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Pressure Cooker Vietnamese Caramel Salmon
![Pressure Cooker Vietnamese Caramel Salmon](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2017/09/25/dining/vietnamesecaramelsalmon/vietnamesecaramelsalmon-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 1tablespoon coconut oil, melted, or 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅓cup packed light brown sugar
- 3tablespoons Asian fish sauce
- 1½tablespoons soy sauce
- 1teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
- Finely grated zest of 1 lime
- Juice of ½ lime
- ½teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4skinless salmon fillets, preferably center-cut pieces, 6 to 8 ounces each
- Sliced scallions (white and green parts), for garnish
- Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Preparation
- Step 1
Using the sauté function, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, ginger, lime zest and juice, and black pepper in the pressure cooker. Bring to a simmer and then turn off the heat.
- Step 2
Place the fish in the pressure cooker, skin-side up (if there is skin still attached, that is). Spoon the sauce over the fish, cover, and cook on low pressure for 1 minute. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes; then release the remaining pressure manually. Check the fish for doneness by cutting into one of the fillets. If you prefer your salmon more well-done, cook it for another minute using the sauté function.
- Step 3
Carefully lift the salmon fillets onto a serving platter, flipping them over so the browned caramelized side is facing up. Reduce the sauce on the sauté function until it is thick and syrupy, about 3 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the salmon and garnish it with the scallions and cilantro.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
So so delicious. Cannot imagine why a pressure cooker would be desirable here. I put all sauce ingredients in sauté pan, brought to a simmer, placed fish in sauce, covered, turned once, total time for fish maybe 8 min. Removed fish, reduced sauce a bit. So so simple. Thank you MC for yet another dish that is greater than the sum of its parts!
Agree with several of the other comments - instant pot unnecessarily complicates this great tasting recipe. Sauce ingredients in a skillet, medium heat, bring to simmer, add fillets, skin up, cover and cook 8-10 min depending on thickness, turning once. I cut the sugar a bit to 1/4 cup.
Just looking at this recipe, I don't see how it would work in the IP -- there's almost no liquid here so how would it ever come to pressure? I'm counting only 5.5 Tbl of liquid, not including the half lime (though that probably wouldn't give more than another tsp or two).
It worked great! Sort of caramelized into a something resembling a ginger-teriyaki. I made two batches and we had the second batch cold the next day on salad, using the extra sauce as a dressing. Just lovely. Next time I will use less sugar.
BEWARE cooking this in an 8-quart! For us, it burned.
We followed the recipe exactly, but the Instant Pot never got up to pressure. Instead it tried for 10 minutes and then errored out (automatically went to Keep Warm). We gave it five more minutes and then shut it off and opened the lid. Sauce was burned black and stuck to the pot; fish was sadly overcooked.
I rechecked the pot after it cooled: seal was properly installed, lid was on right, and pressure vent was set correctly.
Wonderful recipe! I used frozen salmon and didn't bother thawing it before putting in the instant pot. Only thing I did differently was to cook on low pressure for 2 minutes instead of 1. Couldn't be more convenient, and can't wait to make it again.
Loved how well this turned out -- the salmon was super moist and delicious. Definitely decrease the sugar; I found 1/4 cup to be perfect.
I have an 8 qt instant pot too and you do need to increase the liquid - my IP started to flash "Burn"! Fortunately, I saw this right away and was able to turn off and open the pot, and actually, the salmon was perfect and the sauce was not burned. My son said it was the best dinner he'd ever had! I am going to try it again doubling the sauce so as to be more relaxed. Also, frozen salmon works great in the IP.
Made this last night, sans pressure cooker on the stovetop. Wifey said it's a keeper and it's to enter regular rotation! I eyeballed the ingredients, and suspect used less sugar as some recommend. I also began by sauteeing the white bits of the green onion before building the sauce in the pan-- saving the greens for the garnish. Don't skip the chopped green onion tops and cilantro, as well as an extra squeeze of lime at the end. Great dish, sopped up the leftover sauce some rice.
I really want to try this, but, for the life of me, I can't see how this would work in a standard pressure cooker! I do not have an IP so there is no "saute" function, so, I suppose I would just saute like any other pot. However, by the time it takes my standard pressure cooker to come to even a low pressure, I fear the salmon would be way overcooked and the sauce would be burned to the bottom. I see some have tried stove top versions.
Increase the grated ginger to 1 Tablespoon. It's a root and freshness varies. Hard to have too much ginger. Orange zest and juice work well if you need a substitute for the lime.
I took the advice of some other cooks and doubled the sauce. My instant pot reached pressure easily. However, while the salmon was perfectly cooked, the sauce was so salty as to be inedible. Next time I will make the sauce as written, add the salmon and marinade for a few minutes, then add water to increase the volume. The cooking process adds plenty of flavor to the fish and the sauce is not really necessary.
My wife and I liked it, but actually found it to be a bit too salty. No burning, plenty of liquid, used an IP, etc. To cut the saltiness next time and add a bit more liquid I may zest and juice an orange in addition to the lime.
This was wonderful! Love the IP for it. I double the sauce so adequate pressure is not an issue. I like extra sauce for my rice.
How much extra time if the salmon is frozen?
Mine burned too! Pressure cooker seems like total overkill. I love the sauce flavors though so plan to make it again, but roasting or poaching the salmon w/the sauce.
Created mixture in skillet then poured over salmon filets and put in my convection oven for 8 mins. at 400°. A hit!
I just made this in a cast iron skillet per her recipe in her book Dinner Changing the Game. It was super easy and quick. Salmon was wonderful… moist and perfectly done, but I found it to be excessively salty. I used a lower sodium soy sauce. Wondering if there’s a lower sodium Fish sauce out there….
Wow - made this on a whim with a bushel of doubts. Was sure it would be overcooked- but then, because I was in a hurry & I trust Melissa - I went for it. PERFECTION! As written.
Try this with FROZEN salmon, add more liquid, maybe less sugar.
Recipe too salty as written. Second time I made it I reduced fish sauce to just 1Tbls (vs 3 TBLS) and halved the soy sauce. Hubble and I loved it. I added two baby bok choy and a red pepper. Next time I’ll double the sauce, add more crunchy veggies and serve with white rice. Sauce was sweet-but that’s why is has “caramelized” in the title. Worked for me! Would also work nicely with tofu or shrimp.
Cook in pan
Too fishy! Results depend on your fish sauce. My Red Boat must be industrial strength. Start with 2 tsp. not 3 Tbsp.
Really good with crunchy Vietnamese salad recipe
Everyone loved it, even the kids (9 and 11). Very easy and came out perfect.
Make in skillet Use scant 1/4 cup light brown sugar
I tried to make this in my Ninja Foodi but I got a WATR warning. I shut it down and the sauce had burnt. The fish was overcooked but edible. Not sure what we went wrong
Turned out delicious, but I will definitely double the sauce recipe next time when using the IP - definitely not enough sauce with the stated recipe for the IP.
Excellent recipe. Recommend doubling the sauce and/or throwing some white wine in there to increase liquid in pot.
I cooked it in a pan stovetop of 8 mins, and the fish turned out perfect and not overcooked. I would use juice of 1 lime and less sugar!
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