Sesame-Crusted Salmon with Black Pepper and Lime Sauce

Ingrédients

2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper (see headnote)

¼ cup lime juice, plus lime wedges to serve

1½ tablespoons packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce, divided

1 jalapeño OR Fresno chili, stemmed and sliced into thin rings (optional)

½ cup white sesame seeds OR a mix of white and black sesame seeds

Four 6-ounce center-cut salmon fillets (each 1 to 1¼ inches thick), patted dry

1 tablespoon grapeseed or other neutral oil

2 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal OR 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium, toast the pepper, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly smoking, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; reserve the skillet. Into the toasted pepper, stir the lime juice, the sugar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, the chili (if using) and 2 tablespoons water; set aside for serving.

Put the sesame seeds in a pie plate or other wide, shallow dish. Brush the tops of the salmon with the remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce. One at a time, press the flesh side of the salmon into the sesame seeds to form an even crust; coat only the tops of the fillets.

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the salmon, seed side down, then immediately reduce to medium. Cook, undisturbed, until the sesame seeds are golden, about 6 minutes. Using a wide, thin spatula, flip the fillets, then cover the skillet and remove from the heat. Let stand until the thickest parts of the fillets reach 120°F or are nearly opaque when cut into, about 4 minutes for 1-inch-thick fillets.

Serve sprinkled with the scallions and with the sauce and lime wedges on the side.

Notes

For this simple salmon dish, we coat fillets with sesame seeds, which form a crisp, nutty-tasting crust as the fish cooks. A tangy, savory, pleasantly pungent Cambodian black pepper and lime sauce called tuk meric is served on the side to complement the richness of the salmon. The sauce traditionally is paired with the beef stir-fry known as loc lac, but we find it brightens up a host of other foods, including seafood. Be sure to grind the peppercorns coarsely, not finely, for the sauce using a spice mill or a mortar and pestle.