Fish Dish (Fish Recipe)
Filipino Recipe

Tinolang Lapu-lapu, photo by Carol Elep

Tinolang Lapu-lapu (Grouper Fish Tinola)

The Philippines is an archipelago, a cluster of islands surrounded by water and as such, fishing is a major source of living and fish is one of the staple food of the country.

The Filipinos, therefore, have an extensive recipes cook and preserve these lovely fresh delicious fish; many are naive to the country, passed down from generation to the next, some are adapted from international recipes and gave them its own distinct Filipino flavour, and plenty more made up from growing amount of available ingredients in the market.

Tinolang Lapu-lapu is a really nourishing dish.  It is an all-round season recipe, can be enjoyed by all at whatever the weather.

Lapu-lapu is called grouper  fish in English.  Ask your fish monger to clean and cut the fish.

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo or just over a pound of Lapu-lapu (grouper) fish, cleaned and cut
3 stalks spring onion, cut into an inch length pieces
3 pieces lemon grass, chopped
1 inch ginger, chopped finely
1 vegetable stock cube (knorr or Oxo)
1 small marrow or 2 courgettes
6 cups water
Salt & pepper

Procedure:

Bring to a boil the cups of water in a casserole pan over high heat.

Drop in the spring onions, lemongrass, ginger and stock cube. Give it a good stir.

Turn down the heat and leave to simmer for 5 minutes.

Add in the marrow or courgettes slices and the fish, continue to simmer for 8-10 minutes in medium heat.

Season it with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Enjoy the taste of the oriental sea at its best!