I created this creamy salmon stew while living in Singapore, where I was cooking the French dishes I grew up with using the Asian flavors I had fallen for: ginger, makrut lime leaves, cilantro, lime. It’s my own take on fusion cooking.
At its heart, it’s a French blanquette (from blanc, white: nothing gets browned). Traditionally, it’s the stew of Sunday lunches, made with veal, a tender meat with a mild flavor that lets the creamy white sauce take center stage. Here, salmon takes the veal’s place: you get all the comfort of the original, with a little extra freshness. If you’ve ever had Belgian waterzooi, you’ll feel right at home.
Make the broth and sauce the day before, then cook the salmon just before serving. Prefer cod? It works too (see below).
Published on October 6, 2026
PREP TIME
30 minutes
COOK TIME
1 hour
DIFFICULTY
Easy
STORAGE
(Broth & Sauce)
2 days
Creamy Salmon Stew with Ginger and Lime
A French blanquette made with salmon in a creamy sauce flavored with ginger and lime. Makrut lime leaves and cilantro give the broth its fragrant Thai notes. Make the broth and sauce a day ahead, then cook the salmon just before serving.
4-6
servings30
minutes1
hourPour garder la recette visible pendant que je cuisine
Ingredients
- For the broth:
3 medium carrots, diced (about 9 oz)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
7 fresh or frozen makrut (kaffir) lime leaves, or about a dozen dried leaves
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced (1¾ oz)
1 large bunch cilantro, with roots if possible (or 2 small)
3 cups water
1 tablespoon butter or oil
Salt
- For the white sauce:
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon butter
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- For the salmon and finishing touches:
1 1/2 lb skinless, boneless center-cut salmon fillets, cut into even 2-inch chunks (or thick cod loin, or half and half)
2 big handfuls king oyster mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, or cremini, cut into large pieces (about 6 oz)
2/3 cup crème fraîche, or heavy cream
2 limes, washed well, for zesting and juicing
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon butter for cooking cremini mushrooms, if using
About 4 oz peeled shrimp (optional)
Salt
Cooked white rice, for serving
Instructions
- Make the broth:
- Heat the butter or oil in a saucepan. Add the carrots and onion and cook over medium heat until softened, without browning.
- Pour in the water, then add the ginger, makrut lime leaves, and a little salt.
- Pick the cilantro leaves from the stems and refrigerate the leaves for serving. Cut the stems into large pieces. Wash the roots well, if the bunch has any, then add them to the broth with the stems.
- Simmer gently, uncovered, for about 45 minutes.
- Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the vegetables and herbs with a ladle or spoon to extract as much flavor as possible. Keep only the liquid.
- The broth should have reduced by about a third. If not, return it to the heat to reduce a little more.
- Make the white sauce:
- Melt the butter in a saucepan.
- Add the flour and stir until you have a smooth roux.
- Gradually pour in the broth, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. The sauce should be lightly thickened, not as thick as a béchamel for a gratin.
- Stir in the crème fraîche (or heavy cream). Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- To prepare ahead, stop here. Cool the sauce quickly, then refrigerate in a covered container for up to 2 days.
- Finish the stew:
- Gently reheat the sauce.
- King oyster or oyster mushrooms: add them to the hot sauce and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces.
- Cremini or white button mushrooms: cook them separately in a skillet with a little butter until their liquid has evaporated, then stir them into the hot sauce.
- Add the salmon, plus the shrimp if they are raw. As soon as the sauce returns to a gentle simmer, turn off the heat and cover the pan.
- Leave for about 5 minutes, then check the thickest piece. The flesh should be opaque and flake easily (145°F / 63°C, the USDA guideline; many cooks stop a little earlier for a silkier texture). If needed, put the pan back over low heat for a minute or two.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk with a little warm sauce, then gently stir it into the stew. Warm gently if needed, without letting the sauce boil.
- If using cooked shrimp, add them now, just long enough to warm through.
- Stir in the lime zest, then add the juice gradually, tasting as you go. Start with the juice of half a lime.
- Adjust the seasoning, transfer to shallow bowls, and scatter the cilantro leaves over the top. Serve with white rice.
Minute Papillote Tip
- Turn off the heat as soon as the sauce comes back to a gentle simmer, and let the covered pan do the rest. The fish stays tender instead of turning dry.
Ingredients for this creamy salmon stew
Which salmon should you buy?
For this stew, choose skinless, boneless center-cut salmon fillets and cut them into chunks of even thickness, so they cook at the same rate. Run your fingers over the flesh to catch any pin bones, and pull them out with tweezers. The version in the photos is a salmon stew.
You can also add a few peeled shrimp: raw, they cook along with the salmon; already cooked, they go in at the last minute, just long enough to warm through.
Cod instead? Use thick center-cut cod fillets (sometimes sold as cod loin) rather than the thinner tail end, or mix half salmon and half cod for a classic French fish stew. Cod flakes more easily, so handle it as little as possible to keep the pieces intact.
A broth flavored with ginger and makrut lime leaves
The broth gives this stew much of its flavor. I make it with onion, carrots, ginger, makrut lime leaves, and the stems from a bunch of cilantro. No fish stock needed: the vegetables, herbs, and ginger do all the work.
Makrut lime leaves, also sold as kaffir lime leaves, are easy to find at Asian grocery stores, fresh, frozen, or dried (and online, too). They bring the citrusy fragrance you know from so many Thai dishes, including my Tom Yum Soup (in French for now).
I save the cilantro leaves for serving and simmer only the stems in the broth, since the leaves lose their flavor when cooked. If you spot a bunch with the roots still attached at an Asian grocery store, grab it! The roots add a lot of flavor as they simmer. Wash them well and add them with the stems.
Simmer the broth uncovered, then strain it, pressing on the vegetables and herbs to extract every drop of flavor. Let it reduce by about a third: the more it reduces, the more flavorful it gets, so there’s no need to measure. It then becomes the base of the sauce.
A creamy sauce with a touch of lime
The sauce starts with a roux: butter and flour cooked together, which thickens the broth. Then I stir in crème fraîche, the tangy French cream. If you can’t find it, heavy cream works too.
The egg yolk is what makes a blanquette so silky. Beaten with a little warm sauce, then stirred in off the heat, it gives the sauce its velvety richness. In French cooking, we call this a liaison. Keep the sauce below a boil once the yolk is in, or it will curdle.
The lime juice goes in at the very end to keep its flavor bright. Start with the zest, then add the juice a little at a time, tasting as you go: it should brighten the sauce without overpowering it.
Which mushrooms should you use?
I usually use king oyster mushrooms. Their thick stems cut into chunky pieces that stay meaty in the sauce. Regular oyster mushrooms work well too. Both cook right in the sauce in 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces.
With cremini or white button mushrooms, take a different approach: cook them separately in a skillet with a little butter until their liquid has evaporated. Otherwise it thins the sauce and turns it brownish. Stir them in afterward.
How to make this salmon stew ahead
This is a great dish for friends: the broth and sauce are ready before anyone arrives. Like most blanquettes, they even taste better the next day. The salmon, however, does not, so it goes in at the last minute.
The day before: broth and sauce
Make the broth, strain it, and reduce it. Then make the white sauce and stir in the cream.
Cool the sauce quickly and refrigerate it in a covered container. The egg yolk, salmon, and lime wait until serving time.
Want an even earlier start? Make just the broth and freeze it. One less thing to do later!
Before serving: gently stew the salmon
Reheat the sauce gently and cook the oyster mushrooms in it. With cremini or white button mushrooms, cook them separately first, then stir them in.
Then add the salmon. As soon as the sauce returns to a gentle simmer, turn off the heat and cover the pan. Yes, off the heat: the salmon finishes cooking in the hot sauce, which keeps it tender. It’s the French way of gently stewing salmon.
Finish with the egg yolk (mixed with a little warm sauce first), then the lime and cilantro leaves. The salmon is tender and melts in your mouth.
What to serve with creamy salmon stew
White rice is perfect with the ginger and lime sauce.
Sometimes I add seasonal vegetables, such as green beans or asparagus, kept slightly crisp for contrast with the tender salmon and creamy sauce.
For wine, here’s my grain de sel: pick a crisp, dry white to balance the cream. A dry Riesling, a Sauvignon Blanc, a Muscadet, or a dry Chenin Blanc from the Loire all work beautifully.
For dessert, my Passion Fruit Tart (in French for now: a good excuse to practice!) keeps the French and Asian theme going.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this salmon stew with cod?
Yes. Use the same amount of thick center-cut cod loin for a cod stew, or mix half salmon and half cod. Salmon is what you see in the photos. Thinner, more delicate fillets tend to fall apart in the sauce, so stick with thick pieces.
Why finish cooking the salmon off the heat?
The sauce stays hot after you turn off the burner, so it cooks the salmon gently and keeps the flesh tender instead of dry. How long it takes depends on the thickness of the pieces and how hot the sauce is.
Can I use frozen salmon?
Yes, although I prefer fresh for this recipe: it gives a more delicate stew. Thaw frozen salmon slowly in the refrigerator, then pat it dry before adding it to the sauce.
What can I use instead of makrut lime leaves?
Nothing replaces their fragrance exactly. A little makrut lime zest can work if you can find the fruit. Otherwise, leave them out: the stew will be a little milder, but still delicious.
Can I use heavy cream instead of crème fraîche?
Yes. This creamy salmon recipe works well with heavy cream. The sauce will be a little milder and sweeter than with crème fraîche, so add the lime juice gradually and taste as you go.
Can I freeze or reheat this stew?
I don’t recommend freezing it: the creamy sauce can change texture, and cooked fish often gets a stronger flavor once frozen and reheated. The broth on its own freezes very well, though. To reheat leftovers from the fridge, warm them gently over low heat, without boiling. The salmon is at its best the day it’s cooked.
More recipes with Asian flavors
Four recipes where spices and aromatics bring plenty of flavor. All four are still in French for now: consider it a gentle push to practice!
My Take on Thai Green Curry with Cod
Tender cod in a coconut milk sauce with green curry paste: the same freshness, Thai style. (In French)
Tom Yum Soup
The familiar flavors of Thai cooking in a fragrant, comforting soup that’s easy to make. (In French)
Thai Red Curry with Tofu
Tofu and vegetables in a creamy coconut red curry sauce, for a comforting meatless meal. (In French)
Thai Green Curry with Chicken
Tender chicken and vegetables in a fragrant coconut green curry sauce. Make it as spicy as you like. (In French)
