Salmon and Stir-Fry

Jeff the Chef
"Salmon and Stir-Fry," from Make It Like a Man!

This Salmon and Stir-Fry recipe comes from a TV show and cookbook called “James May Oh Cook!” (You may recall his Shakshuka.) This is simple, unfussy, everyday cooking that is nonetheless fresh, tasty, loaded with veg and protein, and can be pulled off easily on a school night.

Salmon and Stir-Fry
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Salmon and Stir-Fry

Recipe by James May, adapted by Make It Like a Man!Course: Dinner
Makes

2

servings

Ingredients

  • 2 salmon filets

  • Marinade

  • 1¼-inch piece of ginger, unpeeled, minced

  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced

  • 1 Tbs brown sugar

  • 1 Tbs soy sauce, plus more for seasoning

  • Juice squeezed from ½ a lime

  • Veg

  • 2-3 Tbs safflower oil (see notes)

  • 2 tsp sesame seed oil

  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and thinly sliced

  • 1¼-inch piece of ginger, unpeeled, very thinly sliced

  • 1 red Thai chile, deseeded and minced

  • 3-4 cups assorted veg, sliced or diced (see notes)

  • 1 cup chopped bok choy

  • Salt

Directions

  • To marinade:
  • Place the salmon filets pink-side-up into a small container, or on a plate. Mix the marinade ingredients together and spread them over the salmon. Cover, and refrigerate for up to six hours. Move the filets to a Silpat-lined baking tray (pink-side-up, again), gather up any marinade that didn’t come out of the container with the salmon, and spoon it over the filets.
  • Or, skip the marinade:
  • Place the salmon filets pink-side-up onto a baking tray lined with a Silpat. Mix the marinade ingredients together and spread it over the salmon.
  • Bake the salmon:
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the salmon for 15 minutes.
  • Make the stir-fry:
  • Start the stir-fry when the salmon has about 5 minutes left in the oven. If it’s done before the stir-fry, let it rest on the countertop, tented with foil.
  • Heat a cast-iron pan over an extra-large burner set to high heat (setting 6 or 7 out of 9) for five minutes. Add the oils. Immediately add the garlic and ginger. Stir for about 15 seconds, then add the veg. Stir constantly for 2 minutes, or until the veg is to your liking, seasoning with salt as you cook. Add the bok choy, and stir until it wilts. Off heat.
  • Plate it up:
  • Divide the veg among two dinner plates post haste. Top with salmon. Drizzle with soy sauce. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • You can peel the ginger if you want to, but I don’t think it makes a hoot of a difference in the dish.
  • For the safflower oil, substitute any oil that has a neutral flavor and a high smoking point
  • For the veg, I used snow peas, baby carrots halved lengthwise, sliced red bell pepper, and sliced red onion.
  • If all your burners are the same size, turn the flame to (or damn near) its highest setting.
"Salmon and Stir-Fry," from Make It Like a Man!

The Backstory

I love fish, but I wasn’t raised eating it at home. Even though my childhood is well behind me now, fish still seems mysterious to me in the kitchen. That makes me even more happy about this recipe than I’d otherwise be, because it’s so simple to make, relies on familiar techniques, and tastes amazing!

Social Learning

James May’s recipe calls for a wok, which is something I don’t own. Funny … I swear I used to have one, but I have no idea where it must be. The garage? The basement? Left behind in one of the houses I used to live in? You know how that is. It’s probably right next to that mandoline that I haven’t seen in years. Can you make a decent veg stir-fry in a well-seasoned, screaching hot cast iron pan? I don’t know why you’d ask me that question, because I’m no expert … but I’d say yes.

You can do the prep in advance, and if you do, and skip the marinade, you can have this on the table in about 20 easy minutes. It’s OK leftover, but barely even a shadow of what it is fresh, so if you have any leftover, think about making a salad with it instead of reheating it.

"Salmon and Stir-Fry," from Make It Like a Man!
Salmon and Stir-Fry

Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! unless otherwise credited. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. Thank you, Kesor. Thanks, Prosper Circle. References: May, James. 2020. “Salmon & Ginger with Stir-Fry Veg.” In James May: Oh Cook!, 100. London: Pavilion.

Ranked by Feedspot as #16 in the Top 30 Men’s Cooking Blogs. Eight intriguingly mysterious notches above Alton Brown. It must’ve been the pierogi.

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40 thoughts on “Salmon and Stir-Fry”

  1. I make a dish very similar to this with Coho Salmon. Yours look delicious as always.

    Reply

  4. Maybe your wok is with my wok?! We don’t remember giving it away, but it didn’t make it to Tucson when we moved here. Somehow, I’ve survived 16 years without it so making this dish your way works perfectly for me. Such a nice healthy dish, too, and we both love salmon. Having parents who grew up on the New England coast, fish was a regular part of our diet, thus, my mother taught me how to cook fish at an early age. Look forward to trying this soon, Jeff.

    Reply

  5. While I don’t mind tackling a complicated, fussy, special day kind of recipe, I have to admit that pulling off something like this on a weeknight is mighty tempting! Cheers to simple, unfussy, everyday cooking, my friend!
    David @ Spiced recently posted…Paczki (Polish Doughnuts)

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  6. I have never eaten fish with a salad and that is something that occurred to me after reading your post Jeff. I agree making fish is so easy with familiar techniques. I will be trying your recipe.

    Reply

  9. There must be something about woks disappearing, mine is gone also.This is a wonderful recipe Jeff and I have to try it. Pinned!

    Reply

  10. I am not a seafood lover, but salmon is one of the very few seafood that I will actually eat a few times a year. I have never made it in a stir fry, so this is going to be a must try recipe for me the next time we want salmon for dinner.

    Reply

  13. Where are all the woks?!?! I don’t know where mine is either. This is getting weird. 😉
    This dish has all of the elements I love — healthy, delicious & beautiful! ~Valentina
    Valentina recently posted…How to Cut a Papaya

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  15. We mostly consume anchovy and horse mackerel (especially in winter). Salmon and stir fry looks different and very new. Sounds good.

    Reply

  18. That looks so good, Jeff. It’s always nice to have a recipe handy that is fast and easy for a weeknight meal. We always have salmon in the freezer (I really like the Wild Pacific Salmon sold by Costco). JT survived on stirfries for his first few years as a bachelor! We had a wok too but I ended up donating it because I didn’t use it enough, cast iron frying pan works just as well.
    Eva Taylor recently posted…Herbaceous Mint Sauce

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    • Glad to hear of your cast iron endorsement. I had a feeling it was a good substitute.

      Reply

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