Eight ingredients, plus pantry staples. That's all it takes to make an entire meal from scratch. Add in a good bottle of wine for less than $20, and you've got a feast for family or friends.
The beginning of fall means a return to routine, gearing up for a season full of work meetings, school activities, sports, upcoming holidays and more. To get through the busy days, be sure to feed yourself well, with meals that are both healthful and satisfying. Autumn is when I usually turn to curries, whipping together warming and hearty meals in less than 30 minutes. Never tried a fish curry before? Then let this be a start, with salmon poached in a creamy and spicy coconut Thai red curry broth. The dish is both wine-friendly and a great weeknight meal.
The fish sauce added into the curry is that special something that makes Vietnamese, Thai and other Southeast Asian dishes so tantalizing, bringing a backbone of umami to cut through sweetness, mellow the heat and round out the dish. Essentially liquid anchovies, fish sauce has become a “can’t-be-without” ingredient in my pantry. Instead of cracking open a whole new tin for a single anchovy filet in a recipe, I add a teaspoon of fish sauce to pasta sauces, salad dressings, marinades and more.
Thai red curry paste can be found in most grocery stores, but my preferred brand is Maesri; it’s potent and vegetal, without that metallic bitterness that taints some curry pastes. This stuff can be a bit spicy: Three tablespoons is just hot enough for me so that I don’t have to run and grab tissues, but put in just two if you’re more sensitive.
To keep this recipe simple, I stuck to adding only bell peppers, but a wide range of veggies can be mixed in, such as julienned carrots or broccoli. More delicate greens like snow peas or spinach can be thrown into the pot a minute or two before serving. I like to serve this with plain white rice or undressed vermicelli rice noodles, something to capture every last drop of the sauce. The recipe below serves two, making it easy to scale up.
To pair with this, German Riesling is an obvious choice—it’s such a food-friendly category and won’t clash with all that this dish has to offer in texture and flavor, from the creaminess to the acidity to the heat. The Dr. Loosen Riesling Dry Mosel Red Slate 2022 (88 points, $18) is an incredible value, made by renowned winemaker Ernst Loosen in the Mosel region. This white is bright and fruity and doesn’t overwhelm the savory yet sweet curry.
Red Thai Salmon Curry with Red Bell Pepper and Basil
Pair with a juicy, dry, light-bodied German Riesling, like the Dr. Loosen Riesling Dry Mosel Red Slate 2022 (88 points, $18).
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Approximate food costs: $25
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (such as grapeseed, vegetable, avocado, sunflower, etc.)
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 red bell pepper, julienned
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk (or coconut cream)
- 1 pound of skinless salmon filets or belly
- 1/2 cup Thai or Italian basil leaves, chopped
- 1 lime, sliced into wedges to serve (optional)
1. In a heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven, add neutral oil and bring to medium heat on the stove. Add the shallot and lightly stir until slices just start to get color, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the grated ginger, fish sauce and Thai red curry paste, stirring to combine. Once the curry paste mixture has turned a darker brick color, bring in the bell peppers, tossing until fully coated. Cook until the bell peppers are just starting to soften, around 5 minutes.
2. Add the coconut milk and stir until the curry paste has dissolved into it and the mixture is a light red color. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring liquid to a simmer, about 3 to 5 minutes. Nestle the salmon in the curry broth, making sure the fish is fully covered by the liquid. Put a lid on the pot and bring the temperature down to the lowest setting. Let the curry simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the salmon is fork tender.
3. Add the salmon to plates with rice or vermicelli noodles and ladle the curry and peppers on top. Add the chopped basil leaves on top and serve. Serves 2
