Salmon with Spicy Chile Sauce

I think my love of food is truly something genetic. It’s in my blood and it always has been. When I was a kid, I turned up my nose at junk food like burgers and chicken nuggets, but I would jump at the opportunity to nibble on some asparagus or spinach. My mom always tells the story about how when I was very little, she was pushing me through the grocery store in the cart, and I kept grabbing for the asparagus. She told me, perhaps a little too loudly, no more asparagus. People looked at her. It was awkward. I don’t know what to tell you. I would have traded French fries for a green vegetable any day.

I also loved salmon. I didn’t know anyone else my age that liked any kind of fish, let alone salmon. Given the choice of a cheeseburger, chicken fingers, or grilled salmon, I would take the fish every time. Looking back, it was pretty obvious that I would have a passion for food in the future.

The other day, I made a shrimp dish from Bon Appetit. Today, I made that same dish with salmon and tweaked the recipe a bit. This Salmon with Spicy Chile Sauce is fresh and satisfying. I would have swooned over it as a kid. This recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit. 

Salmon with Spicy Chile Sauce

Print recipe

• Print with main photo
• Print text only

Yield	4
Meal type	Seafood

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 5 to 6 large Anaheim chiles, stems removed
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 (6 ounce) center-cut salmon fillets

Directions

1.	Combine the cilantro, chiles, garlic, ginger, lime juice, fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of oil, brown sugar, and turmeric in a blender and process until well combined. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
2.	Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season with salmon with salt and pepper and place in the skillet. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes per side, until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily. Spoon the chile sauce over the salmon and serve.

Tagged as: anaheim chiles, brown sugar, cilantro, dinner, garlic, ginger, lime juice, salmon, seafood, turmeric