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Thai Poached Salmon with Watermelon Feta Salad

Yields1 Serving

Salmon Poached in coconut milk with jalapeños, lime juice, lemon grass, & ginger - this dish is incredible and one you'll get addicted to.

 ITEMS BELOW ARE FOR WATERMELON SALAD
 3 cups Cubed Watermelon
 1 Medium Cucumber - Cubed
 2 Large Ripe Tomatoes or 1 1/2 cups Cherry Tomatoes Chopped
 1 Small Red Onion Chopped
  cup Pitted & Chopped Kalamata Olives
  cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
 1 Handful - Chopped Italian Parsley
 1 Handful - Chopped Mint
  cup EVOO
  cup Red Wine Vinegar
 Salt & Pepper to Season
 ITEMS BELOW ARE FOR FISH
 1 -2 Pounds Boneless Filets of Your Choice - I used Salmon, But Cod or Halibut Would Work
 2 tbsp Avocado Oil or Coconut Oil
 2 Shallots - Minced
 3 Cloves Garlic - Minced
 2 Cans - Full Fat Coconut Milk
 1 Chili - Seeds & Stem Removed - I Used Jalapeno - but Thai or Fresno Will Work - Choose Your Heat Level According To Your Preference
 1 tbsp Fish Sauce
 1 2 " knob Ginger - Peeled & Sliced Thin
 1 8" Stalk Lemon Grass - Cut Into 3 Pieces & Bruised With Flat of Chef's Knife or Smacked With Skillet
 3 2" Slices of Lime Peel
 2 Sprigs of Cilantro & More For Garnish
 2 Sprigs Basil - Extra Points for Thai Basil & More For Garnish
 Juice from 2 Limes
1

I'd suggest taking the fish out of the fridge 30-45 min ahead of time to let it begin to come up to room temp.

2

We want to make the watermelon feta salad first so it will be ready when the fish is done.

This is just a matter of assembling the ingredients. I bought a whole seedless watermelon and just used part of it for this recipe, but pre cut / cubed watermelon is also an option.

Instead of 2 large tomatoes, I used about a cup and a half of cherry tomatoes - cut into pieces.

This is definitely a recipe that you can estimate the quantities, but I'd hesitate at getting too heavy handed with the olives - you want them as a counter point to the freshness of the watermelon, tomatoes & cukes - you don't want them to overpower the lighter notes of the salad.

3

I used a pretty thick piece of salmon and took it almost directly from being on ice to putting it into the poaching liquid. As a result it took closer to 20 minutes to cook instead of the much shorter time than I was expecting. I'd suggest pulling your fish out of the fridge 30-45 minutes prior to cooking.

4

Heat the avocado or coconut oil in a large, straight-sided skillet on medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the shallots, garlic and peppers. We're just want to give this a couple of minutes to soften them up and to begin moving the shallots to translucent, but WE DON'T WANT TO BURN THE GARLIC.

5

Add the coconut milk, the fish sauce, lime peel, ginger, lemongrass, cilantro sprigs & basil sprigs. Salt & pepper the fish and then nestle the fish in the broth. The fish will be partially submerged. Reduce the heat to simmer and put a lid on the skillet.

Check the temp of the fish in 5-6 minutes. You're looking for about 130-135. My first time to make this, mine took closer to 20-25 minutes but I had a thick piece of salmon and it went from ice to skillet with no time to come closer to room temp.

When fish reaches 130-135 remove from skillet and place serving size pieces into serving bowls.

Stir lime juice into the broth and add salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with cilantro, basil leaves and wedges of lime.

This would go great with cauliflower rice or jasmine rice.

Enjoy!