Snapper is a common fish in the Philippines and the best way to cook it is in a sour soup from tamarind or what we call "Sinigang". This is a Filipino all time favorite recipe thay even foreigners love to eat.
Here is what you need:
1 kilo snapper(maya maya)
3 tablespoons miso paste
1 pack of tamarind powder or tamarind(sampalok)
3 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 thumb-sized ginger, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
a bunch of mustard greens(mustasa)
1 radish, sliced(optional)
3 green pepper(siling haba)
1 liter water or rice washing
cooking oil
fish sauce, salt and ground pepper to taste
Procedures:
- In a casserole, heat oil and saute garlic, onion, ginger and tomatoes.
- Add miso paste and fish sauce then stir cook for a minute.
- Pour water then bring to boil. Add sinigang mix then bring to boil.
- Add snapper and green pepper then cook for another 2 minutes.
- Season with salt and ground pepper according to taste.
- Add mustard greens then simmer for a minute. Serve hot!
NOTES:
- To extract tamarind juice instead of sinigang mix, boil unripe tamarind until soften then pound and extract the juice.
It will taste better if you use the water from when you washed your rice and pour this into the pot together with the onions and tomatoes. Bring this slowly to a boil then lower the heat to simmer for 8 minutes.
Since fish cooks easily, drop the fish carefully and bring this mixture into a gentle boil. Make sure you remove the scales of the fish because the scales may contribute to the “malansa” taste of the Maya Maya. Next, throw in the chili and pour the Knorr Sinigang na may Miso Mix and the mustard leaves. Stir and simmer. It should be done in a minute. You may season according to your preference.
With enough rice, patis, calamansi or chili, Sinigang sa Miso is going to make you the hero of your home.
This is best eaten now that the rainy season in the Philippines has started and sipping a great hot soup is the best feeling while the rain is pouring. Try it !