Sugar Seared Salmon With Coconut Lime Sauce

An absolutely delicious, easy to make, and predominately store cupboard recipe. Well up there as one of my favourite recent meals at home. 

Serves 4:
✔️4 salmon fillets 
✔️2 tbsp butter 

Sugar Rub:
✔️2 Tbsp white sugar
✔️1 tsp salt
✔️1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Coconut Lime Sauce:
✔️1 tsp lemongrass paste (or 3/4 tsp peeled and grated stalk)
✔️1 tsp ginger paste (or 3/4 tsp grated ginger root)
✔️1 can coconut milk (full fat)
✔️1 Tbsp fish sauce
✔️1 Tbsp brown sugar
✔️1/4 tsp turmeric
✔️2 tsp lime zest
✔️Juice of 1/2 a small lime
✔️2 fresh kaffir lime leaves or 4 dried) (optional) 
✔️Salt and freshly ground pepper

To serve:
Lime wedges
Chopped coriander leaves (optional)
Basmati rice
Green veg (Bok Choy / broccoli / green beans etc) 

Prepare the sugar rub by stirring together the sugar, salt and pepper. Moisten the salmon fillets slightly with a bit of water, then generously sprinkle the top with the sugar rub. 

Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a frying pan on a medium heat and place the salmon sugar side down. Allow to cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes, then cook a further 2 minutes, moving the fillets around in the pan a bit, until the underside is deep golden and caramelised. Flip over and cook the other side until golden, about 3-4 minutes more. Remove salmon on to a plate.

Keep the browned butter in the pan and place over a medium heat. Add the lemongrass and ginger to the pan and stir, scraping up any browned bits and cooking for 30 seconds or so. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, brown sugar, turmeric, lime zest, lime juice and kaffir lime leaves. Bring sauce to a boil. Allow to gently boil and reduce for a couple of minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed and place the salmon on top of the sauce for a couple of minutes to warm back up. 

Serve with basmati rice, green veg and some extra wedges of lime. Delish 💯