Panang Curry Salmon

If you like spicy food like me, then you are likely a fan of Thai curries. What most spicy food lovers don't often know is just how easy it is to make these delicious dishes at home. Here is one I threw together last night to make with some wild salmon I had, but you can easily swap chicken, shrimp, or whatever in place of the fish. Some essential ingredients are usually only available at Asian markets or online, but I have seen them sometimes in the Intl. section of the better supermarkets. These ingredients being Thai Curry Paste, Coconut Milk, and Fish Sauce(fish soy,) You'll also want to make sure that you have plenty of fresh cilantro for edible garnish on top after cooking. Here is what I used in last night's dinner, but feel free to swap the veggies/meat to your preference or what you have on hand.

1 pound Salmon fillet, rinsed and patted dry
2-13.5oz cans Coconut Milk(unsweetened)
3 Tbs Oil(I used HO Sunflower)
2-4 Tbs Thai Panang Curry Paste(I use Mae Ploy or Aroy-D brands)
4 Tbs Palm Sugar(can substitute with granulated sugar)
2-4 Tbs Fish Soy
1/2 head Green Cabbage, sliced coarsely
1-2 Carrots, peeled & sliced
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, sliced
1/2 bunch Cilantro, leaves and stems finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350F
Heat over medium heat, oil and curry paste in large oven proof skillet stirring until they combine into a thiner paste. Add the coconut milk, fish soy and sugar and stir until well mixed. Continue to heat for 2-4 minutes until the sauce thickens. Now I decided to assemble the rest of my ingredients in a large baking dish so that I could pour the sauce over the top, but you can bake them in the skillet if you desire. I loosely covered the bottom of the dish with about 1/3 of the cabbage, then placed the salmon on that, covered the sides and top of the salmon with remaining cabbage and veggies, and smothered it all as evenly as possible with the curry sauce. Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes(fork check) remove from oven, stir the sauce a bit, serve over rice, and garnish with the chopped cilantro. This is a quick hearty meal that satisfies the need for heat which can be further increased by adding more curry paste, chopped fresh Thai Chiles, or "Burning Sensations" Thai Red Chile hot sauce.

Enjoy, God bless, and keep it Saucey!!!