Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Coconut Salmon ~ Mmm, Mmm, good!


I had an urge to make pudding last night. What to use? A bit of brown rice in the cupboard and part of a huge can of coconut milk! That’ll do the trick. But, what to do with the leftover coconut milk?

Salmon thawing in the frig for supper and why wouldn’t coconut milk fit the bill? Think tropics -- hand-caught fish and coconuts falling off tall trees. Well, enough of that talk. After all I’m in the middle of New York State. The nearest coconut tree I know of is at the Smithsonian Mall -- in the Conservatory of the U.S. Botanic Gardens -- in Washington DC, five hours to the south.

A basic pan-seared salmon fillet is my favorite. A couple of tablespoons of flour, salt & pepper. Warm the pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil and one of butter. Dredge the salmon fillet in the flour mixture and shake off the excess.

As soon as the bottom is browned and the fish looks cooked just 1/8-1/4 inch up, turn the fish with tongs. Cook for another 3-5 minutes then start spooning on coconut milk. The milk will sizzle away when it drizzles down onto the pan. Keep spooning for a minute or two.

Turn off the heat under the pan and place the fillet on a plate. Cover the fish with a “tent” of aluminum foil tucked tightly around the edges of the plate.





Stir a few more spoonfuls of coconut milk into the pan.

After a minute or two, remove the foil tent and spoon the extra sauce onto the salmon.

I completed my meal with a mixture of mesclun (baby field greens) and arugula from my garden, topped with EVOO and red wine vinegar.




TV TRAY



As a single person, I sometimes often take my meal to the living room and eat off a TV tray while watching a movie or documentary. TV tray meals are usually carefully prepared thrown together with whatever happens to be in the kitchen, no measurements recorded.

Tortillas, ham, sour cream, chives, cream cheese, tomato, provolone cheese; broccoli


(Last but not least, I hope you'll take a few minutes to visit my other blog, CORNING NY STEP BY STEP -- a view of the city where I live.)


16 comments:

  1. Interesting flavour combinations, not unlike Thai dishes. Might try that! We love coconut milk. :)

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    1. You'll notice, Sally, that I didn't add herbs or spices. You could add some according to your likes.

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  2. This is like a tropical fish my friend, sounds like a brilliant mix :D

    Cheers
    CCU

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    1. Except you wouldn't touch it, my vegetarian friend! I'm actually planning on fixing the rice pudding with the coconut milk for an upcoming picnic. One of our members is vegan, so I want her to be able to eat it.

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  3. Today my hubby and I were discussing the health benefits of coconut ... he thought coconut cream pie fell in that category, LOL! He will be surprised when he gets your coconut salmon instead ;)

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    1. I think your husband is on the right track, Brenda. I'm sure there must be something healthy in coconut cream pie.

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  4. This reminds me something one would find on a Thai restaurant's menu. How creative of you to come up with this recipe on the spur of the moment. Well done!

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    1. Thanks you for your kind words, CJ. I think my favorite savory coconut food is Coconut Shrimp. Only had it once, when visiting my son in Ohio, and absolutely loved it. He's in D.C. area now, so more exciting restaurants--will have to look for Thai!

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  5. Sawadee ka! A Thai inspired dish that is sure to please. Your dish looks so delicious! I love this idea very much along with the delicious coconut rice as I am not much for the heat/fire spice but my boys sure are. Have you even put a wedge of ginger in with your rice while you are making your coconut rice and add just a pinch of sugar, just a touch of salt. Give it a try next time and let me know what you think. I love your TV dinners they are beautiful and the best part about it you can make whatever you want!

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    1. Hi BAM, you always have the best ideas. I keep 'fresh' ginger in the freezer so I can easily grate off whatever I need. Interesting idea, putting a wedge of ginger in coconut rice.

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  6. Salmon in coconut sounds soo awesome! I love to make curry with coconut milk but there is always quite a bit milk left over. Usually I use it in my cereal but this gives me great ideas for the future. Thanks Kathleen :)

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    1. Ummm, coconut milk on my cereal. Why didn't I think of that?! Thanks for the idea, Regina.

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  7. Hi there - so nice to meet another Upstate NYer! [I'm in Tioga County, not far from you at all] My husband would love this recipe, so I'm definitely filing it away for the future - thanks!

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    1. Hi neighbor, Donalyn, and welcome. I checked out your food blog and liked what I saw, so will be back. Hope you and your hubby get to enjoy some coconut salmon!

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  8. This is a glorious idea!
    I love to prepare Thai shrimp soup and have often some coco milk left over.
    Now I've got a new inspiration what to do with it because the salmon with coco milk looks amazing.
    Thank you Kathleen.

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    1. I like the sound of Thai shrimp soup, Daniela. Will you be sharing that recipe on your food blog?

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