Sweet chili sauce is used twice here. One tablespoon goes into mayonnaise with lime juice for a pale, creamy sauce that is spooned onto the plates; two more go into a quick glaze brushed onto the salmon at the end.
The salmon fillets are seared whole in a skillet, not cut into bites, and served over the sauce with buttered green beans.
Two Sauces, One Plate
The same sweet chili sauce plays two roles: cool and creamy underneath, sticky and warm on top.
- Sweet heat3 tbsp sweet chili sauce in total and a fresh red chili
- The main flavour of both sauces, with fresh chili on top.
- Creamy1/3 cup mayonnaise
- The chilled pale sauce under the salmon.
- Salt and depth1 tsp soy sauce
- In the glaze only, deepening the caramelised top.
- BrightLime juice in both sauces and parsley
- Keeps the sweet sauces from tasting heavy.
Ingredient Notes
- Skinless salmon fillets
- Four fillets of 5 to 6 ounces, seared whole.
- Sweet chili sauce
- Three tablespoons in total: one for the creamy sauce, two for the glaze.
- Mayonnaise
- A third of a cup, the base of the pale sauce. Keep it refrigerated until serving.
How to Make It
Creamy bang bang sauce whisked and chilled
Whisk the mayonnaise, 1 tbsp sweet chili sauce and the creamy-sauce lime juice until pale and smooth, and keep it chilled.
Green beans blanched and buttered
Blanch or steam the green beans until crisp-tender, then toss with the butter and a pinch of the salt.
Salmon seared to 145°F
Season the salmon with the rest of the salt and the black pepper. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sear the salmon until browned and 145°F in the centre.
Sweet chili glaze brushed on
Mix the 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce, soy sauce and 1 tsp lime juice and brush it over the salmon in the final minute so it caramelises lightly.
Plated over the sauce with beans, chili and parsley
Spoon the creamy bang bang sauce onto plates, set the glazed salmon on top, add the green beans, and finish with red chili and parsley.
Why This Recipe Works
- Brushing on the glaze only in the last minute lets it caramelise without burning.
- Keeping the creamy sauce chilled gives a cool contrast to the hot salmon.
- Soy sauce in the glaze adds salt and depth to the sweet chili.
- Blanching the green beans first means they only need tossing with butter.
Success Tips
- Let the salmon sear without moving it so a crust forms before you turn it.
- Brush the glaze on right at the end; sugar scorches over long cooking.
- Take the sauce out of the refrigerator only when you are ready to plate.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Keep the mayonnaise sauce refrigerated, and refrigerate leftover salmon promptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know the salmon is cooked?
It reaches 145°F in the centre, or is opaque and flakes easily.
Is the salmon fried in pieces?
No. The fillets are seared whole in a skillet.
What is in the creamy sauce?
Mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce and lime juice.
Serving Ideas
Spread a spoonful of the pale creamy sauce on each plate, set a glazed fillet on top with the green beans beside it, and scatter red chili and parsley over.
