Filipino Barbecue Salmon with Cucumber-Tomato Salad

Filipino Barbecue Salmon is a spin on a Filipino classic banana sauce, also known as banana ketchup. I fell in love with banana sauce several years ago when I was researching recipes for a Filipino themed dinner party. I’m a traitor to my home of Kansas City because I don’t care for most American barbecue sauces, especially Kansas City style. I developed my own spin on the Filipino classic and have used it on both chicken and ribs, so thought “why not give it a whirl with salmon?” I only wish I had tried this sooner. This sweet and nuanced sauce is perfect with salmon. Because the sauce is a little on the sweeter side, I like to pair it with a salad with an acidic dressing. I did a play on a traditional Filipino tomato and cucumber salad that did the trick.

For this recipe I used fresh Mowi Atlantic salmon fillets, which were tender and moist, ideal for grilling.

1. For the Cucumber-Tomato Salad: Soak the red onion in a bowl of ice water for 5-10 minutes. Combine rice wine vinegar, sugar, fish sauce, cilantro, garlic, and black pepper. In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet bell pepper, and drained red onion. Add the dressing no more than an hour before serving.

2. For the salmon: In a mixing bowl prepare a marinade by stirring together 79 ml (1/3 cup) banana ketchup, cola, lime juice, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar. Add brown sugar, garlic, oyster sauce, and pepper flakes. Mix until smooth.

3. Place the salmon in a ziplock bag and add two-thirds of the marinade. Refrigerate for 20-45 minutes. Meanwhile, add the remaining 3 tablespoons banana ketchup to the remaining marinade and set aside for glazing the salmon.

4. Preheat oven to 149°C (300°F). Arrange the salmon fillets on a small sheet pan and brush with the glaze. Bake until cooked to slightly below the desired doneness, between 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness. Finish by broiling until the tops caramelize and the salmon is cooked to your taste. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with chives or green onions.  Serve with Cucumber-Tomato Salad, and, if desired, rice or cauliflower rice.