Thai red curry paste adds a delicious glaze to the top of roasted red curry salmon. Pair the salmon with slightly sweet coconut brown rice and you have a delicious dinner on your hands.
With Halloween just a day away, I’m noticing that the October obsession with all things pumpkin has shifted to an obsession with butternut squash. Two weeks ago I actually found locally grown butternut squash at our grocery store. They were about the size of my hand, but totally cheap. I haven’t had a butternut squash since we left the U.S. almost exactly two years ago, so I swept a bunch into my cart without giving it a second thought and roasted them in my oven within 24 hours.
Over the weekend, I thought I’d do something else with that sweet, sweet little squash, but they were already gone. The butternut squash are likely never to be seen again. That’s how things work at our local grocery store. We can find plenty of things that are not typically Thai, but many items seem to show up by momentary mistake rather than by long-term decision.
The flip side of grocery shopping here is the abundance of flavorful sauces, curry pastes, and fresh herbs that are, of course, always available. Our refrigerator is rarely without several types of basil and a healthy stock of shrimp paste, fish sauce, and soy sauces in various levels of sweetness. Even now, I’m still working my way through the aisle of Thai condiments.
All of those Thai ingredients come in handy to create quick dinners with lots of flavor. Prepared Thai curry pastes make the work easy. For this dinner I used red curry paste which has got a bit of a kick. You could easily substitute any paste you can find – panang curry, green curry, massaman curry – all would be delicious. Coconut rice is far more popular here as a dessert (sometimes served with mango), but without sugar, it is a great complement to savory or spicy dishes. It added so much flavor to the brown rice, that I’m not sure I would ever do this with the white variety, but you certainly could.
I am already predicting that the red curry glaze on top of this salmon will become a favorite – it would be delicious on top of other types of fish, chicken, or brushed onto tofu slices for a variation on this deliciousness.
More Salmon Recipes
- Foil-Roasted Salmon with Chickpeas and Greens
- Broiled Honey Lime Salmon
- Pan Seared Salmon and Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce
- Lemongrass Roasted Salmon
- Salmon with Sweet Chili Lime Butter and Roasted Broccoli
- Thai-Style Salmon Satay with Peanut Sauce
- Salmon and Edamame Soba Noodles with Miso Vinaigrette
- Chipotle Lime Salmon
- Honey Lime Salmon Tacos
- Toasted Sesame Ginger Salmon
Favorite Tools
- All Clad Saucepan
- Oven-Safe Wire Rack
- Half Sheet Pan
- Silicone Basting Brush
- Anchor 3-Piece Glass Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
Red Curry Salmon with Coconut Brown Rice
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Oven-Safe Wire Rack
- Half Sheet Pan
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
For the Rice:
- 1 cup Brown Rice
- 1 cup Light Coconut Milk
- 1 1/2 cups Water
- 4 Scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced (green onions)
For the Salmon:
- 4 5 oz Salmon Filets
- 1 Tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste (see note)
- 2 tsp Light Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- 1 Lime, cut into quarters
Instructions
- Combine the brown rice, coconut milk, and water in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. As soon as it begins to boil, reduce the heat to a very low simmer. Put the lid on the pot and allow to simmer for 40-45 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed. Remove the pot from the heat and allow to rest, covered, for at least 5 minutes, or until you are ready to serve. Just before serving, stir in the sliced scallions.
- Turn on the oven's broiler. Place a wire rack on top of a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush the wire rack with olive oil to prevent the salmon from sticking. Place the salmon filets about 3 inches apart on the wire rack. Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper. Put the salmon filets under the broiler for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the red curry paste, light brown sugar, soy sauce, and olive oil. Remove the partially-cooked salmon filets from the oven and brush the red curry mixture evenly over the top of each. Return the filets to the broiler and continue broiling until the tops turn brown and the salmon is cooked through, 2-4 minutes more.
- Serve each salmon filet over about 3/4 cup brown rice. Serve each with a quarter of lime for squeezing over the top.
Notes
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I’m going to try this on chicken it sounds delicious! An Asian grocer just opened up not to far from me and I’m so excited. Might even be able to get a couple of the goodies you can get.
Claire – that’s so exciting! In Washington DC there was a great Asian market near my apartment, and I found so much great stuff there. You’ll surely find all sorts of fun things for cooking!
This one has my name on it Jess! Love, love this salmon recipe. My kind of meal. Beautiful pictures, makes me want to grab a plate and start eating. 🙂
Karista, this does remind me of something that would come out of your kitchen! Of course, you’d have an utterly irresistable sauce to go over the top. 😉
I had a curry glazed salmon at a restaurant once that I dream of! this looks amazing and I love the addition of coconut rice.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I threw it together tonight after my husband told me he had thawed some salmon. He and my three boys ALL loved it, even the one who doesn’t like fish. So sweet! And I’m pretty sure that was the perfect amount of coconut for the rice. Just a lovely balance.
Mary – I’m so very glad to hear it! This really is one of my favorite quick dinners these days. Three boys? You must be a busy woman!
This was delicious. The cooking time in this recipe was too short for my salmon. After broiling it until it was crispy on top and it still not getting cooked through the middle, I put it in the oven at 400 and baked it an additional 5-7 minutes. It turned out perfectly.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the note on the added cooking time – it can vary a bit depending on the thickness and how chilled the salmon is when you cook it. Good tip!