Yesterday afternoon I spent a very pleasant hour or so sorting (and at long last, filing!) an ever-growing pile of recipes that have been ripped out of cooking magazines over the years. Often there are only a few recipes inside that truly appeal, so with each move we’ve made around the country or world, I’ve found it difficult to justify the continual packing and unpacking of so many magazines… plus I’m loathe to stack them onto our bookshelves, which quite honestly deserve a finer quality of literature. For the most part though they are all recipes that I would still like to try out at some stage in the future and finally having them in some sort of order will make this much more achievable.
The following recipe was one of the first that I sorted. It was immediately placed to one side with intentions of making it sooner rather than later. In fact it was made much sooner than I’d anticipated – that very same night! So quick and easy to make, yet beautifully fragrant, light and healthful. The whole family enjoyed this one… I prepared a little steamed jasmine rice to have on the side, to soak up some of the delicious broth at the end. We’re already looking forward to the next time this lovely dish graces our table! It came from a Delicious Magazine… a Valli Little recipe, I think… I adapted it very slightly, in that I didn’t panfry the salmon and prawns separately (who wants to wash up an extra frypan?!) but instead poached the salmon and prawns in the broth… it worked beautifully.
Salmon and Prawns in Spicy Coconut Broth
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Sunflower Oil
- 2-3 Tablespoons Laksa Paste (taste and add the extra tbsp if too mild)
- 400ml Can Coconut Milk
- 125ml/½ Cup Free-Range Chicken Stock
- 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 4 Kaffir Lime Leaves (I used dried ones)
- 4 Salmon Fillets (about 125g each)
- 12 Raw Prawns (Peeled and Deveined, tails left intact) or Cooked Prawns if you prefer (which will just need warming in the broth for a minute or so before serving)
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
- 2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
- 100g (approx 4-5 each) Snow Peas (Blanched for 2mins in boiling water, then drained)
- Fresh Coriander/Cilantro Leaves (for Garnishing)
Instructions
In a large deep frypan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the paste and stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Now add the coconut milk, stock, sugar and kaffir lime leaves. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add the salmon fillets to the broth and allow them to poach for 4-5 minutes (covering the pan with a lid). Then add the prawns and simmer for a further 2-3 minutes. Pour in the lime juice and fish sauce and remove from the heat as soon as the salmon and prawns are cooked to perfection.
Divide the seafood and snow peas among 4 shallow bowls and then pour over the broth and garnish with fresh coriander. Serve immediately as is, or with a side of steamed jasmine rice.
* In future I think I’ll toss the snow peas into the broth at the same time as the prawns, rather than boiling them separately in yet another saucepan… LOVE a one pot dish!
** Purchase the best Laksa paste you can find – it’s worth it. Or even better, make your own if you have the time.
Gather & Graze 
Can there be any better soup than a seafood soup!!! Love this one; will try soon 🙂
Oh, I adore seafood soup too! So pleased that you enjoyed this recipe. 🙂 Cheers, Margot
This looks absolutely beautiful…so fresh and vibrant! I’m a sucker for salmon and coconut in any form and this looks just the thing to warm up a chilly English evening and transport me to sunnier climes!
Such a kind comment – thank you! Isn’t it the most wonderful thing about food… how it can transport you around the world, in a single mouthful! 🙂
It’s one of the things I love most about it…I love making food that takes me to places I’ve never been (hello Lebanese and Turkish mezzes!) but I also love making things that take me back to a very specific place and time too. Have a lovely day Margot!
This is just what I need to stay warm on these chilly evenings we’ve been having!
I think I could eat this kind of food any time of year Mary! Hope you have a great weekend.
I just love the look of that, fresh and zippy and delicious. I actually have some lime leaves too as luck would have it…..
Thanks Anna! Lovely that you have some kaffir lime leaves on hand… I’m going to duck out to a garden nursery today to see if I can pick up a little kaffir lime to grow in a pot. 🙂
This is definitely going on this week’s menu 🙂 Although I might regret a spicy dish in this 40 degree weather!!
That’s exciting to hear Laura! Hope the weather cools off a little for you… this dish is great for the warmer weather, but no-one needs 40+ temps to deal with! Please let me know if you do give it a try and your thoughts on it… always good to get some feedback 🙂
Easy recipes like this are what I live for! Its absolutely a gorgeous dish!
That’s fabulous to hear! Thanks so very much for your kind comment Peggy.
Beautiful – just the right sort of light, fresh, quick and tasty food we need after the excesses of Christmas!
Thanks Tanya! I agree completely… we need many more meals like this one in the coming weeks… lightness is the key! 🙂
This looks delicious 🙂
Thanks Rebecca for your very kind comment! Cheers, Margot
Shrimp in spicy coconut flavor topped with cilantro and snow peas… sublime! I know it is a broth, but I want my bowl of rice to go with it! I’ll be right over! 😀
That’s fabulous – I can’t wait to welcome you into our home Fae! 🙂
Have to admit, I’d never heard of laksa before. I’ve just Googled, and it is for sale over here. Probably not in my local stores, though. Wanted to ask what you thought of the dried kaffir lime leaves, as I can buy those in the small International store. I’ve never bothered with them as I use bay leaves in everything. Besides, I really don’t know jot about Far Eastern food. But I love the spices used in the laksa that’s published on Taste.com.au. If that’s anything to go by. Sounds delicious with the coconut milk and lime.
Oh, laksa is wonderful Johnny – it would be worth making up a paste yourself, or trying to buy a jar online somehow. Like most curries, it works well with all different types of meat, seafood and vegetables. A traditional laksa is usually served up in a large bowl with meat, asian greens and noodles that all need slurping up… not the easiest dish to eat cleanly and politely… but oh so delicious! I really hope you decide to give it a try sometime.
This is my sort of food Margot and perfect when the weather is hot and steamy. I could eat Asian style soup every day? I relate to the magazine cutting build up. Usually i chuck much more than I keep on second look
My boys are much more adventurous these days when trying spicy foods, so I’m thrilled to finally be able to cook these kinds of dishes for the whole family (and not just 2 of us…)
I think I need to start leaving the foodie magazines on the newsagent shelf and just work my way through all the ones I have… added to all the cookbooks… and the bookmarked recipes from inspiring bloggers like yourself! 🙂
oh I have that planned too – I want to scan and then get rid of all the paper, maybe some time this year !
An even better solution than filing them away Poli – great idea! Perhaps I’ll follow suit and do the same! Cheers, Margot
Hi Margot – I realise I have filed so much stuff away – art, galleries, artists, travel and hotels, designer furniture etc and then when I want to go somewhere /do something I google instead as I cannot be bothered to go through the folders as I dont know whats in there, scanning hits two birds with one stone, less paper and you can file in a way that is easily searcheable – an assistant I once worked with showed me the way on this one 🙂 – she gave all her cookbooks away and filed what she wanted to keep, Id never go that far but I liked the idea
It is a really good idea, but yes magazines are one thing and cookbooks another. I really struggle when it comes around to the school fete each year to work out which cookbooks I might be able to part with… usually one or two, but no more than that.
ah yes one or two I could do that as well, I have a very old jewish cookbook that focuses on traditional stuff like lungs etc. which I likely will never need …but I still have it..
Magazine clippings … a great pile of somedays, waiting for attention. I admire your courage in facing them and starting to sort through. This was a great place to start, too. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks… it feels great to have finally put some order into that big stack of recipes and to revisit what I’d actually cut out. Lovely to have the time over the school holidays to do these sorts of things!
Nice flavor combination, I’ll bet the coconut milk is a lovely addition…
Thanks Jeanne! The coconut milk really perfumes and softens the flavour – such a beautiful ingredient.
This is truly making me drool Margot! Salmon, prawns & curry!! Yum!
Thanks so much Naina! It was yum indeed! 🙂
I want to make this today, don’t have any kaffir lime leaves, can I just use lime? I know it’s different but would it alter the taste dramatically? Love this!!!
Hi Suzanne, that’s fabulous! I’d probably use some strips of lime zest instead of lime leaves, if it were me… I’m tempted to go out this week and find a little kaffir lime tree to plant in a pot. Though I’ve also heard that the leaves keep really well in a zip-loc bag in the freezer. Love to hear what you think if you give it a go today! M 🙂
This looks amazing!!
Kind of you to say so… thank you!
Loving the ingredients in this recipe, I’m sure the coconut broth was amazing!
Thanks Loretta – we all loved the flavour of the broth! I served some steamed rice on the side (mostly for the kids) to add in to their broth at the end, but I thought it was great served purely as a seafood soup!
‘pinned’ 🙂
Cheers Dana! 🙂
A very nice recipe. The taste would be superb. The combination of prawns and coconut milk i lovvvve.
Thanks Sadia, the flavour is beautifully aromatic. What I also love about this dish is that it’s a perfect week-night meal as so quick to prepare!
Love Salmon and Prawns and the dish looks so delicious, Margot 🙂
Me too Linda and they go so well together in this soupy curry! Thanks so much!