24 April 2008

Fish & chips

Fried mackerel tuna

Dinner is served and demanding my undivided attention. This, my friends, is what I call food. Give me piniritong mangkô¹ any old time and I’m happy as a frog in a downpour.²

The picture doesn’t do the fish justice, but once you get a good whiff of that fried aroma permeating the kitchen and an eyeful of that firm, browned meat, you know you’re in for a treat. Pair with some kick-ass vinegar, serve with a side of pickled paliya³, pile on the rice, and you are all set!

Of course, it’s imperative to use really fresh fish or else you won’t get that delicate sweetness that only fresh seafood have. To prepare, remove guts, wash thoroughly, twist tail, make an incision on each side, and salt liberally. Fry in hot oil until nicely browned. Serve hot.

The ampalaya pickle is just as effortless to make. Boil a mixture of 1 cup water, ¾ cup vinegar, ½ cup white sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and a knob’s worth of julienned ginger. Stir until solids dissolve (excluding ginger, obviously), then let cool. In the meantime, soak finely sliced bitter gourd in an ice bath for 30 minutes, then drain, mix with finely sliced red bell pepper and carrots, stuff into a sterilized jar, pour in the pickling liquid, seal tightly, and chill in the refrigerator. Pair with anything grilled, roasted, fried (but of course), or braised, AKA a diet-buster.

Bon appetit!


¹ Mackerel tuna; tulingan to the Tagalogs out there. «

² Not that I croak, but if I ever do, there’s probably a fishbone stuck in my throat. It happened to me once. Ugly, that. «

³ Bitter gourd; Tagalog ampalaya — and you better believe me when I tell you the pickled chips are not at all bitter. «

…to ruin your diet (if you’re on one). «

The fish should glisten like it just came from a vigorous workout, its eyes clear and gills bright red. «

More like a dislocation, if you ask me. Apparently, this prevents the build-up of histamine in the flesh, which can lead to allergic reactions. «

No need to salt and squeeze; let them sit in that nice cold bath and you’ll be rewarded with crunchy, non-bitter chips every time. «

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