Seafood Sinigang (Sour and Savory Seafood Soup)

Sinigang is adobo’s close contender for the title of National Dish of the Philippines. It has many variants, depending on the fruit that sours the dish. Commonly used are sampaloc (tamarind), kamias (bilimbi), bayabas (guava), and calamansi (Philippine lime)—fruits grown in Philippine soil. Unfortunately, these fruits are difficult to find in the countries where I’ve lived. Hence, I recreated this dish using the all-year-round, easy-to-find lemon. Like many Filipino dishes, this soup is bold in taste: sour, salty, slightly sweet, spicy, and umami. For a more flavorful stock, reserve the shells and heads of the shrimp or prawns, simmer with the stock for at least 10 minutes, then strain. For an extra zing, I season sinigang with what I call a Filipinized gremolata, a mildly modified version of the Italian condiment made with parsley, lemon zest, and fried—instead of raw—garlic. This dish, which reminds me of home and heritage, can be prepared using just one pot. The recipe is easy to scale, whether you’re cooking for a village or just for one.