Mixed Bag of Fish from Sri Lanka Waters

Sri Lanka, having surrounded by a rich ocean, is blessed with numerous variety of aquatic life. With a shoreline of more than 1,100 miles and a continental shelf of about 10,000 square miles, the seas around Sri Lanka have an unlimited and relatively unexploited fishing potential. With lush land vegetation, more than a hundred major river basins, about a hundred other estuaries and natural waterways, lagoons and coastal lakes, all with food abundant-waters terminating to the sea, marine life is expected to be quite close to the coastline.

Even with a population of more than 20 million, the sea and major rivers of the island nation remain within the safe level of sustainability.

Popular varieties of food fish found are skipjack and yellow fin tunas, gilthead, seer fish, herrings, sprat, anchovies, red and white mullets, snapper, grouper, trevally, yellow lip emperor, shad, barracuda, barramundi and bream to name a few. The coral world offers beautiful species such as rays, eels, clown fish, porcupine, angel fish, unicorn, trigger fish, wrasse and parrot fish. Gorgeous images of such magnificent marine life were already featured here under the White Sandy Beaches and Coral Reefs of Sri Lanka post.

With a short early morning visit to the coastal road, I can easily find fresh catch from local fishermen. I prefer to buy from them as the fish are really fresh usually caught not far from the shoreline. The fish in the photos above and below are just sample of my recent purchases from a roadside vendor. A mixed bag of fresh fish which could provide numerous culinary possibilities.

Another essential catch are the small size trevally which I intend to cook “sinigang” style (stew in tamarind) to take make use of its freshness and create a delicately tasty sourly-soupy dish loved by most Filipinos.

Even more important to me are the highly sought-after pompano and another variety of trevally which I thought should be perfect for “pangat” or “pinangat”, another Filipino dish where fresh fish is cook in lemon juice, ginger and other spices. This will be posted later for you to enjoy.

These are just sample of the sea bounty from Sri Lanka waters. If you like fish and desires the omega 3 and other essential minerals of a fish, then head right away to the nearest market and secure some of the freshest catch of the day. c“,)

Soup Number 5 or Soup No. 5 or Lanciao (Bull/Ox Gonad Soup)

This is my 100th post so I thought I should feature a special cuisine which is authentic and 100% Filipino. A dish that is unique to the Filipino people and its culture. Probably concocted by the common masses and popularized by the same group forming majority of the people. Let’s give way to my version of the infamous Soup Number 5.

First a reminder: Like the Filipino “dinuguan” or pork blood stew, this dish is not for the squeamish or faint-hearted. I have to inform that non-Filipinos may find this dish somewhat unusual or even disturbing to some extent as it may be in conflict with other cultures and traditions. No matter how a bit strange or peculiar this food may be, it has already been part of the distinct Filipino cuisine. It is probably a result of the Filipino ingenuity in cooking; a resourceful way of transforming parts of the meat which others will just throw away into palatable food.

Soup Number Five, variously spelled Soup No. 5 or Soup #5 which could be called bull or ox gonad soup in English, is a soup made from bull's testicles and phallus. You read it right, testicles and phallus. :-)

In the southern Philippines, this is called “lanciao”. The dish which probably originated from the creative Filipino roadside eateries is believed to have a very potent love potion or aphrodisiac properties. Of course this belief is purely based on claims of those who have eaten the soup and said to have experienced such effect afterwards and not supported by any scientific study.

With such belief that it has properties that stimulate sexual drive, it is expected to be extra popular with male. Particularly for those who prefer the natural ways of attaining sexual enthusiasm than with the help of tablets produced by medical science. But apart from the above, the dish is delicious and truly comforting. The soothing effect will be experienced after every sipping of the soup and eating of the tender and succulent meat.

To prepare the magical dish, we need testicles and phallus from 3 bulls, or about 1½ kilograms of the meat. Additionally, we need a large bone part of a beef to provide the tasty broth which will be the foundation of the soup. In this case, the bone part connected to the tail directly at the back of the cow which is usually attached to the ox tail cut. All the meat should be thoroughly washed and drained.

The other ingredients are: 1 pack “sibut”, a unique Chinese ingredients composed of four herbs, 2 pcs thumb-sized ginger, peeled and crushed, 1 head garlic, peeled and crushed, divided, 2 pcs onions, peeled, 1 quartered, 1 chopped, 2 stalks flat leaf parsley, chopped, 1 pc leek, sliced, 2 tbsp “patis” or fish sauce, 3 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp whole pepper corn, crushed, 1½ cups dried wood ear mushroom, soaked in water to hydrate and chopped and salt to taste.

Arrange the meat in a thick large casserole. Cover with enough water and let it boil under high heat. When the liquid is already boiling and scum is appearing bubbly on the surface, carefully lift the casserole and empty all the liquid. Under a running water, washed the meat again to remove all scum that stuck to the meat pieces and that which remains at the bottom of the casserole several times, until totally clean and clear.

Again, arrange the meat in the casserole, cover with water and simmer in high heat. Scoop out all scum that will further appear until the liquid is clear. This is important to be able to get rid of the foul odor and attain a fragrant and tasty broth.

Adjust the heat to the lowest possible while maintaining the liquid still gurgling. Add the “sibut”, ginger, garlic, onion, salt and crushed pepper corn but set aside about 4 gloves of the garlic, ½ thumb sized-ginger and the chopped onion for sauteing later. Mince the set aside garlic and the ginger. Continue simmering on low heat until the meat is fork tender. Add hot beef broth as required, when the liquid level gets lower than the meat level, one cup at a time.

Take out the meat from the broth. Cut the testicles and phallus to small pieces. Detached the meat from the bone and chopped to bite sizes as well. Discard the bone. Strained the broth, and discard all the collected ingredients. Scoop out the oil that float on the surface of the broth and set aside if you want to use it in the sauteing or for some other purposes later on. If you are appalled by animal fat, dispose it as well.

In the same thick casserole, pour back the broth and keep simmering in a very low heat. In a separate wok or pan, heat some 3 tbsp of oil set aside above or alternatively use vegetable oil. Fry the remaining minced garlic, followed by the remaining chopped onion and continue sauteing. Add all the meat and lightly stir to sear the meat until aromatic. Add the “patis” or fish sauce followed by the oyster sauce and continue suateing.

In the boiling broth, transfer back all the sauted meat from the pan and simmer until the liquid is again boiling. Add hot water according to the amount of liquid you desire for the soup. Add the woodear mushroom, leek and continue simmering until the mushroom is cooked through. Add the flat leaf parsley and simmer for a minute more. Taste the broth and adjust the seasonings.

Transfer into a deep bowl, sprinkle with fried minced garlic on top and serve with soy sauce+minced onion+calamondin (“calamansi”) or lemon+chili dip. You can also replace the soy sauce in the dip with “patis” or fish sauce if you desire. Both will be amazingly good. If you have fresh garlic leaves, mince and put some to make the dip even better. This is good! c“,)

Indulge, be ready for the fabled sexually stimulating effect and feel free to spread love. Enjoy, to the true sense of the word. :-)

Pineapple Shake (Smoothies)

The other day I purchased some locally grown fruits composed of pineapple, banana and avocado. The pineapple is quite large that after having some for our group’s dessert, I still have sufficient quantity to make a decent shake or smoothie. Since it has been a while since I posted the beverage Mango-Papaya Shake; I thought a pineapple smoothie is just the right drinks for the next post about healthy fresh fruit shakes.

Pineapple, native to the southern part of Brazil and Paraguay, is among the most commercially important plants grown worldwide. Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand and Philippines dominates world production with close to 4,000 millions tons combined harvests per year. It is the Spanish who introduced the bromeliad fruit to the Philippines and Hawaii in the 19th century. The Philippines with its vast plantations of the plants remains among the top exporters of fresh pineapple.

Pineapple is eaten fresh or canned and is extensively available as a juice or in juice combinations. It is used in desserts, salads, as a complement to meat dishes and in fruit cocktail. While sweet, it is known for its high acid content, perhaps malic and/or citric. It is a good source of manganese as well as containing significant amounts of Vitamin C and Vitamin B1. So just like the “Guyabano” Shake I posted before, this beverage is must drinks for the whole family.

There are about seven common cultivar varieties of the tropical fruit. The variety popular in Sri Lanka locally known as “annasi” is quite different from the type common in the Philippine market called “pina”. While I find the Sri Lankan type crunchier, the ones in the Philippines are sweeter and juicier. Both varieties though are distinctly delicious and excellent culinary ingredients.

For a single blending good for about 2 tall glasses, the few ingredients you will need are about 2 cups of peeled and sliced pineapple, ¼ cup sugar syrup (or you can just dissolve 3 tbsp white sugar in ¼ cup hot water), 1 cup cold water, 2 tbsp powdered milk and about 1 tray ice cube, about 12 pieces.

To make, just put everything into the blender, cover tightly and pulse it several times until the ice cube and fruits are broken down and blended evenly with the other ingredients.

Pulse it a couple of times more until a smooth, rich and creamy consistency is attained. Don’t over mix.

Pour the drinks into tall glasses and serve. It’s truly refreshing. Enjoy! c“,)

Whole-Wheat French Toast with Fresh Strawberries

I have just prepared and posted a basic French Toast recipe last week. However, the cravings persisted so I have to prepare it again. But since I have already featured the easy and simple way of doing it, this time I decided to make it more elaborate……..a bit special you may say……..with a touch of fresh fruits based on a recipe provided by one of our members who found it online. :-) The recipe also calls for the use of whole-wheat bread instead of the ordinary breakfast bread which is a welcome change for the benefit of weight-washers like me. Yes, I watch my weight as it continues to go up. J

This preparation should be exciting as the combination of French toast and fruit for breakfast is not a common fare to us. Though I have prepared pancakes topped with sweetened banana before, French toast with a fruit topping, though common and I have eaten in Western restaurants, will be a new experience to prepare at home. But what makes me less exciting is the fruit to be incorporated in the dish.......it’s a strawberry. :-) Don’t wonder, while most people are fascinated with the fragrant, juicy and tasty strawberry, I am not. :-(

But since all our members love strawberries and probably most of you too, the show must go on. I just thought while our members will enjoy their French toast with strawberry toppings, I will eat mine with good old butter. :-) And since I will be posting the preparation in this blog, which is more about cooking than eating, then we should proceed. So fire!

The ingredients needed are 4 slices whole-wheat bread, 3 tbsp strawberry jam (we only have strawberry flavored melon spread), 1 cup fresh strawberries, 1 large egg, 1 large egg white, 2/3 cup low-fat milk, 1½ tsp vanilla extract, a pinch of ground nutmeg and 1 tbsp unsalted butter for frying. Of course you can just double the quantities if you will be serving it to big group like ours.

In a small mixing bowl, place the sliced fresh strawberry and add in the jam or spreadable fruit. Stir carefully until blended.

For the rest of the procedures, simply follow the instruction in my previous French toast post. In another shallow bowl, beat the egg, egg white then add the milk and stir. Add in the vanilla extract and nutmeg and continue beating with a fork until blended. Keep the excess one egg yolk for later use or just fried it in the pan after the toast and use as topping along with butter as what I did.

I a non-stick or well seasoned skillet, melt ¼ tbsp butter over medium heat. Dip a bread slice into the egg mixture, letting it soak briefly on both sides. Don’t over soaked the bread as it will suck up all the egg mixture and we might end up with only two slices of toast instead of four. Fry the soaked slice bread in the skillet. Cook until lightly golden or about 3 minutes per side. Turn once only.

Keep the cooked French toast warm. Either in an oven, preheated to lowest temperature or in an air tight cooler. Repeat with the remaining bread slices, adding the remaining ¾ tablespoon butter as needed.

Arrange the still hot French toast in a serving plate and top with the gorgeous strawberry mixture. Wow…….....Yummy! I know you’ll love it. :-O

Serve immediately with your favorite fruit juice or coffee or tea. It’s lusciously good.

Where is mine topped with just butter…………….and fried egg yolk? c“, )

Kabute Soup (Wild Mushroom Soup)

It has been continuously raining with occasional lightning and thunder here in our area in the Southwestern Sri Lanka. As I go around our front yard, I noticed several wild mushrooms in our lawn. I closely examined the exotic plant and found them similar to one type of edible mushrooms in the Philippines which our family usually enjoy during months when thunderstorms are prevalent. I excitedly harvested the rare produce as I particularly like the taste of wild mushrooms over cultured ones. I showed them to our security guard which confirmed they are indeed edible. I asked him to look for more from the backyard and he returned with some more harvest eliciting a huge smile on my face.

A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. While there are many varieties that are toxic and highly poisonous, there are also many which are edible. Edible mushrooms are used extensively in cooking in many cuisines like Chinese, European and Japanese. Some are quite tasty and highly priced. The Philippines being a tropical country has many varieties providing inexpensive food source as they usually appear over night in some backyards, farms and forest. During my childhood, mushroom hunting in the early morning has been one of my worthwhile weekend activities.

Though mushrooms are commonly thought to have little nutritional value, many species are high in fiber and provide vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin and ascorbic acid. Mushrooms are also a source of some minerals, including selenium, potassium and phosphorus. Though not normally a significant source of vitamin D, some mushrooms can become considerable sources after exposure to ultraviolet light,

Most mushrooms that are sold in the farmer’s markets or supermarkets now have been commercially grown on farms. That’s why finding wild mushroom from our own backyard is such a wonderful moment for me. Though not many, the wild mushroom is enough to provide a special vegetable dish for me and hopefully some of my friends here. So right now, these are gorgeous:

To maximize the not so many mushrooms we have harvested, I decided to cook them in soup form complemented by ridge gourd which for whatever reason is a perfect match for wild mushrooms. This one of the family dish we only enjoyed occasionally, from months of October to November, in the Philippines.

For the 5 pieces of mushrooms, we need about 2 pcs young ridge gourd (“patola”), peeled and sliced to ½ inc thick, 5 gloves of garlic, peeled and crushed, about 1 tsp of salt or to taste and 1 tsp ground pepper.

To cook, simply pour about 4-5 cups of water in a small sauce pan or casserole and let it boil on high heat. Lower the heat to medium and place the garlic, followed by the mushroom. Simmer until the mushroom is just cooked. Add the gourd and season with salt to bring out that special taste.

When the gourd is cooked through add the ground pepper. Taste and add more salt if necessary, according to your preference. Transfer in a bowl and serve immediately.

I usually add more ground pepper as I enjoy my serving. The broth is so tasty. Distinctly flavorful. Wild mushrooms are really special vegetables. Enjoy! c",)

My parents who love this vegetable so much will envy me for this. :-)