Sunday supper: Pomegranate-Glazed Salmon with Coconut Rice

Serves 2.

This recipe is inspired by a dish from New York's Cafe Gitane, which serves pomegranate-glazed salmon over a bed of greens with olives and orange supremes. It's a super light and refreshing lunch. This version has a more substantial rice and veggie side, which makes it good for dinner. For a dairy-free option, use oil instead of butter for the rice. From "ScheckEats: Cooking Smarter," by Jeremy Scheck (Harvest, 2023).

For the rice:

• 2 tbsp. butter or neutral oil

• 2 c. jasmine rice, rinsed well

• 1 (13.5-oz.) can full-fat coconut milk

• 1 c. chicken broth or water

• 2 tsp. kosher salt

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

• Lime, for serving

For the fish:

• 2 salmon fillets (about 8 oz. total)

• 2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

• Kosher salt, to taste

• 1 tsp. potato starch or cornstarch

• 1/4 c. pomegranate molasses

• 1 shallot, minced

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees (425 degrees if using convection).

To prepare the rice: Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When it's hot, add the rinsed rice and toast until some of the rice starts to turn golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer over very low heat. Cover the pot, and set a timer for 20 minutes.

To prepare the salmon: Place the salmon in an oven-safe dish and arrange the peppers around it. Drizzle the peppers with the sesame oil and sprinkle with salt, then sprinkle the salmon with salt and a light dusting of potato starch; gently rub it in.

After the rice is done, turn off the heat, but do NOT open the lid. Let it sit while you cook the salmon. Roast the salmon for 12 to 15 minutes. After the first 5 minutes of cooking, spoon half the pomegranate molasses mixture over the salmon; repeat with the remaining pomegranate molasses mixture 2 minutes later. When the salmon is ready, you'll start to see a bit of white coming out between the striations, and it should become more opaque.