Holy Week is a big ritual in the Philippines. Catholics usually practice visita iglesia or a visit to at least seven churches. Some even go to the extreme of having themselves nailed to the cross. Most normal folks practice penitence (remorse for one’s sins) by fasting and avoiding meat. Hence, Holy Week usually sees the prices of fish and seafood go up!
I love salmon that’s why we always have this in stock in our household. The trick is to keep and freeze some for the rainy days or whenever you need it. In this case, Holy Week! Nothing but veggies and fish during this period. Daing or dilis if you may, and baked salmon if you want to indulge a bit more.
A few months ago, there was a cooking class conducted by Dr. Efren Vazquez, the trailblazing owner of Cafe Juanita, at Maya Kitchen. It was in the class where he shared his much-coveted recipe for baked salmon (among other dishes popular at Cafe Juanita, see my food blog for his recipe on Pinoy Ratatoy, a vegetarian dish). The salmon dish is usually topped with a mayo mixture but the good doctor adds a touch of sinigang powder to add flavor. I think it makes all the difference.
Dr. Efren “Boy” Vazquez during his Maya Kitchen class.
What you need for this recipe:
700 grams salmon fillet
¼ tsp white pepper
½ tsp sinigang powder
1 piece onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
¾ cup mayonnaise
dash chicken powder
1 teaspoon spring onion chopped
Procedure:
Prepare fish. Season with white pepper and sinigang powder. In a baking pan arrange a layer of onion rings as bed and lay salmon filet flat. In a separate container mix the mayonnaise, crushed garlic, chicken powder and spring onions. Apply a thick coat of the mayonnaise mixture on the surface of the fish. Bake in an oven till done. A quick broil may be done to brown the surface of the mayonnaise coat. Serve hot.
