Sweet Chili Panko-crusted Salmon

Sweet Chili Panko-crusted Salmon. Taking salmon to the next level with a wonderful flavorful crust that when you break through reveals the most tender, flaky, moist layers of salmon!  Don't think you are having enough fish in your diet? No worries, you are not alone in that feeling. However, I think  I have a solution. How about this dish? Easy, tasty, and healthy too!

Song of the day: "I Won't Back Down" by Tom Petty.

Sweet Chili Panko-crusted Salmon. Are you unsure of how to prepare the salmon you purchased? Tired of the normal way of cooking your fish or just fearful of how much to cook it and keep it flaky and tender? Today I am going to show you a recipe that does exactly that and I am sure as peanut butter and jam that you are going to love it! That is if you are a salmon lover. Or not?

 

Fearlessness!

Cooking fish is a daunting task! That feeling or thought of undercooking it or overcooking it always lingers with many of us. However, you are in luck, as today I am hoping to help you dissipate those thoughts and feelings with this wonderful Sweet Chili Panko-crusted Salmon.  

Fear is a funny thing, it seems to keep us away from some pretty amazing things in life, however, fear also protects us when in a situation that is not in our best interest! The key is to know the difference between the two and which one to walk through and which one to take note of.

Memories

It seems a bit much talking about fear and cooking, but I think many can relate to being terrified to make a certain dish for fear of failure. I remember a time when fear saved my life, a feeling deep inside of me telling me to get out of that situation and so I did, thankfully because it could have turned out horribly.

On the other side of things, I was offered a job years ago, and when it was offered I had the most fearful feeling. I talked myself rationally through the fear and took the job which turned out to change my life considerably. All in all, I am grateful for both situations as I was taught to listen inside myself and see what is truly real.

In conclusion

Okay, let's cut to what I really want to say. When we prepare food for people we care about and truly we don't want to fail them. The true fear is failure! Wow, that is a lot of pressure, don't you agree? Well, today we are going to leave all of that on the roadside and dive right into making this Sweet Chili Panko-crusted Salmon.  So let's get cooking!

Let's talk salmon

Of the popular ones, most of you probably know Sockeye, Chinook, or Atlantic. I would say the Sockeye is the strongest in flavor, and Chinook coming up second. Atlantic is the mild one. Truly, it is the one I like the most, however, it all depends on how I am preparing it. Today Atlantic has won as I want a more subtle flavor to balance with the sweet/spicy nature of the crust.

The crust

When I came up with this recipe, I was really just winging it, relying on my passion for Asian cuisine to guide me through it. The thought of sweet chili sauce combined with the salmon really intrigued me, then my creative brain took over, and hence, how I came to discover making the panko crust flavored with sweet chili sauce. I am not going to tell you all I put into the crust just yet, that will be in the recipe.

What to do first

For me, and this is really a personal thing, I like to season the fish before doing anything else to it. This ensures me that it will have flavor. Not too much and not too little, so I use the sprinkle formula. I take a pinch of salt and sprinkle it evenly over the surface, and I do the same with garlic and onion powder, more so, adding in paprika and black pepper for good measure! 

Step two

This is where we seal the deal and I coat that lovely crimson-colored fish with an olive oil mayo, which has such a beautiful richness to it and also will transfer some nice moisture to the fish in the cooking process.

Mixing up the crust

I let that salmon sit for a bit as I mix up the panko crust ingredients. Everything in a bowl with some highlights of sweet chili sauce, lemongrass, melted butter, furthermore some Italian seasoned breadcrumbs for added flavor and finer texture. Something to fill the gaps in between the coarse panko. 

Topping the salmon

Finally, time to get that salmon all crusted up. I place the salmon skin side down Then I sparingly cover the fish with the panko mixture. I pat it on top and the sides to make sure the salmon is beautifully coated and I take most of the loose excess panko away from the pan. While all of this was going on, I made sure to preheat the oven to 395 degrees Fahrenheit. Into the oven it goes to bake for around 10 minutes. We want our fish to be 145 degrees Fahrenheit in the middle. This tells us the fish is perfectly cooked.

Tips:

While the salmon is baking I wanted to give you some helpful tips:

• When cutting up your fish make sure to divide it so you have a pretty equal thickness throughout! More so, this will give you the best even cooking results.
• Invest in a cooking thermometer. It takes time to develop that touch to know where your fish is at in temperature. A thermometer gives you an easy indication and helps you achieve wonderful temperature results.
• Cook your fish skin side down. This will help to keep the moisture in and also give you added flavor and texture.

 

 

Wow! What a crust!

Take a look at that crust, crispy, golden brown, and it smells wonderful. The aroma of the sweet chili and lemongrass nice and subtle and I am so excited to cut into this salmon!

 

A perfect partner!

When I have something like this crusted salmon, I always want to pair it with an element of freshness and texture. What better way to achieve that than with a slaw. Crispy, creamy, tangy, I can't think of anything better to accompany the Sweet Chili Panko-crusted Salmon. 

Going in!

Don't you just love when your fork breaks into a  fish like this and you hear the crispness of the coating? Even better, when it keeps going through to reveal a wonderfully moist flaky fish inside. The aroma has my mouth watering and I have to just take a bite.

Mmmmmmmmm, what a texture in that panko mix, buttery, sweet and spicy with that hint of lemongrass that just heightens the taste buds! The salmon is so flaky and moist, my tongue feels that juice coming from those lovely folds of fish, and its flavor stupendous! I can't forget the slaw: the carrots, cabbage, purple onion all united with sesame spiced dressing offering an end result of luxury to lusciousness! This is a wonderful meal for the week. Give it a try and let us know how you made out! We would love to hear from you, after all, we want to get everyone cooking!

Cheers!

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