going in the oven to add a crispy exterior?
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad to hear you liked it! Adding a crispy texture is a great idea! Unfortunately pan-searing (until the skin crisps) before will not only ruin the texture, it would lose it’s crispness as it roasts anyway (because its at such a low temp). I thought about this a bit and think that adding deep fried shallots on top would not only taste awesome (and provide crispness), it fits in with the Thai theme. To deep fry shallots, just peel them, slice them in rings thinly, then put them in a wire strainer and toss with potato starch. Fry them until golden brown, then drain on paper towels. Lightly salt, and you can use them on the salmon when you plate it, or on salads, rice, etc. They’re also pretty addictive on their own (like mini onion rings).
Amy says
I am cooking this for somebody, do you think that if I use yellow curry it will make an obvious difference in flavor? I am just asking because my friend I am making it for does not like spicy food.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Amy, by yellow curry, do you mean yellow curry paste? The reason I ask is because yellow curry paste and yellow curry powder are not the same thing. Yellow curry paste will work, curry powder will not.