Crispy Salmon with Soy Tamarind Sauce

The salmon is coated in cornstarch and pan-fried until a crisp, outer shell forms and then it is served with a side of garlic sautéed spinach and jasmine rice topped with a sweet and sour soy tamarind sauce.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Keyword fish, fish sauce, salmon, seafood, soy, spinach, tamarind

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Servings

Calories 521kcal

Ingredients

For the soy tamarind sauce:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons tamarind paste*
¼ packed cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce

For the sautéed spinach:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and dried
Kosher salt, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed

For the crispy salmon:

1½ pound salmon filet, cut into 4 servings
Kosher salt, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup vegetable oil
Jasmine rice, for serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the soy tamarind sauce:

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and heat through.
Add the ginger and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce, tamarind, brown sugar, fish sauce and ⅓ cup (75g) of water, whisking to combine.
Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the sautéed spinach:

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat through.
Add the spinach and sauté until wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

For the crispy salmon:

Season salmon with salt and pepper. Sprinkle cornstarch over pieces and pat so that it covers all parts of the salmon. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
Once hot, shake off excess cornstarch from salmon then add the fillets of salmon skin side down in the pan.
Sear the salmon on each side until cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side. Be careful that the oil doesn’t spatter, if it begins to spatter, turn the heat down to medium-low.
Remove the salmon from the pan to a plate and set aside.

To serve:

Serve the salmon on a bed of rice and spinach. Ladle the tamarind sauce over the top and serve immediately.

Nutrition