Name: This Vietnamese glaze will turn your usual roast salmon into a flavour bomb
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 cup coconut water; 1/4 cup brown sugar; 1/4 cup kecap manis (sweet soy sauce); 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 1/2 stalk lemongrass, split and bruised; 2 teaspoons fish sauce; 6 x 150g boneless salmon fillets, skin off; 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted; Steamed rice, to serve; Pea salad; 300g sugar snap peas, trimmed; 120g mixed salad leaves; 1 Lebanese cucumber, julienned; 1 cup bean sprouts, trimmed; 1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves, plus extra to serve; 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, plus extra to serve; 2 green onions, thinly sliced; 2 pink grapefruit or 1 pomelo, peeled, segmented; 1/4 cup roughly chopped roasted peanuts; 1/4 cup Vietnamese salad dressing

Roast salmon is a tried-and-true family favourite in Aussie households. But if you’re tired of the usual teriyaki glaze or lemon parsley crust, this Vietnamese glaze will blow your taste buds away. Made with fresh ginger, fish sauce and lemongrass, your salmon will have a sticky, sweet glaze that is an absolute flavour bomb.

Pair it with a fresh pea salad that includes cucumber, mixed salad leaves and lots of herbs for a good contrast.

Ingredients

1 cup coconut water

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 stalk lemongrass, split and bruised

2 teaspoons fish sauce

6 x 150g boneless salmon fillets, skin off

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Steamed rice, to serve

Pea salad

300g sugar snap peas, trimmed

120g mixed salad leaves

1 Lebanese cucumber, julienned

1 cup bean sprouts, trimmed

1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves, plus extra to serve

1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, plus extra to serve

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 pink grapefruit or 1 pomelo, peeled, segmented

1/4 cup roughly chopped roasted peanuts

1/4 cup Vietnamese salad dressing

Method

Step 1

Place coconut water, brown sugar, kecap manis, ginger, garlic, lemongrass and fish sauce in a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until sauce is reduced and thickened. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool.

Step 2

Meanwhile, for the pea salad, place peas in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 5 minutes or until bright green and just tender. Refresh under cold water. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl. Add remaining salad ingredients (except salad dressing) and toss gently to combine.

Step 3

Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Step 4

Place salmon in a shallow dish. Add half the cooled sauce mixture, turning salmon to coat all over. Transfer salmon to prepared tray. Roast for 5–6 minutes or until almost cooked through. Drizzle over a little remaining glaze and cook the salmon under a hot grill for 8–10 minutes or until caramelised and edges are just starting to char, brushing with remaining glaze halfway through cooking. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Step 5

Pour dressing over salad. Serve salmon with salad and rice. Garnish with extra coriander and mint.

vietnamese baked salmon sitting on long white dish with fresh herbs and sliced snap peas around it. salmon is topped with glaze and white sesame seeds — (Photography: Tim Roberts and Jeremy Simons, Styling: Michele Cranston)

Recipe Developer Kim Coverdale Recipe Developer

Kim Coverdale is a recipe developer and food writer with more than 25 years of experience in Australian food publishing. Trained at the Australian Women's Weekly Test Kitchen — one of Australia's most trusted homes of recipe development — Kim has spent her career creating, testing, and perfecting recipes for some of the country's leading food titles. Every recipe she develops is rigorously tested to ensure it works reliably in home kitchens, not just professional ones.

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Senior food editor Sarah Murphy Senior food editor

Sarah Murphy is a Senior Food Editor who has worked across leading Australian food magazines since 2010. She holds a Bachelor of Communications (Advertising and Public Relations) and has contributed to magazines including delicious., The Australian Women’s Weekly Food, Super Food Ideas and Woman’s Day. Sarah has also worked across multiple cookbooks for delicious. magazine and The Australian Women’s Weekly Cookbooks. Currently, Sarah is the Senior Food Editor for Better Homes and Gardens Magazine and oversees all food content, creating and developing achievable recipes for readers that still excite and impress.