THAI-STYLE CRISPY SALMON AND RICE

with a perfectly punchy cucumber salad

This is another favorite from Third Culture Cooking.

Photography by Graydon Herriot for Third Culture Cooking

Before we get into things, a quick note: I hope to keep this newsletter free for as long as possible, so it would mean so much to me if you supported my work by ordering my cookbook, Third Culture Cooking, which features 100+ flavorful recipes that reflect my third culture perspective. Find signed copies here. Now, on to the recipe..

Excerpt from Third Culture Cooking

The skin on this salmon is so crispy and crunchy, it immediately reminds me of my favorite Thai dish: yum pla duk foo, a crispy fried whole fish served with a sweet, salty, and tangy green mango salad. My version is way less involved but satisfies that craving and mimics the interplay of flavors and textures well.

For a full dinner, I like to serve the fish and salad over a bed of rice to soak up all that extra dressing. Green mango isn’t the easiest to find, so I doubled down on the crisp factor and opted for cucumber.

This technique for cooking salmon takes me by surprise every time I employ it, and it results in the crispiest salmon skin I’ve ever had, so don’t be nervous. In my experience, the dry skillet method works every time, but if the idea of it makes you anxious and you don’t feel like conquering your fears at dinnertime, I get it. Instead, I would recommend the following: Pat the salmon fillets dry with a paper towel and season the flesh side with salt. Heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a large stainless steel or nonstick pan and cook the salmon over medium heat, skin side down, in the oil, until mostly cooked through (6 to 7 minutes). Flip the salmon over and cook until just cooked through, another minute or two. Serve skin side up.

The salmon may seem austere, but between the fresh cucumber salad, the punchy dressing, and the texture of its crispy skin, there’s plenty to chew on.

4 SERVINGS / 1 HOUR

INGREDIENTS

2 cups (360 g) jasmine rice*

5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from 2 to 3 limes

1⁄4 cup (60 ml) olive oil

3 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar*

1 to 2 green bird’s-eye chilis,* halved lengthwise, plus more to taste, optional

Diamond Crystal kosher salt

4 (4-ounce/115 g) salmon fillets, skin on

1 pound mini cucumbers,* (about 5/455 g), sliced into 1⁄4-inch-thick rounds

1 large shallot,* thinly sliced

1 cup (30 to 40 g) roughly chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems*

1⁄4 cup (8 to 10 g) fresh Thai basil leaves,* roughly chopped

3 tablespoons roasted salted peanuts, roughly chopped

*Instead of . . .

Jasmine rice, use basmati rice, brown rice, or sushi rice

Light brown sugar, use dark brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey

Bird’s-eye chilis, use jalapeño or serrano

Cucumbers, use another crunchy, raw veg

Shallot, use the equivalent of red onion plus a minced garlic clove

Cilantro, use another tender-stemmed herb

Thai basil, use Italian basil plus a few tarragon leaves to mimic the licorice-y quality of Thai basil

METHOD

Cook the rice according to the package directions.

To make the salad dressing: Put the lime juice, olive oil, fish sauce, brown sugar, and chilis, if using, in a jar and shake to combine. Taste the dressing for salt and spice and adjust to your preference with more salt as needed and/or another chili for more heat. Remove the chili at this point for a less intense heat (the dressing will continue to get spicier as the chili sits in it). The dressing can be made up to 2 days in advance. Transfer to an airtight container and chill.

Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels and season all over with salt. Arrange the fillets skin side down in a large, cold, dry cast-iron skillet. Place the skillet over medium heat and cook the salmon undisturbed until the skin is crisp and deeply browned and the flesh is opaque halfway up the sides, about 5 minutes. Turn the fillets over and cook until just opaque throughout, about 4 minutes. Stand the fillets on their sides and cook until lightly browned, about 30 seconds per side.

To make the salad: Combine the cucumbers, shallot, cilantro, basil, and most of the peanuts (reserving some to garnish) in a medium bowl. Set aside until just about to serve.

Just before serving, pour the dressing over the cucumber salad and toss to coat. Taste and season with salt to your preference.

To serve, arrange the salmon skin side up over the rice. Top with a heap of the cucumber salad and garnish with the remaining peanuts. Drizzle the remaining dressing on top.