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

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

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- Salmon with Sweet Chili Glaze, Sugar Snap Peas, and Pea Tendrils.  They add sweetness, crunch and color to dishes.  BAsuggests 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).

Check out my notes below to see what I thought of this recipe.

Print Recipe

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

Yield: Serves 6

Prep Time: 25 min + marinating time

Cook Time: 12 min

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

Directions:

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.

Tips:

*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. I had a heck of a time finding pea tendrils. 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.
*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.

Source:  Bon Appetit, April 2010

The results:

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.