Salmon is kind of a regular thing at my house. My husband and I laugh because it is THE dish my mom made the first time he (my then boyfriend) came over to eat with my family. He credits it as having monumental influence in our relationship.
But I'm afraid I've grown generally lazy with salmon over time. I mean, it's pretty good on it's own so why why mess, right? Lemon, salt, pepper, oven, done. Boom. Dinner. But that exact scenario played out a couple times a month starts to get a little tired over long periods.
So yesterday, there was this gorgeous salmon fillet waiting in the fridge, and I suddenly had a wave of 3:30pm motivation. I credit the extra shot of espresso and the late afternoon nap the baby spontaneously decided to take. Low and behold my coffee and I were flipping through my back-log of gorgeous food mags, and I stumbled upon curry-poached-chicken-thighs with red pepper sauce. Which, while lovely, contained a list of ingredients I didn't have. But it got me thinking. What if I poached my salmon in something like that? So here we go!
This is my salmon version, far less spicy than a traditional curry, but still high with cumin, and a gorgeous saffron in color. Enjoy!
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt two tablespoons of butter and simmer diced onions. Add curry spices/whatever blend of Indian-influence spices you choose. You can also mix your own! (I have a blend that contains tellicherry, black pepper, lemon peel, garlic, turmeric, coriander, cumin, ginger, nutmeg, fennel, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and cayenne. I realize that these do not dictate a curry. Not by a long shot, but combined with the Sriracha, the cumin and turmeric blend to give the sauce a very Indian-like flavor.) Continue simmering and add coconut milk. Stir in salt, lemon juice, and Sriracha sauce. Be sure to taste as you add the Sriracha. A little goes a long way and you don't want to overheat this sauce or your salmon will be overpowered.
Cook on low until the sauce thickens a bit. Add the salmon fillets, sprinkle with basil flakes, cover, and simmer until salmon is cooked through. Leave the pan covered and remove from heat.
In a separate skillet, add water (roughly a 1/4 inch covering the bottom of the pan), and heat until boiling. Lower heat to a slow simmer and poach eggs. Add them one at a time and cook at intervals if necessary so each egg does not blend with its neighbor while being poached.
Plate salmon filets, top with eggs, and garnish with fresh basil if desired.