Equipment
Ingredients
Homemade Chips
- 800 g russet potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed clean
- 30 ml olive oil
- 5 g kosher salt
Curry Base
- 15 ml coconut oil
- 150 g yellow onion, finely diced
- 15 g garlic, minced
- 15 g fresh ginger, minced
- 15 g madras curry powder
- 30 g tomato paste
- 400 ml full-fat coconut milk
- 200 ml vegetable stock
Protein and Finish
- 600 g salmon fillet, skinless, pin bones removed
- 15 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 10 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat the oven to 220C or 430F.
Using a chef's knife and cutting board, cut the potatoes into thick, even batons about 1.5 centimeters wide to create traditional chip shop style chips.
Transfer the potato batons to a baking sheet. Toss them thoroughly with olive oil and kosher salt until evenly coated, spreading them out into a single layer.
Bake the chips in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and crispy on the edges.
While the chips bake, heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the finely diced yellow onion and saute until softened and translucent.
Stir in the minced garlic, minced ginger, curry powder, and tomato paste. Toast the aromatics and spices constantly stirring to prevent burning, until highly fragrant and deep in color.
Pour the full-fat coconut milk and vegetable stock into the skillet, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture to a gentle bubble, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.
Using a dedicated fish cutting board to prevent cross-contamination with raw meat, cut the salmon fillets into large, bite-sized chunks. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water immediately after handling the raw fish.
Gently nestle the salmon chunks into the simmering curry sauce. Poach the fish gently until it reaches an internal temperature of 63C or 145F and is opaque throughout.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Carefully stir in the fresh lime juice and scatter the roughly chopped fresh cilantro over the top.
Divide the hot, crispy homemade chips among four warm plates. Spoon the fragrant salmon curry either alongside the chips or directly over them, pub-style.
Chef's Notes
- To achieve the crispiest homemade chips, soak the cut potato batons in cold water for 30 minutes to remove excess surface starch, then thoroughly pat them completely dry with paper towels before tossing in oil.
- Toasting the curry powder in oil is a critical step known as blooming. It releases the fat-soluble flavor compounds and removes any raw, dusty flavor from the ground spices.
- Salmon continues to cook gently in the residual heat of the sauce. For the best texture, remove the pan from the heat the moment the salmon is just cooked through.
- If your curry paste base is sticking to the skillet while toasting, add a tiny splash of water to deglaze and prevent the spices from turning bitter.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store curry and chips in separate airtight containers to prevent chips from becoming soggy.
Freezer: 1 month — Curry base freezes well without the salmon. Do not freeze the cooked chips.
Reheating: Reheat curry gently on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through. Re-crisp chips in a 200C oven for 5 minutes.
