PB Salmon and Veggies Stir Fry - You Heard Me Right, Peanut Butter Salmon!

This is a recipe inspired by my uncle, who loves to cook salmon, and somehow one day he decided to add peanut butter to a salmon stir fry. Skeptical at first, but the salmon and creamy peanut butter combo was actually pretty tasty. Not sure what exact seasonings were used but here's my take on this interesting dish.

PB salmon and veggies stir fry -

Ingredients?

• 1 large/about 350 grams salmon fillet (skin and bones removed)
• 1 1/2 cups golden needle flower buds
• 1 1/2 cups oyster mushroom
• 3 water bamboos (or 1 can of bamboo shoots)
• 1 zucchini
• 1/2 onion
• 4 red chilies
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon of black bean soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt
• 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper

How?

Peel and slice the onion. Peel and chop the zucchini into strips. Remove the tough outer layer from the water bamboos and chop into strips. If using a can of bamboo shoots, just drain well and set aside for later use. 

If the oyster mushrooms are too big, cut in half to get two thinner strips. Discard the chili stems and chop the remaining into long strips diagonally. Peel and slice the garlic cloves.

Remove the skin and bones from the salmon fillet. Chop the fillet into large bite size pieces. You can save the skin for other dishes. I often sprinkle some salt over and bake the skin in the oven in high temperature till crispy, then break them into smaller pieces and serve with Japanese style salad. 

Drizzle about 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a pan/wok, turn to medium high heat. Add in the onion along with salt and pepper, cook till the edges turn slightly browned, should take few minutes.

Add in the garlic and chilies, give it a quick stir and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add in the bamboo strips and oyster mushroom. Cook for another minute.

Add in the flower buds and zucchini strips. You can omit the flower buds since it's not a very common item even at the Asian grocery store. Cook till the mushrooms softens a little.

Blend the peanut butter, black bean soy sauce, and oyster sauce in a bowl till no large lumps present. Pour into the pan and mix well.

Lastly, add in the salmon and mix gently. Cover with lid and cook till the fish is completely cooked through. 

Salmon is such a hearty fish, that's why it can withstand such a thick sauce like peanut butter. Chinese sesame paste can be a good substitution for peanut butter but remember to add a little bit of granulated sugar to balance off the salty flavor.

Other salmon recipes:

• Baked salmon fillets with easy dill yogurt dressing
• Seared salmon fillet with mustard mayo sauce
• Salmon donburi two ways - straight up sashimi and torched aburi style
• Japanese egg salad sandwich topped with smoked salmon (tamago sando)
• Baked salmon fillet with ponzu and dana leaves