Thai Lime Salmon and rice

• 20g pack of fresh coriander
• 3 limes
• 2 x 400ml cans coconut milk
• 2 tbsp light olive oil
• 25g butter
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 90g jar Thai red curry paste (we used Bart's spices)
• 500g basmati rice
• 4 lime leaves, fresh or freeze dried
• 6 skinless salmon fillets, each weighing about 140g/5oz
• 3 tbsp soy sauce (we used Kikkoman's)
• 2 tsp golden caster sugar
• 4 spring onions
• 2tsp fish sauce 
• 1 plump red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
• simple green salad, to serve

• Serves 6

  
  

  You will need a wide-based shallow casserole about 30cm in diameter, or a deep-sided sauté pan, with a tight-fitting lid as the salmon needs to steam in a single layer. 

  Pick coriander leaves off stalks, finely chop stalks and put the leaves in a bowl. Grate zest of one lime. Set aside. 
• Heat oil and butter in pan over a lowish heat, tip in shallots and sizzle gently for about 5 minutes, stirring, until golden. Stir curry paste in and cook for a couple of mins

  
  

  Take the pan off heat and add lime zest, coriander stalks, rice and a heaped teaspoon of salt, then mix everything together until the rice is coated in the curry paste. (You can prepare this up to two hours ahead.)

• STEP 4

  Pour coconut milk and water over the rice and stir. Bring to simmering point on a medium heat, stirring gently. Get the spoon right to the bottom of the pan so the rice doesn’t stick. Scatter in lime leaves and leave to simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
• STEP 5

  Add fish sauce. Stir rice once more, then lay salmon fillets on top. Cover and leave to barely simmer  for 15-20 minutes until the salmon looks cooked and the rice is tender. Cook everything very gently or you will have crunchy rice on the bottom and no liquid left.
• STEP 6

  While the fish is cooking, juice two of the limes (the grated lime and another) and in a small bowl mix the juice with the soy sauce and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Trim the spring onions, then slice into thin strands on the diagonal. Mix the spring onions and chilli with the coriander leaves. Cut the third lime into six wedges.
• STEP 7

  When rice and fish are ready, take the pan off the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes. To serve, scatter a third of the coriander salad over everything in the pan. Spoon some coconut rice on each plate, then, using a fish slice, put a salmon portion on top. Drizzle with some of the soy and lime dressing and scatter a spoonful of the coriander salad on top. Give everyone a lime wedge to squeeze over it. Serve the remaining dressing alongside.