Poached Salmon with Tamarind Pineapple Sauce
This salmon cooks gently in a tangy tamarind and fresh pineapple sauce that lands right in that sweet-sour sweet spot. The fish slowly poaches in the sauce, soaking up all that bright, punchy flavor while staying tender and delicate. The pineapple softens into the sauce, the tamarind adds just the right tang, and a pile of garlicky green beans on the side keeps the whole thing balanced. It’s bold, a little unexpected, and honestly the kind of dinner that makes salmon feel exciting again.
Servings: Four
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon avocado oil
2 shallots, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
1 teaspoon honey
1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, finely diced
4 skinless salmon fillets, 5 to 6 ounces each
1 tablespoon lime juice
Garlic Green Beans
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon avocado oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
PREPARATION
Start sauce base: Heat the avocado oil in a wide stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Add the diced shallots, season with salt, and cook 3 to 4 minutes until softened and translucent.
Build flavor: Stir in the minced garlic and grated ginger and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
Cook pineapple: Add the finely diced pineapple, season with salt, and cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fruit softens and releases its juices.
Build sauce: Stir in the tamarind concentrate and honey. Add 1/4 cup water and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring to combine.
Poach salmon: Reduce heat to low and nestle the salmon fillets into the sauce. Cover and cook gently 4 to 6 minutes depending on thickness, until the fish is just cooked through and tender.
Finish sauce: Remove the lid, stir in the lime juice, and spoon some of the sauce over the salmon.
Cook green beans: Heat a stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Add the avocado oil and green beans and cook 4 to 5 minutes until bright and just tender. Add the sliced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
Plate: Spoon the tamarind pineapple sauce over the salmon and serve with the garlic green beans on the side.
Notes:
Cook the salmon gently over low heat so the sauce barely simmers. High heat can cause albumin, the white protein in salmon, to rise to the surface. Slow poaching helps keep the fish tender and minimizes this.
If the sauce thickens too much while the salmon cooks, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons water to loosen it.
Fresh pineapple works best here because it softens into the sauce while still keeping a little texture.
