Samba Salmon

In my little college town, there is quirky neighborhood restaurant, Koriander, that serves Asian fusion and Italian gelato. I usually go for their traditional Korean dishes like bibimbap or sundubu jigae.

One day, craving something new, I noticed a section on their menu labeled Koriander specialties, which included a dish called samba salmon. Being an Oregonian, I'm quite fond of salmon, and it's always top-notch here. Intrigued by the unusual description—featuring a sauce made from a mixture of condiments ranging from Asian to American to Mexican—I decided to give it a try. The waiter insisted it was a customer favorite.

The dish arrived on a sizzling cast iron plate with a generous fillet of salmon and an assortment of vegetables like broccoli, carrots, and cabbage, all blanketed in a creamy sauce, paired with a side of rice. The zingy sauce was the color of the salmon itself, making it hard to distinguish where the creamy sauce ended and the unctuous fish began. The sauce also draped over the vegetables, which were broiled to perfection with caramelized bits on top.

The menu lists the sauce ingredients but offers no recipe or ratios. Somewhat doubtful that the hodge-podge of ingredients listed on the menu could produce something so delicious, I decided to experiment with the ratios at home. The result was astonishingly good.

This one-pan meal turned out to be both unique and impressive. It's undoubtedly a date-night showstopper.

Samba Salmon
1 T neutral oil

1/2 cup mayo (any mayo will do,bbut Kewpie mayo would be great here)
1 T ketchup
1 T soy sauce
1 T lemon juice
1 T sriracha or gochujang
1 t fish sauce
1/2 t chipotle powder
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced or grated
2 salmon fillets, about .75-.85 lbs total, skin on or off
~ 1 lb broccoli florets, sliced carrot and/or bell pepper

serve with rice

Add oil to a 10-12 inch cast iron skillet, place in oven, and preheat to 425. In a small bowl, stir together all sauce ingredients. Once oven is preheated, remove cast iron and arrange salmon fillets skin-side down (if they have skin). Scatter vegetables in a single layer around the pan. Pour the sauce on top of the fish, spreading it down onto the sides as well. Pour remaining sauce over the vegetables. Bake in oven until salmon is cooked through to your liking (I like it medium) and the top is beginning to brown, about 12-15 minutes. Broil for a minute at the end if the top is not browned.