A tasty and incredibly simple way to prepare salmon – when I make it for El Jefe and myself, I tend to make it spicier – for guests, I tone it down a bit.

For to buy at the store, or snag out of your pantry:

Supplies for Spicy salmon in creamy tomato sauce

• Salmon Fillets
• Turmeric
• Cayenne
• Heavy Cream
• Canned Crushed Tomatoes
• Lemon Juice
• Cumin
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Nutmeg
• Fresh Cilantro (parsley if you prefer)

1.  Prep salmon – wash and dry fillets, and season with mix of salt, pepper, turmeric and cayenne.  Use as much or little of each as you normally enjoy but dashes of the turmeric and cayenne are probably fine the first time around, until you’re familiar with how it affects the end result.

2.  Prep sauce – because this is acidic, use something glass or stainless.  Combine a cup of heavy cream, a cup of crushed tomatoes, juice from half a lemon, 1/2 tsp. ground cumin, and 1/8 tsp. each of ground cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.  Just dump it all in a bowl and stir a little to mix.  I always double this since I like it by itself over rice or cous cous and as long as I’m making it, might as well, right?

3.  Cook fishy – melt at least a TBSP each of butter and oil in a large skillet – about med-high.  Cook salmon for a couple of minutes only on each side – just until slightly brown, but NOT cooked all the way through – they’ll finish in the sauce.   I cook with skin on – skin side down first in the pan – and either eat or remove after.  Do as you prefer, but I’m not a good skinner on some of those smaller pieces and I hate to waste any of that pink goodness.

4.  Add that tangy, creamy sauce to the pan with the fish still in it, and simmer away!  It will take 6 to 8 minutes probably for it to thicken some and for the fish to finish cooking.  Give it a few stirs during that time to help it out.

5.  I like to serve it with cous cous, so if you put that in the boiling water just after you pour the sauce in the fish pan, and take it off the heat, it should be done perfectly in sync with the salmon.  Garnish with chopped cilantro and a wedge of lemon.  Leftovers are delicious too, so make enough for a lunch or two!