Holy Week Menu Idea: ADOBONG HITO

Weekly Menu planning can be a tedious task, as it involves a lot of considerations: budget, variety and nutrition. And it especially can be more overwhelming if the menu will have constrictions, case in point: HOLY WEEK MENU PLANNING.

But Holy Week Menu planning should not be hard for Filipinos. Why? We have abundance in local vegetables and seafood that we can use to our advantage in seasons like this. Allow me to help you in planning your Holy week menu. My suggestion:  include a Hito (Catfish) dish to your menu, not only is it cheap, but delicious too. What I love about Hito is that its meat when stewed becomes really tender and juicy, not flaky like the other white meat fishes.

The Philippines is an Adobo nation, every family has their own version of how they make adobo; and almost anything can be adobo-ed. So if you are into Adobo and would still want to enjoy some this Holy Week, try making this: ADOBONG HITO (Freshwater Catfish stewed in Vinegar and Soy sauce).

Here’s how I do it: (If you have a different way of doing this, Share =) )

Ingredients: (For 2-3 servings)

- 2 medium size Hito or 1 big; cut in desired portions (thoroughly cleaned, innards removed)

- 1/4 cup vinegar

- 1/4 cup soy sauce

- 1/4 cup water

- 4 cloves of garlic

- 4 pcs bay leaves

- about 2 tbsp ginger

- whole peppercorns

- sugar and salt to taste

Directions: 

1) Pound the garlic; crushed the ginger.

2) In a  non reactive pot, combine the catfish, soy sauce, vinegar, water, ginger, garlic, bay leaves and whole peppercorns. Marinate for about 5-10 minutes.

3) Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Them simmer at medium heat until only a small amount of sauce is left. While simmering, taste. If its too sour for you,season with a little bit of white sugar, about 1 tbsp. Season with salt if still desired.

4) Remove ginger before serving. Best served with some steaming hot rice on the side.

Wasn't that simple?

I hope you will enjoy this humble dish. =)

Happy Eating! =)