Serve with: Rice and cucumber slices tossed with a dressing of rice vinegar, sugar, garlic, fish sauce and pepper The Philippines was a Spanish colony for more than three centuries, and its cuisine, especially that of the major cities, has incorporated some Spanish ingredients and adapted Spanish dishes to its own tastes. However, the cooking remains basically Southeast Asian in flavour, as in this traditional tomato sauce made more vibrant with ginger, an important ingredient in most fish preparations. It goes best with full-flavoured fish, such as kingfish, grouper, snapper, halibut, pickerel or catfish.
- Portion size 4 servings
Ingredients
Method
Remove any brown outer layer from lemongrass. Cut off dried tops of stalk; cut stalk into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Set aside.
Sprinkle fish with salt. In skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; lightly brown fish on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from pan; set aside.
Add garlic and ginger to pan; cook for 1 minute. Add lemongrass, onions, green pepper, cloves, bay leaf, pepper and cayenne pepper; sautee or 1 minute.
Add tomatoes and fish sauce; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, about 6 minutes. Nestle fish in sauce; simmer until fish flakes easily when tested, 2 to 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf and cloves.
Nutritional facts <b>Per serving:</b> about
- Sodium 448 mg
- Protein 25 g
- Calories 220.0
- Total fat 10 g
- Cholesterol 36 mg
- Saturated fat 1 g
- Total carbohydrate 8 g
%RDI
- Iron 14.0
- Folate 11.0
- Calcium 7.0
- Vitamin A 18.0
- Vitamin C 47.0