Miso Caramel Salmon with Herbs and Marinated Cucumbers
Traditional Caramel Salmon (Ca Hoi Kho) hails from Vietnam and is a bounty of flavor— the fish is simmered and cooked in the sauce— a mix of fish sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic— and the result is an umami-packed bite that’s sweet, tangy and truly addictive. I’ve added yellow miso, which gives another well-rounded boost of zing that plays so well with all the ingredients. A super-quick marinated cucumber salad provides crunch and brightness, and you’ll definitely need some steamed jasmine rice to soak up all that sauce. This dish takes no time at all to make— the caramel sauce can be made a few days in advance also— but the reward is a crowd-pleaser of a dish that’s perfect for weeknight quick supper or weekend dinner parties.
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
6 skin-on salmon filets
½ cup fish sauce
2 tsp black pepper
½ cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp yellow miso
4 tsp grapeseed oil
2 tsp ginger, thinly sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced (approximately ¾ cup)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced, divided
¾ cup mixed soft herbs for garnish such as cilantro, parsley, chives, mint and basil
Steamed jasmine rice, for serving
Marinated cucumbers
1 seedless mini cucumber, thinly sliced
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp chili flake
METHOD
Preheat oven to 450F and arrange oven rack in the middle.
Prepare the cucumbers. In a small bowl, add cucumber, rice wine vinegar, sugar, kosher salt, and chili flake and mix to combine. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, add fish sauce, black pepper, dark brown sugar, grapeseed oil, ginger, shallots, garlic and 1 scallion and heat until just simmering.
Place salmon skin-side down in a baking dish, then add warmed sauce, ensuring sauce runs over the tops of the salmon.
Bake salmon for 10-12 minutes until cooked through to medium/medium rare.
To serve, arrange salmon on a platter along with sauce and top with herbs and the remaining sliced scallion. Transfer cucumbers to a serving bowl and serve alongside, with steamed jasmine rice.
