Sweet'N' Sour Salmon Nuggets
Submitted by billionheiress1
Microwave sweet and sour salmon nuggets poached in sherry stock, glazed with pineapple, apple juice, ginger, and tomato sauce. Light, low-fat fish bites served over rice or noodles.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
1 hrsSweet and sour salmon nuggets are a clever weeknight twist on Chinese takeout, swapping deep-fried battered fish for poached salmon balls that come out moist and tender. The salmon meat gets mashed with breadcrumbs, beaten egg, grated ginger, and onion, then formed into rough nuggets by hand. They poach right in a quick sherry-and-stock bath in the microwave for just a couple of minutes per side, which keeps the salmon silky rather than rubbery. The cooking liquid then becomes the base for the sweet and sour sauce, picking up all the savory salmon flavor before pineapple juice, apple juice, vinegar, honey, and tomato purée go in. A cornstarch slurry thickens it into that glossy, takeout-style glaze. Serve over steamed rice or egg noodles with the sauce ladled over for a lighter dinner that still scratches the sweet-sour itch.
Chef Tips
- Use canned or freshly cooked salmon, not raw, the short microwave time isn’t enough to safely cook raw fish through.
- Wet your hands lightly when forming the nuggets, the mixture is sticky and dry hands will tear them apart.
- Cook in batches as the directions say, crowding the dish lowers the cooking liquid temperature and turns the nuggets gummy.
- If your microwave runs hot, check at 90 seconds per side, overcooked salmon goes chalky fast.
Variations
- Swap salmon for canned tuna or cooked white fish for a milder, more budget-friendly version.
- Stir a tablespoon of sambal oelek or sriracha into the sauce for a sweet-sour-spicy version.
- Add diced bell pepper and pineapple chunks to the sauce in the final minute for proper sweet-and-sour vegetables.
Ingredients
Directions
Put salmon, bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon of ginger, onion and egg into a bowl.
Mash well until blended. Divide into two batches.
Using lightly floured hands and a soup spoon, mould rough balls of the first batch of salmon mixture and drop them into the hot stock and sherry.
Cook uncovered on HIGH POWER for 2 minutes.
Turn nuggets over and return to oven.
Cook on HIGH POWER for a further 2 minutes.
Put cooked nuggets onto a plate.
Set aside.
Cook the second batch in the same way using the same stock.
Also set aside. Strain the cooking liquid through a sieve into a large jug.
Add remaining ginger, apple juice, pineapple in its juice, pepper, onions, honey, vinegar, tomato purée and cornflower, mix well.
Cook sauce on HIGH POWER for 1 minute, stir and cook for a further 1 minute or until the sauce has thickened.
Re-heat nuggets for 2 minutes on HIGH POWER.
Serve with rice or noodles and sweet ‘n’ sour sauce.
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