Vietnamese Caramelized Salmon

This recipe is courtesy of my good friend Cris, who made it for me and my kids ate it all up, especially Pnut who loves onions and sweet/savory flavors.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs Salmon fillet/Steelhead
• 1 big onion
• 1 tbsp Grated ginger( or ginger powder)
• 1/4 c. Brown sugar
• 6 tbsp fish sauce (or according to taste)
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• Cilantro & scallions for garnishing

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Sauté onions until golden brown. Add ginger. Set aside on a bowl.
3. Over medium high heat (in the same pan) add sugar, melt and caramelize (you want it brown, but not burnt).
4. Add 1 cup hot water slowly (it’ll sizzle or splatter) and mix until sugar is completely dissolved. Add fish sauce and tamarind paste. Reduce to about a third.
5. Transfer sauce to an oven-safe pan with the onions & ginger. Lay fish over the sauce.
6. Bake uncovered for 30 min. (When halfway done, spoon sauce all over the fish then return to oven to finish baking.
7. Once cooked through, broil for 2 min .(optional)
8. Garnish with cilantro & scallions.