Sinigang na Salmon sa Miso
​Chef Melvin Trinidad
BarkadaPDX 

Filipinos savor this tangy, salty, umami filled dish, brimming with vegetables, meat, or seafood.

We remember the cold nights during the ‘ber months when sinigang would be ​a staple on our dinner tables, made the traditional way with fresh tamarind, tomatoes, and sometimes ​kamias. Yum! 

Melvin adds miso to his dish and cooks the salmon a different way. His twist makes us want to go grocery shopping and make this. 

Ingredients

• 1 pound skin-on Salmon fillet, cut into 4 equal portions 
• 1 Salmon head
• 1 head garlic, halved 
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and halved 
  
• 4 carrots, chopped 
  
• 4 stalks of celery, chopped 
  
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  
• 4 bay leaves 
  
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 
  
• 4 quarts water 
  
• 1 jar Tamarind concentrate
  
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  
• ½ cup white miso paste 
  
• 1 lemon, juiced 
  
• 1 pound cherry tomatoes
  
• 1 teaspoon Korean red pepper powder 
  
• 2 radishes, finely diced 
  
• baby bok choy
  
• Salt and pepper to taste 
  
• Instant pot (optional) 
  
• Cooked rice ​
  
• ​2 stalks green onions sliced 

​

Procedure

Soup 

1. Pre-heat your oven to 450°F. ​​
2. On a baking sheet, lay out the fish head/bones, onions, carrots, and celery. Season with 1 tbsp oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven and add the ​ingredients to the instant pot. Add water, peppercorns, garlic, and bay leaves. Cook on high-pressure setting for 15 minutes. 
4. While the broth is cooking, place cherry tomatoes in a baking sheet and season with 2 tsp vegetable oil, salt (I used patio salt, available at your Asian market), and Korean red pepper.
5. Roast the tomatoes in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. 
6. Strain the broth into a pot. Add the miso paste, fish sauce, and lemon juice. Add more fish sauce or salt to taste, if needed. Bring to a simmer over the stove for 5 minutes. 
7. Blanch the bok choy in the soup mixture for 1 minute. Remove the bok choy and set aside. 
8. Take your tomatoes and place in a small serving bowl. Add the radishes, mix, and season to taste. 
9. Set aside.

Pan-Roasted Salmon​

1. In a large container, dissolve 1/2 cup of salt in 2 quarts (8 cups) of water. This is your brine. 
2. Submerge the salmon in the brine and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. 
3. Take the salmon from the brine and pat dry. 
4. Season the salmon with salt, skin side. Season the flesh side of the fish with salt and pepper. 
5. In a non-stick pan, heat some oil, place the salmon, skin side down on med-low heat. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the skin is crispy. Flip the salmon and cook the meaty side for another 1-2 minutes. 

Putting It All Together

1. Scoop some rice on your plate. (You can omit the rice and serve the sinigang as a soup. 
2. Add some broth. 
3. Add bok choy and place the cooked salmon on one side of your plate. 
4. Top with the roasted radishes and tomatoes. Garnish with green onions. 
5. Kain na!