Having gauged the heat level of the sambal powder from Anthony the Spice Maker (see here), I set out to use some of the lot left over, this time with prawns and an extra helping of fresh red finger chilies.
Speaking of fresh, my suki warned me of the fish: “They’re from yesterday.” While we complain of the infernal heat, fishermen take no comfort from the cold nights, hence the shortage of fresh fish. And some folks still reject the idea of global warming. Last week I took friends to Mahayahay Falls in Matalom. Rounding the bend in the river, it struck me that I could not hear the sound of falling water. And then we took the final turn and there it was: bare rock face where used to be a cascade. I could scarce believe my eyes.
Summer has only just begun and already people are queuing up for water. When water goes, so does electricity. Meanwhile, the fishermen can’t get to the fish for the bitter cold. The environment should be a bigger issue in the coming elections, yet all the candidates care about is throwing mud at each other. Poe can ram her citizenship and Mar his Wharton degree down their respective throats. As for Duterte, people may soon need shabu after all to get over the hunger pangs. Binay at least has a piggery, but I’ll take my chances elsewhere, thank you.
I had the vendor butterfly the prawns. Once home, I removed the guts and rinsed, draining well. Afterwards I patted them with a paper towel to blot out excess moisture before seasoning (salt, granulated garlic, ground black pepper). To make the chili paste, I pounded minced yellow onion and finger chilies with a bit of salt, sugar, kalamansi juice, and two tablespoons of the sambal powder.
To cook, first the chili paste, sautéed in two tablespoons of oil. Once dryish and golden brown (about five minutes), I added the prawns — use a wok or wide pan for this, BTW — fanning them out flesh-side down to absorb the spices, and turned after about three minutes to cook on the shell side. The prawns may not flatten out all the way, so be prepared to help them along by pressing them down onto the pan.
One thing to remember: do not overcook shrimps or prawns. Better to err on the side of under-cooking — you can always put them back into the pan — because once overdone, you’re stuck with gummy flesh, and no amount of sauce or seasoning can make up for that. Some damage you just can not undo. Now there’s something to chew on when you make your choice for president.
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