Indian · main

Tamarind-Glazed Salmon

Tamarind-Glazed Salmon reads umami 8.0, richness 5.9 and salinity 5.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Indian main, about 20 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 9.1 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.9 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 7.2 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.2 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.6 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 8.0 · Richness 5.9 · Salinity 5.9 · Sourness 5.6 · Citrus 5.3 · Sweetness 4.3 · Marine & Briny 3.5 · Allium 3.4 · Funk & Ferment 2.5 · Heat 2.5 · Nutty 2.2 · Warm Spice 2.1 · Fruity 2.1 · Herbaceous 1.3 · Floral 1.0 · Smoke 0.9 · Bitterness 0.9 · Earthy 0.9

What's in it (14)

• tamarind concentrate — 59 g
• light-brown sugar — 38 g
• soybean soy sauce — 30 g
• garlic — 6 g
• ginger — 5 g
• cayenne pepper — 1 g
• salmon fillets — 680 g
• salt — 5 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 3 g
• oil — 14 g
• unsalted butter — 14 g
• green onions — 220 g
• sesame seeds — 15 g
• lime — 65 g

Time & effort: about 20 min (15 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 112.5 kcal, 11.6 g protein, 5.5 g fat, 6.5 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together the tamarind concentrate, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and cayenne. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the glaze is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes; remove from heat and set aside.
2. Pat the salmon fillets completely dry with paper towels, then season both sides with the kosher salt and black pepper.
3. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Lay the salmon skin-side down, pressing gently for the first 30 seconds so the skin makes even contact, and sear undisturbed until the skin is deeply golden and crisp and the fish releases easily from the pan, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Flip the fillets, brush the top of each with about half the tamarind glaze, and sear 1 minute more.
5. Position an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler to high. Transfer the skillet to the broiler and broil until the glaze is bubbling and caramelized at the edges and the salmon reaches 125 to 130 F in the thickest part for medium (or 135 to 140 F for more well done), 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Remove the skillet from the broiler (the handle will be hot) and transfer the salmon to a plate to rest, tenting loosely with foil, 5 minutes.
7. Set the same skillet over low heat, add the remaining glaze and the butter, and swirl until the butter melts into a glossy sauce, about 1 minute.
8. Spoon the warm glaze over the salmon, scatter with green onions and sesame seeds, and serve with lime wedges on the side.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Grilled Salmon with Maple Glaze — American
• Sweet Chili Glazed Salmon — Thai
• Baked Salmon with Brown Sugar Glaze — American
• Garlic Butter Shrimp Fra Diavolo — Italian-American
• Lemon Pepper Shrimp Pasta — Italian-American

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.