This Coconut-Chile Salmon Got Me Excited About Salmon Again

I’m a stage in my life where a meal plan is the difference between a hot balanced dinner and a cold bowl of cereal. I’m also at the stage where meal planning means repeating the same dishes or, at the very least, the same ingredients week after week.

For my family, that means a generous side of salmon that we eat for dinner and pack for lunch as sandwiches the next day. We’ve perfected the cooking technique: Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Add a slick of oil to a baking pan and warm in the oven for 5 minutes. Add the salmon, sprinkle with some sort of seasoning blend, and roast for 12 minutes. Kick it up to broil for a few minutes and dinner is done.

It’s been months of following this routine. And while I’m not feeling any salmon fatigue, I do feel in need of some inspiration. You know, something to pull me out of redundancy while still preserving the habit of cooking fish in a simple, satisfying way. The recipe to do just that is food director Chris Morocco’s Roast Salmon With Citrus and Coconut-Chile Crunch—a juicier, spicier take on the salmon we usually make with a dose of toasty, nutty flair thanks to an irresistible crunchy topping.

The first time I made this recipe, I misread the ingredient list and used shredded coconut instead of coconut flakes. Don’t do that. When you add the splash of vinegar at the end, the crunchy texture you achieved by toasting the coconut, ginger, chiles, and peanuts will turn into a soggy heap. Still delicious, but coconut chips are critical here. The second time I made this (the right way) I doubled the Coconut Chile Crunch so I could eat it on a salmon and greens yogurt bowl for lunch. Next time, I’m doubling it again, and adding it to oatmeal and tucking it into a chicken salad sandwich.

Don’t overthink the citrus. Just add whatever you have around. I sliced golf-ball-sized mandarins and Cara Cara oranges. Both brought welcome pops of color and aroma as I eagerly await juicy spring strawberries and juicier summer stone fruit. That said—this recipe would also be delicious with plums or nectarines instead of citrus.