KINILAW ISDA

             Kinilaw is a type of Filipino fish ceviche wherein Wahoo fish fillet is cut into cubes and cured in a mixture of calamansi juice, fresh ginger, onion, chili, and seasonings.

               Calamansi (which is scientifically known as Calamondin) is a small fruit that looks like key lime. This has a sour juice with a mild bitter taste. It is a popular souring agent in Filipino cuisine and one of the best ingredients when making Filipino fish ceviche or kilawin.

               The key in making the best kinilaw is to choose the freshest ingredient. The fish that I used were fresh from the market. This was made when I was in the Philippines for a few weeks. I was too excited to make this dish using the freshest fish and calamansi (since I am deprived of fresh calamansi here in the Midwest).

Here are the ingredients:

1/2 kilo tuna or lapu-lapu fillets cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup of coconut cream (check Extract coco milk)
1/2 cup kalamansi juice
1 1/2 cup vinegar
1 onion, sliced
1 onion, diced
4 slices of ginger, sliced
1 head garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, cut into squares
1 green bell pepper, cut into squares
3 chili peppers, sliced into halves
salt and pepper

Preparation
1. Cut the fillets into 1 inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the vinegar and chill for a 2 to 4 hours.
3. Drain the fish.
4. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, bell pepper, chili pepper, onions and calamansi juice. Mix well.
5. Add the coconut cream. Serve cold.
It’s simple but it just takes more preparation time cutting all those ingredients.

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INUN-ONANG ISDA

Isda inun-unan is the Visayan version of paksiw na isda, a classic Filipino fish recipe in which the fish is cooked in vinegar, spices, and bits of vegetables. The dish is so delicious that you won’t notice you’ve consumed more rice than necessary. Good for your tummy—but probably bad for your diet.

 You can use any kind of fish for the isda inun-unan recipe depending on your preference, but the budget-conscious prefer to make it with milkfish, galunggong, and other inexpensive yet equally good-tasting fish varieties. As for the vegetables, ampalaya (bitter gourd), which surprisingly doesn’t make the soup bitter at all, and eggplant frequently make the list of ingredients.

Rabbitfish, however, is used for this recipe as its flesh is soft and tasty. The only problem is you can’t eat the belly part of the rabbitfish as it tends to taste bitter if not properly cleaned. Bangus (milkfish), on the other hand, makes a great fish for this recipe, especially the head and belly part (not so much for the body and tail part as it’s full of bones). It tastes so good that it takes twice the amount of time to finish eating the upper half of the fish than usual because people love to savor its taste by sucking the meat (especially around the eyes and the brain) until only the bones are left.

Get ready to use your bare hands when eating isda inun-unan to fully enjoy the dish.

How to Cook Isda Inun-unan

Ingredients

• 1 kg fish of your choice, properly cleaned, innards removed
• 1 medium-size ampalaya, cleaned and sliced
• 1 medium-size Chinese eggplant, sliced
• 1 small-size onion, chopped
• 1 thumb ginger, sliced
• 5 pc long green chili
• 1 tsp whole peppercorn
• ½ cup white vinegar
• 1 cup water
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Put the water, vinegar, ginger, onion, fish, salt, and whole peppercorn in a cooking pot. Cover it and bring to a boil.
2. Once it boils, adjust the heat to low and continue cooking for 15 minutes.
3. Add the chili, ampalaya, and eggplant. Cover the pot again and continue cooking until the liquid is reduced, leaving a bit of thin soup.

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TINOLA NGA ISDA

Tinoloa nga Isda in most areas of the Philippines -- particularly in Visayas and Mindanao, two of the three main island groups -- the word "tinola" refers to a clear ginger- and onion-based soup, stew or broth. One of its variations is fish tinola, also known as tinolang isda. Traditionally made with freshly caught fish, it is best served when piping hot. It is highly regarded by the Filipino people for its pleasing aroma and nutritional value.

Step 1

Cut the fish into pieces. Clean the pieces and set them aside.

Step 2

Pour oil into a pot and heat it.

Step 3

Add chopped onions, garlic, tomatoes and ginger. Saute for about 2 minutes.

Step 4

Add the water and chopped tanglad to the pot. Bring to a boil for up to 5 minutes.

Step 5

Add the fish and the sliced chayote. Season with patis, salt and pepper.

Step 6

Reduce the heat and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, or until fish and chayote are cooked.

Step 7

Add the malunggay for garnish and turn off the heat. Serve hot.

Tips

• The best time to make and serve tinolang isda is when the weather is cold.

Things You'll Need

• 2 fish, preferably swordfish or tuna
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 root ginger
• 2 straws of tanglad (lemon grass)
• 1 chayote, or vegetable pear
• 1 cup malunggay (Moringa oleifera vegetable tree)
• 3 cups water
• Patis (Filipino fish sauce), salt and pepper to taste

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