Salmon with Sweet Chili Glaze, Sugar Snap Peas, and Pea Tendrils

Cover recipe from Bon Appetit, April 2010
Salmon with Sweet Chili Glaze, Sugar Snap Peas, and Pea Tendrils
Bon Appetit features “Fresh & Easy Dinners” in its April 2010 issue.  This recipe is part of a piece called, “Spring’s Big 3,” showcasing vegetables that are making their spring debut:  asparagus, peas and artichokes.  Sugar snap peas are the focus of the cover recipe.  They add sweetness, crunch and color to dishes.  BA suggests looking for plump, bright, slightly tender pea pods.  The freshest tasting, most beautiful looking peas will be found at farmer’s markets in the spring.

The cover recipe combines a sweet-marinated salmon with sugar snap peas and fresh pea tendrils (the young leaves and shoots of the snow pea plant that taste like a cross between peas and spinach).  Pea tendrils can be found at farmer’s markets and Asian markets.  They’re definitely worth locating for this recipe, but be sure to see my notes below if you’re not able to find them in your area.

Salmon with Sweet Chili Glaze, Sugar Snap Peas, and Pea Tendrils
Source:  Bon Appetit, April 2010

ingredients: 
1/4 cup Asian sweet chili sauce
3 Tablespoons soy sauce, divided
2 Tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger, divided
Six (6-ounce) salmon fillets with skin
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed
1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry Sherry
3 cups pea tendrils or pea sprouts (about 6 ounces)
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

instructions:
1.  Line rimmed baking sheet with foil. Coat with nonstick spray. Whisk chili sauce, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 1 Tablespoon ginger in small bowl. Place salmon fillets, skin side down, on prepared sheet. Spoon chili sauce marinade over and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
2.  Preheat broiler. Spoon any marinade remaining on baking sheet over salmon fillets. Broil salmon without turning until browned in spots and almost opaque in center, 6 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness of fillet.
3.  Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in wok or heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon ginger and minced garlic; stir until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add sugar snap peas and stir until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, rice wine, and pea tendrils and stir just until wilted, about 1 minute. Drizzle with sesame oil.
4.  Place 1 salmon fillet on each plate. Spoon warm pea mixture over salmon fillets and serve.

Serves:  6

Notes from Culinary Covers
*Asian sweet chili sauce can be found in the Asian food section of most markets.
*Pea tendrils or pea sprouts can be found at farmer’s markets and Asian markets.
*Easy way to grate fresh ginger:  peel it and then throw it in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes.  It will get nice and firm and be much easier to grate.  You can store it in the freezer in a zip baggie for future use.
*I don’t see any reason why you would need to buy salmon with the skin attached to it.  I used fillets with the skin removed and all turned out just fine.
*I had a heck of a time finding pea tendrils.  In San Diego, I know that they can be found at Specialty Produce, but I couldn’t manage to get there last week.  I did not check our local Asian market, which is what Bon Appetit recommends.  I used watercress leaves in place of the pea tendrils, and I chose not to saute them.  Instead I laid the leaves on the serving plate, and topped them with the hot salmon and sauteed sugar snap peas.
*The flavors in this salmon recipe are delicious… lightly sweet, and I loved the added crunch of the sweet peas.  The recipe all came together very easily.  While the salmon is baking, the peas are sauteed.  When all is done, it’s easy to assemble. 
*I thought this recipe made a nice, light dinner.  We eat salmon fairly often, and I’ll be putting it into my rotation to try again.

Did this recipe deserve the cover spotlight?  Yes!  This was definitely a fresh & easy dinner.  And it was a perfect cover for spring utilizing the sugar snap peas.

 Print This Post

Tagged as: bon appetit, salmon recipes