This is my riff on an Eric Ripert recipe called "Baked Salmon With Coconut-Tomato Sauce and Creamy Jasmine Rice" which on the face of it is daft--who am I to think I can improve on the work of the most celebrated seafood chef in America? Well, I'm someone who would make and use my own tomato sauce at this time of year instead of using canned, which in fact I'm certain he would does too but for the convenience of the average NYTimes reader, his recipe suggested canned. I also objected to his absolutely plain unseasoned salmon, and borrowed from a Wolfgang Puck preparation I enjoyed at Spago many years ago, adding ginger and black pepper to the basting butter to make a rough "crust". I thought it worked beautifully with the tomato-coconut sauce and can't imagine removing that element now, so there.
Baked Salmon With Coconut-Tomato Sauce and Creamy Jasmine Rice
FOR THE COCONUT-TOMATO SAUCE:
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
1 tablespoon finely diced garlic
2 tablespoons finely diced onion
2 medium sized fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup coconut milk
Salt and ground black pepper
FOR THE CREAMY JASMINE RICE:
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup jasmine rice
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup coconut milk
Salt and ground white pepper
FOR THE SALMON:
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
coarsely ground fresh black pepper
pinch salt per filet
4 6-ounce salmon fillets
Salt and ground black pepper
Preparation
1.For coconut-tomato sauce: In a saucepan, heat oil and add garlic and onion. Sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add diced fresh tomatoes and simmer for 20-30 minutes, then puree in a Foley mill to remove seeds and skin. Add coconut coconut milk, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until slightly reduced, perhaps another 10 minutes.
2.For creamy jasmine rice: In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups water and the butter. Bring to a boil, add rice, and reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat, cover snugly with foil, and allow to sit for another 12 minutes. Combine milk and coconut milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir into cooked rice, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
4.For salmon: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Add grated ginger and black pepper to melted butter, spoon over salmon. Season each filet with a pinch of salt. Brush salmon filets with melted butter, sprinkle salt over, and place in open roasting pan. Bake five minutes for rare and up to 12 minutes for more fully cooked depending on the thickness of your filets and your preferences.
5.To serve, reheat sauce. Place an equal portion of rice in center of each of four plates. Top each with a fillet, and pour sauce around rice and salmon.