gatang albacora

gatang albacora - /ga-táng al-ba-có-ra/ Tagalog and Caviteño dish; dw Tag. gata [coconut milk] + albacora [albacore]) [n.] albacore tuna in coconut milk.

Other local name:

• ginataang albakora in Tagalog

On one of my visits to the public market of Cavite City, I found behind the market this small carenderia. Delving over its array of turo-turo dishes, I was attracted to this gatang albacora, obviously because I'm a big fan of dishes with coconut milk. This one is a bit picante (spicy hot).

I delved more into this simple dish and learned from the kusinera (lady cook) that this requires two-step cooking (pinaksiw then ginataan) using fresh fish, freshly squeezed kakang gata, and fresh spices. Sounds simple but pressing - for you have to literally press fresh coconut here. It's a big deal that you have to use a freshly squeezed gata when cooking ginataan. Or else, you will never get that heavenly creamy-licious essence of ginataan. Gata must be there at least an hour before cooking time - the shorter the time, the better. Canned or powdered substitutes cannot satisfy this. It's a blessing if you have a kudkuran (coconut grater) in the kitchen or if your place is nearby a mercado (palengke) or talipapa (informal fish and farmers' market) to get your coconut. In the case of this carenderia, the public market is just right beside their feet.  No wonder the smell of gatang albacora is so inviting. The next thing in my mind is a plateful of steaming kanin and an ice-cold soft drink -  having both the hot and the cold is the yin and yang of Filipino dining.

I learned from the kusinera that she first cooked the fish ala pinaksiw in pure sukang irok (sugar palm vinegar) with bawang (garlic), luya (ginger), sili (chili), and salt to taste. After a few minutes of boiling the pinaksiw na isda, she added the kakang gata followed by cutlets of siling haba (green finger chili). Pinaksiw is a way of cooking that helped remove the fishy odor of albacora and enhanced the taste of fish.

Adding kakang gata or that thick pure coconut milk adds a creamy and nutty flavor. This is the reason why I cannot resist sipping that white sauce. Good to go also as a topping on my rice.

Each fish is separately wrapped in dahon ng saging (banana leaf) to keep the fish from sticking to the pot and to each other. Plus the leaf is adding aromatic flavor. 

This reminds me of my version of Visayan linabog dish, the linabog nga tilapia. The ways of cooking are almost similar only if the albacora here was also fried before adding the kakang gata.

Pass the rice, please.

albacora /al-ba-ko-ra/ Tagalog and Caviteño sea fish /seafood) (also spelled as albakora in Tagalog) [n.] albacore (sc.name: Thunnus alalunga) is a species of tuna with unusually long pectoral fins which include some species of yellow fin tuna in temperate and tropical waters across the globe, particularly in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans, and in the seas around them. Known also as “longfined tuna” in Hawaii, and “longfin tuna” in Canada, Australia, and South Africa.

Related posts:

linabog nga tilapia

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Encouragement and enthusiasm are not enough. I also need moral support, prayers, and anything else that can uplift my spirit and keep my good reasons. Keep them coming. All I know is that I am happy with what I am sharing and giving away. If you are pleased and happy with what I am doing, just smile and please share the happiness. Keep sharing and include to share the PHILIPPINE FOOD ILLUSTRATED. I feel energized when my blog becomes one of the reasons why you are happy and smiling. 

Edgie Polistico  

For more about Filipino food, see  this Philippine Food, Cooking, and Dining Dictionary. It is OPEN and FREE.

linabog nga tilapia

linabog nga tilapia - /li-na-bóg nga ti-láp-ya/ Ilonggo, Cebuano, and Boholano dish) [n.] Tilapia fish in thick  and spicy hot coconut milk.

Fresh tilapias are gutted and scaled

Linabog is an old-time Visayan seafood delicacy.  Originally, it uses meat from cartilaginous fish, such as pagi (ray) or iho (shark). The meat of dugong (manatee), butanding (whale shark), and balyena (whale) are also favored when available. If not available, slimy freshwater fish is used, like the hito (catfish) or the haluan (mudfish). 

The ingredients

When Visayans migrated to Mindanao at the height of the “Land of Promise” campaign in the 1970s, they brought along with them the traditional Visayan seafood dishes that included linabog. This explains why linabog is also found in Mindanao.

The ingredients are prepared and ready.

In the olden days, the pagi or iho was cooked into inun-onan (boiled in vinegar) without any condiment, as it was merely a process of preserving the catch to last for days without getting rotten. Later on, the inun-onan evolved with condiments introduced to the islands.  The thick coconut cream was used as a desirable ingredient and thought to be a natural protection from possible food poisoning. Hot spice is also added to mask any nasty taste. What used to be thrown away, eventually became a delectable delicacy.

The fish are cooked in vinegar with garlic and salt to taste. Just the way you cook paksiw na isda. Banana leaves are used to wrap each fish to keep the fishes from sticking to each other. The leaves also add aroma to the dish.

When boiled and cooked, excess vinegar is drained.

Now that the Philippine and International Laws on Marine Wildlife Protection prohibits the capture and consumption of the sea fish mentioned above, the tradition of cooking the original linabog shunned away the locals from savoring their old-time favorite linabog. But the taste of linabog lingers making the locals keep on longing for it. When pagi and iho are not available, they resort to hito or haluan. Later on, tilapia is also used.

Cooking oil is added and brought to boil. The fish are fried well until crisp with those bones and fins on the edges would easily brittle.

Excess oil is drained right away after frying, or the fishes are removed from the oil.

Braising the fish first in vinegar with salt and spices transforms “nasty” to “tasty.” It removes the nasty fishy odor of the fish. Cooking is exactly the same way as you cook paksiw na isda. In my recipe, I made the twist of frying the fish after braising them in vinegar with condiments to attain the crispiness of the skin and edges of the fish, which is a favorite of mine when it comes to tilapia. Chewing the crisp-fried bones is nice and tasty. It also eliminates the hassle of picking those tiny bones around the edges, which I often feared might prick my throat if I accidentally swallowed them.

All the spices are sauteed until they caramelize then added with some water, simmered for awhile, then coconut cream is added (below).

Visayans are known to be fond of using creamy coconut milk in their seafood delicacies. Almost all Visayan seafood cooked with coconut cream or coconut milk are my favorites, among them are the tinunoang kinilaw (fish ceviche in coconut cream), the tinunoang kinhason (shellfish in coconut milk), and linabog.

Curry powder

Hot chili pepper

Salt

Sibuyas dahon (chive)

I was inspired by the sinugno of Quezon province that I added pechay leaves (in place of mustasa) in my recipe. Chilies are not strange to Visayans. They use it to spice in many of their dishes. They even have a dish called halang-halang for that. They also squeeze chilies in kinilaw.

Bell pepper (green and red)

Pechay leaves buried in thick coconut sauce, simmered, then transferred onto deep serving dish.

Here’s my version of linabog and enjoy cooking and dining with my fellow Visayan’s comfort food. This will make linabog continue to live on - in a new form

The crisp fried tilapias are arranged on top the savory spicy coconut sauce. To eat, flake the fish, dip or combine it in the sauce, and savor every bite.

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Related posts:

How to cook Linabog Nga Tilapia
A fully illustrated recipe by Edgie Polistico
 

All photos by Edgie Polistico posted in this blog are copyrighted. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Continue to follow my blogs. You can also follow and learn more by joining us in our Facebook group. Have more bits and pieces about our kind of food, ingredients, and ways of cooking, dining, and knowing food culture across the 7,641 islands of the Philippines. I will search for more and continue to share my findings. It is my pleasure to rediscover the known and least known things or the unheard ones and put them here for everyone to find, learn, and treasure. 

Encouragement and enthusiasm are not enough. I also need moral support, prayers, and anything else that can uplift my spirit and keep my good reasons. Keep them coming. All I know is that I am happy with what I am sharing and giving away. If you are pleased and happy with what I am doing, just smile and please share the happiness. Keep sharing and include to share the PHILIPPINE FOOD ILLUSTRATED. I feel energized when my blog becomes one of the reasons why you are happy and smiling. 

Edgie Polistico  

For more about Filipino food, see  this Philippine Food, Cooking, and Dining Dictionary. It is OPEN and FREE.

binutong

binutong - (bi-nù-tong, bi-nu-tóng; Bicolano delicacy) [n.] glutinous rice cooked in coconut cream, sugar, and few salts, then while it is still half-cooked, a scoop of it is placed in a spread of layered banana leaves with more kakang gata.

Binutong from Naga City

The edges of filled banana leaves are gathered together and tied like a pouch and then cooked further in boiling water or thinned coconut milk to complete the cooking. 

Binutong is traditionally served with hot chocolate and grilled or fried dried fish.

All photos by Edgie Polistico are copyrighted. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

See Index of Entries here

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Let us know your opinion on the subject. Feel free to comment in the comment section, below. It is important for us to know what you think.

Tell us what other topics you would like us to write, share, and discuss about.

For more about Filipino food, see  this Philippine Food, Cooking, and Dining Dictionary. It is OPEN and FREE.

Continue to follow my blogs. You can also follow and learn more by joining us in our Facebook group. Have more bits and pieces about our kind of food, ingredients, and ways of cooking, dining, and knowing food culture across the 7,641 islands of the Philippines.

Encouragement and enthusiasm are not enough. I also need moral support, prayers, and anything else that can uplift my spirit and keep my good reasons. Keep them coming. All I know is that I am happy with what I am sharing and giving away. If you are pleased and happy with what I am doing, just smile and please share the happiness. Keep sharing and include to share the PHILIPPINE FOOD ILLUSTRATED. I feel energized when my blog becomes one of the reasons why you are happy and smiling.

Edgie Polistico