Salmon and Prawns in Mustard Sauce

My journey into Bangladeshi cuisine started with making Kasundi and learning about one of its most popular dishes Shorshe Ilish, hilsa shad in mustard sauce. I found that Ilish is a fish species in the herring family and a popular food fish in South Asia. The sauce has three possible liquid components — water, yogurt, or coconut milk — chosen per personal taste and diet preferences. Cooking methods, on the other hand, seem to be more critical. If I am not mistaken, the number one method is two-step: the mustard sauce is cooked until oil separates, and then fish is cooked. Number two is a variation when fish is covered with sauce and steamed (bhapa) or baked tightly covered (steamed but in its juices). I tried both — there is a huge difference in final taste, but I like them equally. The first cooking method makes all flavors more concentrated with pronounced notes of sweetness. The second is extremely good for salmon because its refreshing notes nicely pair with fatty fish — very good hot or cold, makes an exciting appetizer. When available, I use Indian hot green chilies; when not — Thai. I fry whole peppers in mustard oil when tempering spices — they release a lot of flavors and just a little bit of their heat, making the dish very mild. I also double the amount of my homemade Aam Kasundi and use it instead of basic mustard paste, so the mustard flavor here is gentle.

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet