A Reason for Riesling Part 3: Mosel Slate Meets Sinigang

This week is all about balance: the right sweetness level in the wine and the right sour-salt-sweetness in Sinigang (Filipino tamarind soup). At least the cool slate in Mosel riesling goes well with just about anything right?

I think the first time I ate sinigang was when I was four, maybe five years old. My Lola Naty (may she RIP) made it, and I remember it being pretty sour. I wasn’t the biggest fan. Over the years, I got a little wiser and really liked it, especially with the pork and tomato bits. Twenty-three years after I first had my Lola’s sinigang, I decided to make my own version. My main predicament this time around was finding a recipe I was satisfied with making. I knew I wanted to do a salmon sinigang since I had so much pork over the Thanksgiving holiday. But being inspired by work, I wanted to experiment with a dashi broth because it gives a nice, delicate cut to rich soups.

Balance was the main issue here. I had to make sure I balanced the sour note from the tamarind with the pungent yet savory fish sauce, and make sure all the other components were well-seasoned. Fortunately, the dashi broth cut through both the tamarind and the fish sauce.

Wine was also a bit of a tough one on this. I knew I wanted a Mosel riesling. But with all the different classifications for the ripeness levels of the grapes and the final sweetness of the wine, I was really confused on which one to get. I ended up getting a spatlese (late harvest) Mosel riesling that refreshed my palate with crisp and fresh stone fruit, and slatey minerality. I’m so happy with how this all worked out.

Salmon Sinigang (Original Thought Out Recipe) Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Dashi-influenced broth (adapted from this recipe*) (make 1 day ahead of time)

  • 8 cups Water

  • 5 2-inch pieces of Kombu

  • 4 tbsp Tamarind paste

  • 2 tbsp Fish sauce

  • 4 tsp Slow-roasted garlic confit, blended (make 2 days ahead of time; freeze for at most 4 months)

    • 2 heads of Garlic, minced

    • ½ cup Avocado/grapeseed/olive oil

    • Salt and pepper to taste

    • 1 tbsp Annatto oil, for the red onion (make 1 day ahead of time) (based on this recipe**)

      • 1 tsp Annatto seeds

      • 1 tbsp Olive oil

      • ⅔ Red onion, sliced with a mandoline (second setting)

      • 1 Daikon radish, sliced with a mandoline (third setting)

      • 1 medium-sized Bok choy, ends trimmed, leaves chiffonade, stems sliced

      • 1 Fennel, sliced

      • Pan-seared salmon (based on this recipe)

        • 1 lb Salmon, skin on and cut into 4 pieces

        • 2 tbsp Grapeseed oil

        • 2 tbsp Butter

        • ½ Lemon, cut into 4 wedges

Instructions

1. Make sinigang broth

   1. Make a kombu-only dashi. Once off the heat, mix tamarind paste and fish sauce in the broth. Let it cool before setting aside in the fridge.  

   2. Blanch the daikon, bok choy, and fennel. Set aside when done.

   3. Sauteé red onion with annatto oil over medium heat. Once caramelized, set aside on a paper lined towel to dry.

   4. In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of the broth to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, mix in garlic confit. Once mixed, remove from heat and add blanched daikon, bok choy, and fennel.

   5. Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Place salmon filets in pan, skin-side down, and press down gently.

   6. Lower heat to medium and continue cooking fish skin-side down for 2-3 more minutes. Carefully flip fillets and add butter. Once butter is melted, baste fish with the butter and oil mix. Continue basting and cooking until golden all over, about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.

   7. Place broth and vegetables in a bowl. Top with salmon filet, garnish with red onion, and spritz lemon juice. Serve hot.

*Recipe credit: The Kitchn**Recipe credit: Panlasang PinoyLessons to be Learned and Future Stuffs

• The broth turned out really dark. It could be because I used dashi broth instead of water.

  • I could add just a little tomato paste to change up the color since tomatoes aren’t in season in winter.

  • Rice, rice, rice. I was too stubborn to add rice. But rice is a key ingredient to soak up the flavor of the broth so it’s not such a flavor bomb.

  • If 2 cups of broth is too much, it's okay to reduce it to 1 cup. You can always freeze and reuse the broth within 6 months.

About Monchhof

Located around the village of Ürzig and founded by monk in 1177, this is one of the oldest estates in the Mosel. This estate, led by Robert Eymael since 1994, produces primarily fruitier, yet dry styles of riesling. With its myriad of fruit notes (green apple, nectarine, mango skin, lime zest, Meyer lemon curd), white blossom aroma, and racy structure, this wine goes perfectly with Pad Thai, pork belly, and a day in the sun. It’s easy to drink too since it’s only 8.5 percent alcohol.