Name: Sweet-and-Sour Salmon with Bok Choy
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: ⅓ cup packed brown sugar; ⅓ cup lime juice (3 limes); 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil; 1 tablespoon fish sauce; 2 garlic cloves , minced; 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; 4 heads baby bok choy (4 ounces each), halved; ½ cup water; 4 (6-ounce) center-cut, skin-on salmon fillet , 1½ inches thick; Salt and pepper

Why This Recipe Works

We planned to cook all of the components in the same pan, in stages. Cooking the salmon first, a natural instinct, and letting it rest while we cooked the bok choy resulted in fishy-tasting, greasy greens. We reversed the order, browning the bok choy and wilting it with a little water to ensure the ideal tender texture. Using a nonstick skillet allowed us to cut down on oil, helpful with an already oily fish. Cooking the salmon to 125 degrees promised the perfect doneness after the fillets rested on the serving platter. We then used the skillet to cook a bright and tangy lime sauce, which needed to simmer for just a few minutes to reach the perfect consistency for drizzling over our salmon and bok choy.

Before You Begin

You will need a 12-inch nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe. Serve with white rice.

Instructions

Whisk sugar, lime juice, sesame oil, fish sauce, garlic, and pepper flakes together in bowl; set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Lay half of bok choy in skillet, cut side down, and cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.

Turn bok choy over, add ¼ cup water, cover, and cook until lightly browned on second side and stems are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to platter and repeat with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, remaining bok choy, and remaining water.

Pat salmon dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Add remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to now-empty skillet and heat over medium-high heat until just smoking. Carefully lay salmon in skillet, skin side up, and cook until well browned on first side, 4 to 6 minutes.

Flip salmon over, reduce heat to medium, and cook until center is still translucent when checked with tip of paring knife and registers 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 3 to 6 minutes; transfer to platter with bok choy.

Drain fat from now-empty skillet, add sugar mixture, and cook until slightly thickened and reduced to ½ cup, 3 to 4 minutes. Drizzle sauce over fish and bok choy and serve.