Pinangat na Isda

Ingredients for Pinangat na Isda

• 1 large pompano, cleaned, gutted, and scored
• 2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 4 tablespoons tamarind powder, or 8 bilimbi (kamias), or 1/2 cup lemon or calamansi juice
• 3 shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 thumb-size ginger, minced
• 4 green chilies
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Fish sauce
• Oil
• 3 spring onions, chopped

How to cook Pinangat na Isda

1. 1.Season pompano inside and out with salt and pepper. Shallow-fry in hot oil until crisp at the edges; set aside.
2. 2.Leave 3 tablespoons oil in the wok. Sauté garlic, shallots, and ginger, then cook tomatoes and bilimbi, if using, until soft.
3. 3.Add water, boil, and cover-simmer 3 minutes; simmer 3 minutes longer when using bilimbi.
4. 4.Add fish and tamarind powder or citrus juice, if using. Simmer on low 5 minutes, turn fish, and simmer 2 minutes.
5. 5.Adjust sourness with water and season with fish sauce and pepper. Add spring onions and chilies; simmer 2 minutes.