Cook with Patsiviity: Larang for breakfast

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The past year hasn’t been so good to me in terms of my health. Consequently, I had to forgo some of the goals I set for 2024. I consider this year as a revenge year for some of those unrealized goals.
I wanted to stick with my 1 new recipe a month for a viand and 1 new recipe for a baked goods/dessert.

I started off January on a really high note that I’ve done both goals day before this month ends. I’ll share my simple and easy to follow recipe for making a local Cebuano dish called Larang. Shall we start? Before that, let me give you a quick background what's this dish we're making today.

I’m sure you’ve heard of Tinolang Isda or Tinolang Manok which are basically fish or chicken broth filled with vegetables like chayote, taro, tomatoes, corn in a cob, spinach, etc. Provinces around the Philippines have their own version of these dishes; they transform these basic dishes and incorporate local cooking traditions and cultures.

Here in Cebu, mainly in Cebu City, we bring Tinolang Isda a notch higher by adding more ginger, tons of overly ripe tomatoes and a sour-tasting fruit we coin as iba (averrhoa bilimbi). Bring these all together and a fresh and hot Tinolang Isda with a note of sourness will surely captivate the taste buds of your family and friends.

Quick history class is over! Let's head over to the kitchen and let the cooking begin!

Ingredients:

1. Ginger – 100g, julienned
2. Onion – 1 to 2 pcs, quartered
3. Garlic – half bulb, minced
4. Ripe Tomatoes – ½ kilogram, quartered
5. Green Chilis – 5-6 pcs, sliced once of twice
6. Black Beans - 1 pack about 20-30g
7. Leeks – 4-5 strips, sliced 2-3 inches
8. Any white meat fish – 1 kilogram
9. Oil – 3 tablespoons
10. Iba, kamias or vinegar as substitute - as desired
11. Water – about 500ml, add as needed

Tomatoes	Green Chiles
Onion and Garlic	Ginger
Vinegar	Fish

Cooking Instruction

• In a medium-sized pan, add 3 tablespoons of oil of your choice. Add the ginger, garlic and onion, sauté for 1-2 minutes in medium flame

• Add the chopped ripe tomatoes and green chilis, sauté until softer and lighter in color. I also prefer to add the vinegar and salt at this point but you may opt to add them in the end. It’s up to you!

• Add the fish and water. Bring to boil.

• Once boiling, add the black beans and leeks

• Simmer for another minute or so and you’re good to go!

And that’s it! As promised, it’s the simplest recipe you can follow but believe me the taste profile of this one will surprise your family and friends. You’ve become an excellent cook in a matter of minutes!

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