Sockeye salmon doesn't have as much fat as King Salmon, but what it lacks in oil it more than compensates for with its vermillion hue and endless flavor. Like chicken breast, Sockeye salmon can easily be overcooked, which is why this slow roasting technique works so well. By putting the salmon in a low temperature oven, it gently cooks, guaranteeing an ultra­moist piece of salmon, that melts in your mouth like butter. Served on a bed of sauteed spinach with a coconut cream red curry, it's a delightful Southeast Asian entree that pairs perfectly with a mound of Jasmine rice.

Makes 6 servings
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 40 minutes
passive time: N/A

Ingredient:
RED CURRY PASTE
25 grams dried guajillo chiles with stems and seeds removed (about 6 medium chiles)
60 grams shallots, roughly chopped (about 2 medium shallots)
30 grams lemongrass, sliced paper thin (about 1 small stalk)
20 grams galangal, sliced paper thin (about 1­inch piece)
14 grams garlic, roughly chopped (about 2 large cloves)
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1⁄2 teaspoon salt

RED CURRY SAUCE
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup coconut cream
1 tablespoon fish sauce

SPINACH
250 grams spinach
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
7 grams garlic (1 large clove)
1/2 tablespoon fish sauce

SALMON
1 side of Sockeye salmon (about 820 grams)
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions: 

1. To fillet the salmon, place the side of salmon onto a large cutting board and use a very sharp knife to slice it in half lengthwise.

2. Use the knife to scrape away a few inches of flesh from the skin starting from the tail end, one you have enough skin to grab onto, old the skin with one hand and draw the knife between the flesh and skin towards the head, using a wiggling motion with the hand holding the skin to pull it free. Repeat with the other piece of salmon.

3. Cut the skinned salmon into serving sized fillets.

4. To make the curry paste, put the chiles in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let these rehydrate for 5 minutes.

5. Put the rehydrated chiles in a small food processor along with the shallots, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, ground coriander seed, ground cumin and salt. Process until it forms a smooth paste, scraping down the sides several times.

6. To make the red curry sauce, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 4 tablespoons of the red curry paste(save the remaining curry paste for something else) to a frying pan over medium heat and saute the paste until it turns into a thick dark paste (about 5­7 minutes).

7. Skim 1 cup of coconut cream (the white stuff floating at the top of a can of unshaken coconut milk) from a can of coconut milk, and add it to a blender along with the caramelized curry paste and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. Blend until smooth.

8. Parboil the spinach for until is just wilts and turns bright green and then drain and rinse with cold water and gently squeeze out the excess water.

9. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. To make the seasoning for the salmon, mix the brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander seed and the salt together in a small bowl to combine.

10. Put the salmon fillets in an oven­safe pan, and cover evenly with the sugar and spice mixture. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place in the preheated oven. The amount of time the salmon takes to cook will depend on the thickness of the fillets and type of oven you use, but it should be in the neighborhood of 15­-30 minutes. It will still look almost raw when cooked, but you'll know it's cooked when the salmon flakes.

11. While the salmon is in the oven, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium­high heat and then saute the garlic until fragrant. Add the spinach and saute until the spinach is evenly coated in oil. Finish by drizzling the fish sauce over the spinach and tossing to evenly distribute.

To plate, make 6 nests of spinach and top each with a piece of salmon. Spoon the red curry sauce of the salmon and spinach and serve immediately.