Baked Salmon with Coconut Crust is a spicy fish fillet that is served with a homemade pika sauce. I grilled some Brussel sprouts for a side dish to this flavorful and crusty fish fillet.
On a recent trip to the Caribbean, I came across a spectacular fish dish. The chef, using an outdoor barbeque was grilling a freshly caught mahi-mahi by the beach. I noticed that since there were many coconut trees growing around there, the chef had used fresh coconut to crust his fish fillets. It was served with a spicy hot pika sauce and fried okra as the side dish. It was so good that I returned several times to this restaurant just to eat this dish.
When I started researching the history of the dish, I was surprised to learn that ‘coconut fish’ was the national dish of a tiny South Pacific Island of Nauru. The dish is traditionally made with white fish and mixed with grated coconut, lime juice, flour, and eggs.
I wanted to do something different, so I chose to use salmon. Admittedly, salmon, which is rich in omega-3 fats, has a more ‘fishy’ flavor than white fish such as cod, swai, or flounder. Typically, fresh fish should not have a ‘fishy’ flavor. But if it does, there are things that you can do before and after cooking the fish. If you have not cooked the fish, try soaking it in milk a half hour before cooking. Alternatively, try basting it in ginger-garlic paste, honey, lime juice, or brown sugar to mask the fishiness. If you have already cooked it, then what’s left is to have a strong sauce or citrus to overcome the fishy flavor.
Baked Salmon with Coconut Crust has a tropical, Caribbean party vibe. While salmon is considered a cold-water fish, they are also found in the Caribbean. But more importantly, the pika sauce I have used is homemade. The baked fish crusted with freshly grated coconut served along a sweet and spicy sauce creates a celebration in the mouth. You can use this recipe on practically any fish that holds together, especially fish such as the mackerel, tuna, catfish, and red snapper. If you are looking for other fish recipes, check out my Cilantro Fish and Fish Shawarma recipes!
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. How long does it take to bake salmon fillets?
It generally take around 20 minutes to bake salmon fillets. This also depends on the thickness of the fillet. If the fillets are thick, then it takes longer.
2. How to check for doneness?
I usually use a fork to check for flakiness. The meat of the fish must flake up when tested with a fork.
3. Why cover the fillet with foil?
I covered the fish fillets with foil because I used a thick crust of fresh coconut on the fillets. I did not want the crust to burn without getting cooked internally.
How to make the Baked Salmon with Coconut Crust:
1. Marinate the fillets
2. Prepare the fillets with the crust:
3. Bake the fillets:
4. Make the hot pika sauce:
5. Bake the side dish:
- Marinate the fillets:
- Remove the skin of the salmon using a knife. Wash thoroughly.
- Mix the ingredients for the marinade. Marinate the fillets for 30 minutes.
2. Prepare the crust:
- In the meantime, mix the flour with the salt on a plate. Coat the fillet on both sides with flour.
- Beat the egg with milk in a bowl. Dip the floured fillet on both sides in the egg mixture.
- Cut the fresh coconut kernel and pulse the pieces in a food processor.
- Coat the fillets with the grated coconut on both sides to form a crust.
3. Bake the fillets:
- Line a baking tray with foil. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil or use the spray on the foil. Space the fillets evenly on the tray. Bake at 3750 F for 30 minutes covered with another foil. Flip the fillets and bake again for 10 minutes uncovered.
4. Make the hot pika sauce:
- Grind all the ingredients for the sauce until smooth. Serve the salmon fillet with the pika sauce on the side.
5. Bake the side dish:
- I baked some Brussel sprouts drizzled with olive oil, salt, and pepper on another tray for 20 minutes as a side dish.
1.Fresh coconut tastes great, but fleshing out the kernel can be time-consuming. You could use the dried desiccated coconut. Shake off any excess flour while coating.
2.Too much flour will result in a very thick floured crust.
3.Egg should be beaten well so it allows for even coating on the fillets.
4.The hot pika sauce must be ground to a smooth texture and not be lumpy. I have used the shishito peppers. But if you cannot find them, you could substitute with chilis. My recipes generally are on the moderate side of spiciness.
Baked Salmon with Coconut Crust
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 1 lb salmon thick sliced fillet
- 1 lime juice
- 4 cloves garlic minced fine
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper powder
- ½ tsp cayenne powder
- ¼ tsp tajin seasoning
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
For the crust:
- 1 egg beaten with a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp milk
- ¼ brown coconut freshly grated
- 4 tbsp plain flour with a pinch of salt
For the pika sauce:
- ½ strawberry papaya seeds removed and skin peeled
- 2 shishito pepper
- ½ lime juice
- a pinch granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp black pepper powder
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 shallot small
- ¼ tsp cayenne powder
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
For the side dish:
- ⅓ lb Brussel sprouts halved, stalks removed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
How to marinate the fish fillets:
- Remove the skin of the salmon using a sharp knife. Wash thoroughly.
- Mix the ingredients for the marinade. Marinate the fillets for 30 minutes.
How to prepare the crust:
- In the meantime, mix the flour with the salt on a plate. Coat the fillet on both sides with flour.
- Beat the egg with milk in a bowl. Dip the floured fillet on both sides in the egg mixture.
- Cut the fresh coconut kernel.
- Pulse the pieces in a food processor.
- Coat the fillets with the grated coconut on both sides to form a crust.
How to bake the salmon:
- Line a baking tray with foil. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil or use the spray on the foil. Space the fillets evenly on the tray. Bake at 3750 F for 30 minutes covered with another foil. Flip the fillets and bake again for 10 minutes uncovered.
How to make the pika sauce:
- Grind all the ingredients for the sauce until smooth. Serve the salmon fillet with the pika sauce on the side.
How to bake the side dish:
- I baked some Brussel sprouts drizzled with olive oil, salt, and pepper on another tray for 20 minutes as a side dish.
Notes
- You could use any papaya, if you cannot find strawberry papaya. Strawberry papaya has a unique sweetness that enhanced the taste of the pika sauce. Mexican papayas will work as well, just use a quarter as this variety is invariably large.
Nutrition
These pictures are so helpful and I love the pika sauce!
Yeah, the pika sauce is amazing. Glad to hear that the images were useful. Thanks!