Fish Sweet and Sour

Fish Sweet and Sour

Fish and sour fish is dish where fried fish is topped with stir fried veggies like carrots, and bell peppers (capsicum) and thick sweet and sour sauce. The sweet and sour sauce is made up of vinegar, tomato sauce, sugar, salt and corn starch for thickening the sauce.

I like to use Grouper (lapu-lapu) or Yellow tail fusilier (dalagang bukid) or Snapper (maya-maya). This is not an exclusive fish dish, meat or seafood can be use on this dish. Here, I use grouper fish fillet. I marinade the fillet in salt, pepper and egg for 30 minutes then I dredge in corn starch before deep frying. I deep fried the fish fillet till both sides are golden brown. Place the fried fish fillet on kitchen towel or strainer to drain the excess oil, then arrange on the serving dish set aside while I start cooking the veggies and the sauce. After cooking the veggies put it on top of the prepared fish then pour over the sauce.

When cooking the veggies, I like them crispy and juicy, so I don’t overcooked them, anyway the heat from the sauce will still cook the veggies when you pour it over, so it’s okay not to fully cooked them.

Articles mentioned that this dish is originated from China. Pork sweet and sour is very popular dish in Chinese restaurants. Preparation and taste is similar to our traditional dish. Filipino cuisine is somehow are mixtures of Chinese, Spanish and Western cuisine this perhaps we were colonize by Spanish by very long period of time to be exact 333 years, then by American during. Chinese are also the settlers in the Philippines during the Spanish era. In fact they have an exclusive town in the heart of Manila, named “China Town”.

Fish Sweet and Sour Recipe

Ingredients:

• Fried fish of your choice, arrange in serving dish
• 2 Tablespoon oil
• 1 pc carrot, sliced in thick strip
• 1 medium size green bell pepper (capsicum), sliced in strips
• 1 medium size red bell pepper (capsicum), sliced in strips
• 1 medium size tomato quartered
• 1 medium size onion quartered
• 6 cloves garlic crushed
• Some water

For sweet and sour sauce:

•  ½ cup white vinegar
•  ½ cup water
• 4 tablespoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
•   Pinch of ground pepper
•  1 cup tomato sauce (or catsup)
•  2 tablespoon cornstarch diluted in 3 tablespoon of water

Instruction:

•  Heat in a skillet or wok, put the cooking oil and saute garlic, onions and till fragrant oil

• Put in carrots mix then cover with lid and cook for 3 minutes, put small amount of water before covering to prevent drying up.

•  Put in bell pepper mix then cover with lid and cook for 2 minutes.

• Turn off the heat, then transfer the vegetable on top of the fried fish of your choice

For the sauce:

•  Place all the ingredients in a sauce pan,
• Turn on the heat on medium, continuously stirring the sauce till it boil.
• Taste if the already according to your taste preference and adjust if needed, then pour in the cornstarch slurry, let the sauce boils till it thickens
• Turn off the heat. Pour the sauce over the prepared fried fish and vegetables.
•  Served hot and enjoy!!

 

For the Fish Fillet:

•   Grouper Fish Fillet, sliced in 10 cm thick
•    ¼ tsp salt
•   1/8 tsp ground pepper
•    1 egg, slightly beaten

Marinade the fillet in salt, pepper and egg for 30 minutes then dredge in corn starch before deep frying. Deep fried the fish fillet till both sides are golden brown. Place the fried fish fillet on strainer or kitchen towel to drain the excess oil, then arrange on the serving dish set aside