MamaNO, the environmentalist of the orphanage recently arrived from Palawan with an overwhelming amount of fresh seafood she bought prior to her flight back to Manila.

Faced with the challenge of full freezers, Michelle and I scrambled to plan dishes and find suitable recipes for the succulent variety of fresh catch that was presented to us: salmon, seabass, and maya-maya (snapper).

So, after a long break (almost a year!), I finally made a ‘comeback’ and faced the heat of the burning stoves in the kitchen by volunteering to personally ‘experiment’ on the salmon and maya-maya.

First off was the salmon for which Michelle found an interesting recipe in one of the cookbooks in the kitchen. The kitchen was suddenly abuzz with the last-minute addition to that night’s dinner menu.

While I gathered the necessary ingredients, Chef Rosie assisted in cleaning, de-boning and filleting the fish; Yaya Josie running to the nearby deli to buy some fresh parsley which we didn’t have at that time, and the gardener grating fresh coconuts that were meant to be used for another dish the following day.

CURRIED SALMON SOUP

Ingredients:

¼ cup butter
2 onions, chopped
2 tsp curry paste or powder
2 cups water
2/3 - 1 cup white wine
1 ¼ cups heavy cream
½ cup fresh coconut milk
2 potatoes, cubed
500 grams salmon fillet, skinned and cut into bite size pieces
4 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
3 pcs siling labuyo, chopped
Salt
Ground black pepper

Method:

Melt butter in a large sauce pan. Fry onions and cook for 3-4 minutes or until soft.

Stir in curry paste or powder and cook for 1 minute more.

Add all liquid ingredients (water, wine, cream, and coconut milk) and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil until cream has dissolved.

Add potatoes and simmer covered for about 12-15 minutes or until almost tender.

Add fish and continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add chopped parsley and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

This creamy soup which makes for a substantial appetizer can also be eaten as a perfect viand or accompaniment to freshly steamed white rice. Simple and easy to prepare, it is a fusion of the East and West with the enhancing flavours of mild curry and coconut milk; a hint of spiciness from the siling labuyo (chilies); and the luxurious touch of white wine.