Recipe developer Zena Kamgaing. Photo: Yuki Sugiura
The USP of Zena Kamgaing’s debut cookbook, Dinner Time, is its focus on how long it takes to go from the raw ingredients to the plate. Her speedy first chapter includes a “five-minute chilli garlic tofu” and a steamed garlic prawns and noodles dish which takes just 15 minutes. This salmon recipe sits in the 30-minute section, which, says Zena, “feels like the perfect sweet spot – it’s enough time to coax out deeper flavours and create more exciting meals, but short enough to still feel doable after a busy day”.
Zena, aka @zenaskitchen on Instagram, has loved big bold flavours since she was a child growing up in south-west London in a Nigerian-Cameroonian household: “The food my mum cooked was delicious, full of depth and unapologetically seasoned. Flavour came first, always.” But she knows that many of us live busy lives, so, apart from the taste, “I care just as much about whether it fits into the reality of everyday life”. She believes that cooking should not be a chore: “Deeply delicious food doesn’t need to be stressful, complicated or take hours to make.” Timers at the ready.
Words by Jane Ferguson
Thai curry salmon with coconut rice. Photo: Yuki Sugiura.
Zena’s one-pan Thai curry salmon with coconut rice
This is one of those recipes that does a lot with very little. You build layers of flavour into the rice using coconut cream and lime leaves, then nestle in salmon that’s been marinated in good-quality Thai red curry paste. The fish finishes under the grill, taking on a little char while the rice continues to steam underneath. It’s rich, fragrant and deeply satisfying – and it all happens in one pan, without any complicated steps. Great for a weeknight, but also impressive enough for guests.
It’s worth going the extra mile (perhaps literally) to source makrut lime leaves. They have a unique, citrusy, slightly floral brightness that pairs beautifully with the richness of the coconut, taking the rice from a 10/10 to a 12/10. But if you can’t find them, don’t worry – lime zest delivers plenty of the freshness you need.
Serves 6
Ingredients
3 tbsp vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
1 tbsp good-quality Thai red curry paste
6 salmon fillets (skin on or off)
350g jasmine rice
250ml coconut cream
4 makrut lime leaves, finely chopped (or the zest of 2 limes)
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 small handful of fresh coriander, chopped, to garnish
For the sauce
50g sweet chilli sauce
Juice of 1 lime
Method
Heat your oven grill to high. In a large bowl, combine the oil and Thai curry paste with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Add the salmon fillets and toss to coat, then set them aside to marinate while you prepare the rice.
Wash the rice in cold water until the water runs clear. Drain it well and tip it into a wide ovenproof sauté pan or shallow casserole dish.
Add the coconut cream, lime leaves or lime zest, salt and 300ml of cold water and stir to combine. Bring the liquid to a simmer over a medium-high heat, then cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 mins.
Uncover the pan and arrange the seasoned salmon fillets in a single layer over the rice (skin down if they have the skin). Transfer the pan to the grill for 6-10 mins, or until the salmon is lightly charred on top and just cooked through. The exact timing will depend on the thickness of your fillets.
While the salmon and rice are under the grill, stir together the sweet chilli sauce and lime juice. Drizzle this over the salmon and rice just before serving, then garnish with the coriander.
Dinner Time by Zena Kamgaing is published by Bloomsbury (RRP £22; buy it at a discount at the Nerve Bookshop)