Spicy Salmon Steak

This mild fish curry is wonderfully fragrant and the creamy coconut sauce is an excellent way to cook salmon, keeping it moist and succulent. Serve on a bed of steamed rice or simply accompany with some warmed naan bread.

Serves 1

25 g/1 oz creamed coconut, roughly chopped
150 ml/¼ pint/2/3 cup hot (not boiling) vegetable stock
4 spring onions (scallions), trimmed and finely sliced
5 ml/1 tsp grated fresh root ginger or bottled ginger
10 ml/2 tsp korma or other mild curry paste
150 g/5 oz skinned salmon steak
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Put the creamed coconut in the ceramic cooking pot. Pour in the stock and stir until the coconut has dissolved. Add the spring onions, ginger and curry paste and stir again until blended.
2. Lightly season the salmon with salt and pepper. Add to the pot, cover with the lid and switch on the slow cooker to High or Low. Cook for ¾ hour on High or 1-1¼ hours on Low or until the salmon is just cooked.
3. Carefully remove the salmon from the slow cooker and serve on a warm plate with the sauce spooned over. Accompany the salmon with boiled or steamed rice or warmed naan bread.

Cook's tips
You could stir a tablespoonful of fresh or frozen chopped coriander (cilantro) into the sauce before serving.
Creamed coconut is sold in blocks and is a useful ingredient as it can be chopped and mixed with hot stock or water to make the required amount of coconut milk. It will keep for several months in the fridge.
Spring onions are a great buy when you're cooking for one, as ordinary onions are often too large when preparing small quantities of food. Keep them in a paper or an open plastic bag (to allow air to circulate) in the salad drawer in the fridge.

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