Necessity can often be the mother of invention. When I was recently on a course of antibiotic medication, during which I couldn’t take any milk product, my wife Kaisari pan-grilled some salmon fillets for which she needed a white sauce topping.

But white sauces usually call for cream as well as butter, both of which were out of bounds.

There was just over half a can of coconut milk left over from a recipe she had made the previous day. So instead of using any cream or butter, she used the coconut milk and sauteed the minced onion in olive oil. The result turned out a bit different but probably even tastier, and more healthful to boot, with coconut products having recently gotten a better score card from health experts.

Here is the recipe:

GRILLED SALMON WITH COCONUT-MILK WHITE SAUCE

Makes: 2 servings

2 pieces of grilled salmon fillet, about 4 ounces each

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, diced finely

4 ounces canned coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Snipped chives for garnish

Grill the salmon pieces on the outdoor grill or in a heavy pan until the bottom side has become somewhat crisp. Keep the pieces warm and make the sauce:

In a saute pan, heat the olive oil and cook the diced onion until soft and translucent but not browned, stirring frequently. From a 14-ounce can of a good quality coconut milk, which has been shaken well, add about 4 ounces of the liquid to the pan and cook over medium-low heat until the sauce has thickened, stirring frequently. Do not let the sauce come to a boil. Lower heat if needed.

Add the chopped thyme, salt and pepper midway in the cooking time. You can vary the flavoring; thyme was used because that is what was used to grill the salmon. Lemon juice and zest are a good alternate choice, as is kaffir lime leaves (which should be fished out before serving). Curry powder can also be tried.

Serve the fish with the warm sauce drizzled over each piece and on the side of the plate.

For my lunch, Kaisari served it with boiled vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, on the side, with some of the same sauce drizzled over them. Garnish with snipped chives.

NOTE: The sauce, which had an attractive hint of sweetness, was not very thick and had none of the usual thickening agents such as flour and/or cornstarch. Cooked over low heat, the coconut milk thickened enough to coat the fish finely.