Pressure Cooker Vietnamese Caramel Salmon
Searing salmon in a tangy lime and ginger caramel that’s spiked with Asian fish sauce is one of my favorite ways to cook the fish. Usually I make this in a skillet, starting it on the stovetop and finishing it in the oven. But it cooks beautifully and very quickly in the pressure cooker, turning wonderfully tender. If you like your salmon slightly rare in the center, seek out thick center-cut fillets. They are less likely to overcook than are thinner pieces. This is one of 10 recipes from Melissa Clark’s “Dinner in an Instant: 75 Modern Recipes for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker, and Instant Pot” (Clarkson Potter, 2017). Melissa Clark’s “Dinner in an Instant” is available everywhere books are sold. Order your copy today.
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 1tablespoon coconut oil, melted, or 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅓cup packed light brown sugar
- 3tablespoons Asian fish sauce
- 1 ½tablespoons soy sauce
- 1teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
- Finely grated zest of 1 lime
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- ½teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4skinless salmon fillets, preferably center-cut pieces, 6 to 8 ounces each
- Sliced scallions (white and green parts), for garnish
- Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Instructions
Step 1
Using the sauté function, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, ginger, lime zest and juice, and black pepper in the pressure cooker. Bring to a simmer and then turn off the heat.Step 2
Place the fish in the pressure cooker, skin-side up (if there is skin still attached, that is). Spoon the sauce over the fish, cover, and cook on low pressure for 1 minute. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes; then release the remaining pressure manually. Check the fish for doneness by cutting into one of the fillets. If you prefer your salmon more well-done, cook it for another minute using the sauté function.Step 3
Carefully lift the salmon fillets onto a serving platter, flipping them over so the browned caramelized side is facing up. Reduce the sauce on the sauté function until it is thick and syrupy, about 3 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the salmon and garnish it with the scallions and cilantro.