In time for Lenten Season, I'm thinking of experimenting on dishes using fish as meat. As I have mentioned several times about my diet that consists of vegetables, dairy, fruits and fish and chicken only as my source of meat, it is sometimes challenging to come up with a delicious dish. One dish that I love is kare kare. But this dish is best cooked with oxtail and cow's forestomach(tuwalya). I haven't eaten kare kare in years. But I have heard a long time ago that fish can also be used instead of oxtail. It was KC Concepcion who mentioned it when she was studying in Paris, she said she would ask one Filipino there to cook her fish kare kare since she is also a pesco vegetarian. Although I haven't tried it, and had forgotten about it until yesterday. While I was watching Kris TV, Kris and her guests were eating kare kare in a restaurant. That's when I remembered the fish kare kare and decided its about time to make my own version of fish kare kare.
Ingredients
1 medium size pompano, cut in 3pcs or any fish of your preference
2 tbsp achuete or annato seed (avail in Jewel or any store)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup peanut butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
3 clove garlic, minced
1tsp cornstarch
2 lbs bok choy
1 lb string beans or sitaw
2 tbsp shrimp paste (bagooong alamang)
(You can also add 2pcs medium eggplant)
Procedure
First, you have to make achuete oil. You can do this by boiling the oil and achuete seeds. Once it boiled, and the oil turned red, you can use it for sauteing. You can multi task when you cook this dish to save time. Put the fish in the oven and broil for 30 minutes at 450°F. In a pot, boil water, this is where you will blanch your vegetables.
Then on a pan, add the achuete oil, saute onion, garlic and tomatoes. Then add peanut butter, 2cups water and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Mix corntarch with 2 tbsp of the sauce before pouring it on the pan. Add salt or fish sauce and pepper to taste. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
Some people add the kare kare sauce with the meat and vegetables with alamang on the side. But in my opinion this will make the vegetables soggy. I only mix them on my plate before eating. First I will get the fish, add the vegetables on the side, poor the kare kare sauce generously on top. Add a teaspoon of achuete oil. Then a teaspoon of alamang on the side. And don't forget the rice! This dish needs rice with it.
I hope you guys can also try this dish. Be creative. Experiment. Instead of fish, I think we can also use shrimp, crabs and chicken. In fact, I might try shrimp kare kare next time.
