Fish & seafood

• Baked mussels (tahong), the simple way
• Baked river cobbler fillets
• Chili garlic shrimps with coriander paste and Kecap Manis
• Baked fish and spinach
• Pan-fried kitang with tofu-egg salsa
• Bangus (milkfish) fritters, v. 2
• Tuna belly fillets with garlic and rosemary
• Baked mussels with butter and cheese
• Fish fillets in white wine and cream-and-cheese sauce
• Braised tilapia

Mighty meaty

• Pork loin chops with cream cheese sauce
• Fried beef brisket and potatoes with sour cream
• Tortang sisig at talong
• Beef stroganoff
• Radical farmer’s pie
• Baby back ribs and mushrooms a la teriyaki
• Almost like Spam musubi
• Baby back ribs
• Roast lamb submarine sandwich
• Beef and broccoli leaves

Healthy veggies

• Mashed potatoes and kalabasa (squash)
• Cheese-topped beef and eggplants
• Mackerel frittata
• Potato salad with toasted cashew nuts
• Floyd’s Greek stew
• Fish fillet and vegetables in sour cream
• Fried beef brisket and potatoes with sour cream
• Beef and broccoli leaves
• Cabbage Rolls
• Chicken, mushrooms and potato salad

Fish belly with black beans and chili

I wish I can write a decent introduction for this dish but it has a very short history — it’s a four-hour-old recipe. I can’t give it any lineage either since I am not sure if it’s Chinese, Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai, Indonesian or Filipino. For sure it would fall under the generic label of Southeast Asian cooking since all the ingredients are native to Southeast Asia. What is it, exactly? It is lightly-fried talakitok belly tossed in sauteed tausi (fermented black beans), garlic and finger chilis (siling haba) then garnished with fresh wansuy (cilantro or coriander leaves). And it look all of 10 minutes to cook.

Good for 2 to 3 persons with normal appetite.

Ingredients :

500 grams of talakitok (or any large, fleshy and not too fatty fish) belly
1-1/2 tbsps. of fermented black beans
1/2 head of garlic
3-4 finger chilis
1/2 c. of cooking oil (more if you’re not using a non-stick pan)
a bunch of cilantro for garnish

Cooking procedure :

Cut the fish into smaller pieces (about 2×2 inches to 2×4 inches) and pat try with a kitchen towel.

Wash and drain the black beans. Place in a mortar and crush.

Peel and finely mince the garlic.

Thinly slice the chilis. If you prefer a mildly hot dish, slit the chilis vertically and scrape off the seeds before slicing.

Heat the cooking oil until smoking. Fry the fish, in batches if necessary, until the edges are lightly browned. Do not fry to a crisp — you don’t want a crust to form on the surface which will prevent the fish from absorbing the flavors of the spices and seasoning.

Transfer the fish to a plate and keep warm.

Pour off the oil until only about a tablespoonful remains. Reheat the oil and saute the garlic, chilis and fermented black beans. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes or until very fragrant and the chilis start to turn a little soft. Add the fish to the pan and toss well to coat the fish with the crushed beans, garlic and chilis. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with snipped cilantro and serve immediately.

In the mood for more food?

• Cock-a-leekie soup, Pinoy style
• Beef laing
• Bacon and eggs for breakfast
• Lasang Pinoy 7: Pan de sal at kesong puti (white cheese)
• Salted eggs and tomato salad
• Pan de coco
• Bacon-wrapped chicken livers
• Penne with pesto and grilled fillet of sole
• Orange porkloin steaks and buttered veggies
• How do you like your French fries?