Konkan Wild Salmon Balchao Muchee Recipe

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -  

The difference between farm-raised salmon and wild salmon does not stop at the price. Aficionados of wild salmon adore its deep red-orange color and meatlike marbling, a result of the fish swimming upstream for miles to spawn, when it depends on its fat reserves to make the long journey. A prized delicacy from the Northern Hemisphere, particularly the Pacific Northwest, this seasonal fish excels when it is poached in creamy coconut milk flavored with pungent chiles, tart vinegar, aromatic curry leaves, festive tomato, and perky-crisp scallions.

Serves 4

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skin-on wild salmon fillet (such as Alaskan or Copper River)
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon Balchao masala (see recipe)
1 teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt
12 to 15 medium-size to large fresh curry leaves
2 tablespoons canola oil
12 grape tomatoes, sliced in half; or 1 medium-size tomato, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 scallions (green tops and white bulbs), thinly sliced crosswise

1. Sprinkle the turmeric over the skinless side of the salmon fillet, and pat it into the firm, meaty, deep red-orange flesh. Cover and refrigerate to allow the turmeric to flavor the fillet, at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight (since there is no acid that would break down the fish).
2. When you are ready to cook the fish, combine the coconut milk, masala, salt, and curry leaves in a small bowl.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the salmon, flesh side down, and cook until it browns and seals in the juices, 2 to 4 minutes. Turn the fish over and briefly sear the skin side, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Give the spicy coconut milk mixture a stir, and then pour it over the fish. Lift the fillet to allow the liquid to coat the bottom of the skillet. Once the curry comes to a boil, spread the tomatoes and scallions over the fillet. Continue to poach the salmon, uncovered, occasionally tilting the pan and scooping some of the sun-yellow sauce over the fish to baste it, until the fillet barely starts to flake, 5 to 8 minutes.
5. Lift the fish onto a serving platter, spoon the sauce over it, and serve.

Red Chile and Vinegar Paste
Balchao masala

Balchao, a pickle-like blend of ingredients crucial to many of Portuguese Goa’s meat dishes, usually incorporates Goa’s other passion, feni, a potent alcoholic brew made from either cashew nuts or palm fruit. Also omnipresent in Goan dishes is the highly acidic feni vinegar, which reduces the potency of dried red chiles -- as does tart tamarind, another key element in this layered, complex, and fiery-hot paste that peppers its way into many of Goa’s curries. Unfortunately, neither the alcohol nor the vinegar is available outside of India (maybe even outside of Goa), and so my offering is devoid of both. Nonetheless, it is very flavorful, with cider or malt vinegar standing in as a perfectly acceptable substitute.

Makes 1/2 cup

1/2 cup cider vinegar or malt vinegar
1 teaspoon tamarind paste or concentrate
1 cup dried red Thai or cayenne chiles, stems removed
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
12 medium-size cloves garlic
2 lengthwise slices fresh ginger (each 2½ inches long, 1 inch wide, and 1/8 inch thick)
2 cinnamon sticks (each 3 inches long), broken into smaller pieces

1. Pour the vinegar into a blender jar, and then add all the remaining ingredients. Puree, scraping the inside of the jar as needed, until it forms a highly pungent, reddish-brown paste.
2. Store the mixture in a tightly sealed nonreactive container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Tip:
Pouring the liquid into the blender jar first ensures a smooth puree, so do make sure you follow the recommended order for adding ingredients to the jar. If you are making only a half-batch, you might need to add an extra tablespoon of vinegar (5 tablespoons total rather than ¼ cup) to get the blades to do a decent job of pureeing, just because of the sheer volume of chunky ingredients.