This Paksiw sa Gata recipe is made of tender and moist salmon fillet that is gently simmered in vinegar, spices and coconut milk (or gata in Filipino). It is quick and easy to make and is ready to eat within 20 minutes!
Paksiw is a Filipino style of cooking meat in vinegar. Yes, we love our vinegar! Adobo, Igado, and Binagoongan are some of the Filipino dishes that use vinegar as one of its base flavors. Even most of our dips (or sawsawan in Filipino) almost always calls for vinegar. It is an obsession. Really.
Why use salmon fillet?
Salmon fillets are almost always accessible and available from where I live. It is not the cheapest but it is healthy and versatile. The number of delicious dishes you can make out of it is just endless. As it is a fatty fish, the flavor is definitely there.
Making use of salmon fillet for paksiw requires minimal preparation. It is usually sold in packs that have already been descaled, cut, and (sometimes) deboned. All that is left to do is make sure there are no pins left. The rest of your time can be spent on preparing the rest of the ingredients which is fairly quick too!
Paksiw sa Gata Ingredients
- fish
- vinegar
- onion
- garlic
- ginger
- peppercorn
- bay leaf
- long green chili (sili pangsigang)
- fish sauce
- salt
- coconut milk
How to cook Salmon Fillet for Paksiw
Remove fish from the fridge 15 to 20 minutes before you are ready to start cooking. This ensures that it cooks evenly under the heat.
Combine all the ingredients together, except for the fish. Simmer on low heat and wait for the coconut milk (gata) to curdle. When the liquid is ready, poach the fillet. Cooking time for two fillets that weigh around 6 oz each is 8 to 10 minutes.
Adjust the cooking time depending on the size and thickness of the fillets. Note that this is a small serving recipe that can feed two people.
Salmon Fillet Paksiw sa Gata
Ingredients
- 350 grams salmon fillet (sliced into two portions, lengthwise)
- ¼ cup cane vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 small onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 clove garlic (sliced)
- 1 half-inch ginger (peeled and sliced)
- 1 teaspoon peppercorn
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 siling haba (siling pansigang, sliced)
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a small pan, combine vinegar, water, onion, garlic, ginger, peppercorn, and bay leaf.
- Set heat to low. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 5 minutes until liquid is slightly reduced.
- Pour coconut milk and fish sauce. Simmer for another 5 minutes until the milk slightly curdles.
- Add salmon fillets. Cover and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overcook to retain the fish's moist creamy texture.
- Taste the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with rice immediately!
Recipe Notes and Tips:
- Remove fish from the fridge 15 to 20 minutes before you are ready to start cooking. This ensures that it cooks evenly under the heat.
- Adjust the cooking time depending on the size of the fillets. Note that this is a small serving recipe which can feed two people.
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