Most of the time, an ideal Saturday afternoon for me might be spent in search of a list of obscure ingredients in neighborhoods I’m unfamiliar with. I love the feeling of scouring shelves and finding something I’ve been hunting for, and the satisfaction of preparing something to eat that I deem truly delicious and different. Basically, I love to impress myself.
Unfortunately, this never-ending winter (I’ve completely given up on the fact that there will ever be anything but cold, colder, and frigid- it’s the only thing that saves me from nonstop disappointment) has really put the kibosh on my sense of adventure. Something about wear two pairs of pants simultaneously just really doesn’t encourage spending extraneous time outdoors. Luckily, though, limiting my ingredient procurement to my own neighborhood hasn’t meant making dishes that are any less impressive, if I may say so myself.
Case in point is this Indian-style salmon dish from Madhur Jaffrey, whose recipes knock it out of the park just about every time. I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s almost like magic, when you take a few standard ingredients, add a couple of spices you probably already had in your pantry and create a meal that is so much more than what you put into it. It’s also a lovely and different way to get more fish into your diet in a way that is not ocean-y at all.
The simplicity of this meal is not limited to the ingredients, which are canned tomatoes (I like to use good San Marzano ones given that they are the star of the show), salmon, heavy cream, herbs and spices. There is hardly any chopping (just cilantro, a breeze!) and the preparation is as easy as putting these things in a bowl and simmering in a medium saucepan. Serve it with some basmati rice or some bread (I scooped mine up with some paratha- delicious).
This dish has broad appeal. I like to think of this as a kind of beginner course in South Asian flavors- it’s got enough that is familiar so as not to be intimidating, and the spices are not overpowering. If you are someone who is a less adventurous eater, I’d encourage you to give it a shot- the investment is minimal and you might surprise yourself!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs skinned salmon fillet from the center of the fish (where it is thickest), first cut lengthways down the center and then crossways to make 8 pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
- 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
Instructions
- Season the salmon pieces by sprinkling the salt, pepper, turmeric and cayenne on all sides and rubbing them in. Put the salmon in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.
- Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and mix well. Refrigerate if needed.
- To cook the fish, put the oil in a frying pan and set on medium heat. When hot, put in the cumin seeds. When the seeds have sizzled for 10 seconds, pour in the sauce. Stir and bring to a simmer. Place all the fish pieces in the sauce in a single layer and cook, spooning the sauce over the fish. After a minute, turn the fish pieces over and lower the heat to medium low. Continue to cook, spooning the sauce over the top, for 3-4 minutes or until the fish has cooked through.
Notes
https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2014/03/01/salmon-in-a-tomato-cream-sauce/
March 2, 2014 at 1:48 am
Delicious! I had all the ingredients on hand and it looked so good I had to try it. It was even better than it looked. I pureed chopped tomatoes by hand so it had a nice consistency. Just the right amount of heat, with well balanced flavors. Served over white rice with a side of Mark Bittman’s double garlic collard greens. Thanks! Keep up the great blog.
March 2, 2014 at 2:19 pm
I’m so glad you liked it! Such a good dish for a cold day!