"Pritong Isda with Taosi"

CEBU, Philippines - "Pritong isda" or fried fish is definitely one of the most common Filipino fish dishes. And so for practical reasons. It keeps longer even without refrigeration, and it can be made part or turned into other dishes.

"Pritong isda" is good as it is. But when made an ingredient in the "Utan Bisaya," the local vegetable soup, it gives the soup an enhanced flavor. And when cooked with salted black beans or taosi, fried fish becomes something else altogether.

"Pritong Isda with Taosi" is such an interesting dish. The best fried fish for this dish is one that has grown stale, immediately before molds begin to grow on it. Yes, really! Days-old fried fish has a distinct, different flavor.

Exactly what 'practical' means. The fish may be fried in bulk. It is nice to enjoy freshly fried. After a day or two, it can be made an ingredient in soups, especially "utan' and "misua". The few pieces that remain after several days may then be made into "Pritong Isda with Taosi" - and this one may be the best of them all.

Another good thing about it is that even the 'lowly' kinds of fish can come out just as excellent. The taosi has a very strong kick and any fish will taste quite the same with it. And the taosi is a good preservative too, making the final dish keep for more days still (but in the refrigerator this time). 

Food blogger Vanjo Merano, at www.panlasangpinoy.com, says that the fish slices shall first be fried until these turn crisp and brown. His version of "Pritong Isda with Taosi" has tilapia as main ingredient. And it does not require the fish being allowed to grow stale. He says it takes about 30 minutes to cook this dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 large tilapia, sliced crosswise (steak cut)

• ¼ cup canned tausi (salted black beans), without the water

• ½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 2 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1½ tablespoons oyster sauce

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch diluted in ½ cup water

• cooking oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Rub salt and pepper all over the sliced tilapia and let to stand for 10 minutes.

2. Heat 1 cup of cooking oil in a frying pan.

3. Pan-fry the sliced tilapia in medium heat for about 5 minutes per side or until the color turns medium brown. Remove the fried tilapia and place in a plate lined with paper towel.

4. In a clean cooking pan, heat about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil.

5.Saute the garlic and onion.

6. When the onion softens or becomes translucent, add the parsley and salted black beans.

7. Put in the fried tilapia. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and cornstarch diluted in water. Stir gently and let to boil. Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

8. Add pepper to taste. (Note: You can add more water if it's too salty for your taste.)

9. Transfer to a serving bowl.

10. Serve. Share and enjoy!

This recipe serves 4 persons.