Lazy Bear Recipe for Brothy Salmon and Vegetables
March 29th, 2022How to Cook Salmon from Frozen in a Minimal Effort Meal
For this "lazy bear" recipe, we’re drawing inspiration in these early spring weeks (which sometimes feel more like late winter) from the Alaskan bears, just emerging from hibernation, still groggy but ready to eat.
This recipe for poached salmon and vegetables is as easy as grabbing a protein and a vegetable from your freezer — no pre-planning, chopping or measuring required — for a delicious, hands off meal with minimal effort. The finished dish is a brothy, balanced meal that’s satisfying enough for cool nights but light enough for warmer days.
The key to this dish is a pot of vegetable stock. Technically, you're not cooking the salmon from frozen, since you'll use the broth to thaw all of your frozen ingredients first, and then to poach them once defrosted.
While any cut of fish can be substituted in the recipe, Captain Cuts of sockeye or coho salmon are ideal, as their thinner profile allows them to defrost and cook quickly. They also don’t require as much poaching liquid in order to be completely submerged. As for the vegetable, any quick-cooking frozen vegetable will do. Cauliflower, edamame, a stir-fry mix, carrots, green beans… use what you like and have stashed in your freezer.
Lazy Bear Recipe for Brothy Salmon and Vegetables
By Wild Alaskan Company
Most of the prep time required for this recipe is dedicated to defrosting the salmon. Once the ingredients have thawed, the meal comes together in a matter of minutes. Alternatively, you can adapt this meal by using any cut of salmon that you’ve already defrosted to cut down on prep time.
Prep time
30 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Total time
40 minutes
Yield
1 serving
Ingredients
- 1 (6-ounce) pack Sockeye or Coho Captain Cuts, frozen
- About 2 cups vegetable stock
- Soy sauce, to taste
- 1 cup frozen vegetables of your choice
- Scallions and cilantro, optional
- Red chili powder, optional
Instructions
1. Add cold veggie stock to a medium pot or saucepan, then season with soy sauce to taste. Do not turn on heat.
2. Remove Captain Cuts from packaging, then rinse under cold water until pieces can be easily separated. Submerge in pot of vegetable stock, adding extra stock if needed to cover the fish. Add frozen vegetables as well.
3. Allow Captain Cuts to defrost in the stock, about 30 minutes. Once no longer frozen through the center, turn on heat to bring pot to a bare simmer, then reduce heat so that there’s little to no movement in the stock. If you have an instant-read thermometer on hand, the stock should be about 180F.
4. Allow Captain Cuts to poach for 4 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork. Adjust seasoning of broth to taste. Remove skin from fish if desired, then transfer everything to a serving bowl, garnishing with scallions and cilantro. Sprinkle on a red chili powder for color and a little spice. Serve while hot.
Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness, especially if you have a certain medical condition. The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F for cooked fish.
