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Ingredients
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Salmon
Green Pea Curry (mild, slightly coconutized)
Lemon Verbena Oil & Garnish
Method
Salmon
- 1
Bring salmon to room temperature
Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides lightly with kosher salt and black pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while you prepare the curry and oil.
- 2
Sear the salmon
Heat a large nonstick or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the neutral oil. Place salmon fillets skin-side down and press gently for 10 seconds to ensure even contact. Cook skin-side down without moving for 3–4 minutes, until skin is crisp and releases easily from the pan. Reduce heat to medium, flip the fillets and add the butter. Spoon the melted butter over the tops for 30–60 seconds for flavor and finish cooking to medium-rare/medium (internal temperature 115–125°F / 46–52°C for medium-rare to medium). Remove salmon to a warm plate and loosely tent with foil to rest for 3–4 minutes.
- 3
Green Pea Curry (mild, slightly coconutized)
- 4
Toast spices and sweat aromatics
In a medium saucepan or sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and toast 20–30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 4–5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, grated ginger, and minced green chili; cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.
- 5
Add powdered spices
Stir in ground coriander, turmeric, and curry powder and cook 30 seconds to bloom the spices, being careful not to burn them.
- 6
Build the curry
Add the peas to the pan and stir to coat with the spiced onion mixture. Pour in the coconut milk and the stock. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook 4–6 minutes if using frozen peas (2–3 minutes for fresh) until peas are tender and flavors meld.
- 7
Finish with tamarind and seasoning
Stir in the tamarind concentrate, sugar/honey, and lime juice. Taste and adjust salt (start with 3/4 tsp total) and acidity—add more tamarind or lime if you want brighter sour notes. If you prefer a smoother curry, use an immersion blender to purée half of the mixture for a creamy texture while leaving some whole peas for bite.
- 8
Final touches
Stir in the chopped cilantro. Keep the curry warm on the lowest heat while you sear the salmon. Reserve 1–2 teaspoons of the curry or reduce a couple tablespoons separately over medium heat to make a thicker tamarind glaze if desired: simmer about 3–5 minutes until syrupy.
Lemon Verbena Oil & Garnish
- 9
Make lemon verbena oil
Blanch the lemon verbena leaves in boiling water for 10 seconds, then shock in ice water and drain thoroughly. In a small blender or with an immersion blender, combine the blanched leaves with the extra-virgin olive oil and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a small bowl, pressing to extract oil. Stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice and season to taste with a pinch of salt. Chill briefly if you want a more vivid green oil.
- 10
Assemble and garnish
Spoon a generous portion of the warm green pea curry onto each plate. Place a salmon fillet atop the curry, skin-side up for crisp contrast. Drizzle the lemon verbena oil around the plate and over the salmon in a few thin lines. Dot with microgreens or herb leaves. If you made the reserved tamarind glaze, brush a light stroke on the salmon or plate for added sweet-sour highlight. Finish with a small grind of black pepper and a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt if desired.
