Eli’s Asian Baked Salmon: How Good Fish Sauce Makes All the Difference

The first time I made Eli’s Asian Salmon, I was still firmly anti-fish sauce. I’d had one truly awful experience early on (a cheap bottle that was aggressively funky) and it made my entire apartment smell like something had gone very wrong for days. Fast forward a few years (and a lot more cooking), and I’ve come around. A good fish sauce (Squid is my go-to) doesn’t read as “fishy” at all. It just adds depth and that salty, savory backbone you can’t quite put your finger on. And it’s key to the umami sauce here: fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lemon juice, oyster sauce, sesame oil, chili paste, plus scallions, garlic, and ginger. Some goes straight over the salmon, then you pile on panko and soak it with the rest before roasting. The flavor is great, but I should have trusted my gut – this was a salt bomb. Next time I’d cut back the soy sauce or swap in a low-sodium version to let the other ingredients come through. I also think I’d add some non-soaked panko on top before…