Fish and Shellfish Recipes - Salmon with Shallots and Galangal Recipe

Ingredients

• 450g/1lb salmon fillet

• 500ml/7fl oz/2 1/4 cups vegetable stock

• 4 shallots, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2.5cml/1 in piece fresh galangal, finely chopped

• tender bulbous portion of 1 lemon grass stalk, finely chopped

• 2.5ml/1/2 tsp dried chili flakes

• 15ml/1 tbsp fish sauce

• 5ml/1 tsp palm sugar (jaggery) or light muscovado (brown) sugar

• Fresh crusty bread, to serve

Serves 4

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Method:

1. Wrap the salmon in clear film (plastic wrap) and place in the freezer for 30-40 minutes to firm up the flesh slightly.

2. Remove the fish from the freezer; unwrap it and remove the skin, then use a sharp knife to cut the fish into 25cm/1 in cubes, removing any stray bones with your fingers or with tweezers as you do so.

3. Pour the stock into a large, heavy pan and bring it to the boil over a medium heat Add the shallots. garlic. galangal. lemon grass, chili flakes. fish sauce and sugar. Bring back to the boil, stir well. then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

4. Add the fish cubes to the stock. bring back to the boil. then turn off the heat Leave the curry to stand for 10-15 minutes until the fish is cooked through. then serve in heated bowls with plenty of fresh crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Note; This is a thin, soupy curry with wonderfully strong flavors. Serve it in bowls with lots of sticky rice to soak up the delicious juices.

Variations: Rosy pink salmon looks particularly pretty, but other types of fish would work equally well in this curry. Try cod, pollack, hoki or haddock. Monkfish is also suitable.