Thai Noodle Salad with Glazed Salmon

By vealam

Ingredients

• Thai Noodle Salad:
• 8 ounces stir-fry rice noodles
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons roasted red chili paste
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce, plus more for serving
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed or other neutral oil
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup chopped baby bok choy leaves (roughly 2 heads)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, plus several wedges for serving
• 3 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
• large handful of fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• large handful of fresh basil leaves, torn (Thai is best, but Italian will work in a pinch)
• small handful fresh mint leaves, torn
• 1/3 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts
• Glazed Salmon:
• 1 tablespoon roasted red chili paste
• 1 teaspoon grapeseed or other neutral oil, plus more for cooking
• 4 wild Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets (roughly 4-5 ounces each), skin-on
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 40mins
Adapted from abeautifulplate.com

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles, stir, and cook until just 'al dente'. Drain well , rinse under cold water until cool, and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the chili paste, fish sauce, sugar, and two tablespoons cold water. In a large non-stick skillet or wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the shallots for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds or so, or until fragrant. Add the bok choy leaves to the pan, and stir until just beginning to wilt. Add the cooled noodles. Don't stir and allow the noodles to caramelize slightly the pan before stirring gently. Add one tablespoon of lime juice. Transfer the noodles to a large serving platter or bowl, gently stir in the remaining lime juice, scallions, cilantro leaves, basil, mint, and peanuts. Season to taste, adding more fish sauce and lime juice as desired. Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the salmon.

Prepare the salmon: In a small bowl, whisk together the red chili paste, oil, and 1 teaspoon cold water until mostly smooth. Brush the tops of the salmon fillets liberally with the chili paste mixture. Season very lightly with salt and pepper.

Heat roughly one tablespoon neutral cooking oil over medium-high heat in a large 12-inch non-stick skillet. Add the salmon fillets, skin-side down, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes (time will vary depending on the thickness of your salmon fillets - my filets were about 1-inch thick). Flip the fillets and continue cooking until the flesh is slightly opaque in the center and the the salmon is caramelized, about 1 to 2 minutes. Distribute the Thai noodle salad, top with a piece of glazed salmon, and serve. Garnish with lime wedges for squeezing.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS:
An instant thermometer inserted in center of fillets should read between 120 - 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Sockeye salmon dries out more easily than other varieties of wild salmon, and is best served medium-rare.