Skip carry-out curry. Velvety red curry sauce doesn’t require much at-home effort to earn its complex, rich flavor. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon oil. Whisk in 1 to 1½ tablespoons red curry paste and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Whisk in 1 14-ounce can coconut milk, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce and the zest and juice of 1 lime. Increase the heat to high, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Place 4 5-ounce salmon fillets skin-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet, then sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Bake 8 to 12 minutes, until the salmon is still slightly pink in the center. Then, remove the skin by sliding a thin spatula between the skin and the flesh, and transfer each fillet to a plate. Top the salmon with curry sauce and serve alone or with jasmine rice.
This article appears in December 2015.