Coconut Milk-Poached Orange Roughy

Coconut Milk-Poached Orange Roughy

• • 4 filets (about 1 1/2 pounds) orange roughy

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 1/2 sweet yellow onion, finely diced

  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed, but not chopped

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1 star anise

  • 1 can (14 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk

  • 1 cup skim milk

  • Handful of fresh Thai basil (or sweet basil), chopped

Rinse the fish and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan (one with a lid) over medium heat. Add the onion, with a pinch of salt, and cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and the spices; combine with the onion and cook for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium low. Stir in the coconut milk and skim milk, then place the fish in the liquid.

Cover and simmer until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, about 20 minutes.

Cook's Note: You don't want to boil the liquid; keep it at a very low simmer, so that the fish slowly cooks while it absorbs the flavor of the poaching liquid.

Serve the fish with hot jasmine rice, spooning some of the coconut milk broth over the rice, or with Curry-Spiced Roasted Potatoes (below). Garnish with the basil.

The leftover poaching liquid can be saved for another curry dish (I froze mine for future use).

Yields 4 servings.

Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen