Pan-Seared Salmon with Mushroom Coconut Cream Sauce

[zhemao]

Here's another experimental East meets West fusion dish that I made today. It's a French-style seared salmon with cream sauce but, as always, with an Asian twist.

Ingredients:

• Salmon (with skin on)


• Salt


• Black pepper


• White pepper


• Garlic salt


• Sesame oil


• Rice wine


• Coconut milk


• Soy sauce


• White mushrooms


• Scallions

Directions:

1. Remove the scales on the salmon with the back of a knife. Don't remove the skin.


2. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt onto both sides of the salmon and let it sit for five minutes.


3. Rinse off the salmon in warm water, making sure to wash away any loose scales.


4. Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel.


5. Season the skinless side of the salmon with salt, black pepper, white pepper, and garlic salt.


6. Transfer the salmon to a container, skin side up.


7. Season the skin side with a bit of salt, then pour on a bit of sesame oil and spread it across the skin.


8. Let the salmon sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.


9. Put a non-stick pan on the range and turn the heat to medium.


10. Once the pan warms up, take out the salmon and put it on the pan skin side down.


11. Cook the salmon uncovered without turning. You can check the progress by looking at the side of the salmon. The color will gradually change from the bottom up.


12. As you wait for the salmon to cook, you can prepare the mushrooms. Wash the mushrooms in cold water and drain. Slice them if they aren't already sliced. You should also separate the stems from the caps.


13. Once the salmon has changed color about 2/3rds of the way up, flip it over and cook the other side for about half a minute until it is slightly browned. You can check for doneness by sticking in a fork or chopstick. If it easily goes all the way through and no liquid comes out, the salmon is fully cooked.


14. Move the salmon to the serving container, but leave the liquid in the pan.


15. Turn the heat up to medium high and add the mushrooms. Sautee until they start to brown.


16. Add in a dash of rice wine and stir until the alcohol burns off.


17. Throw in some chopped scallions and pour in about a quarter cup of coconut milk and a bit of soy sauce.


18. Stir well, then let it simmer until the liquid has reduced to a creamy consistency.


19. Pour the sauce over the salmon.

This dish has some nice contrasts. The salmon skin is crispy and crunchy, while the rest of the salmon is tender and juicy. The sauce has a really rich flavor, with the sweetness of the coconut milk complimenting the savoriness of the fish and soy sauce.

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