Sinigang na Pomfret (Filipino sour soup with fish)

- Serves 3
​Sinigang is a popular soup dish from the Philippines made using meat/fish combined with a variety of vegetables in a deliciously tangy broth. Most often, a local fish called Bangús or Milk Fish is cooked with a medley of seasonal vegetables to create this family favorite dish. I have chosen delicate silver pomfret along with the most commonly used vegetables in my recipe below, however you can simply replace them with any veggies of your choice. Sweet and sour tamarind is the most common souring agent used here, but a dear Filipino student of mine uses Calamansi for a fruity twist. Make sure you use plenty of Calamansi juice - I certainly like mine more on the sour side. And remember to make some steamed Jasmine rice to go with the beautiful, golden broth to make this ultimate comfort meal.

Ingredients for ​Sinigang na Pomfret

20g tamarind soaked in 1/2 cup (120ml) hot water 
2 tablespoons coconut oil
700g fish steaks of your choice (I used 2 silver Pomfret)
1 liter chicken stock (I used prawn stock made from leftover prawn heads)
250g tomatoes, quartered 
100g onion, sliced
1 thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and cut into thin slices
1 stalk lemongrass, bashed
1-2 bird’s eye chilies, finely chopped - optional
1 medium white radish (daikon), peeled and sliced 
5 french beans, green beans or string beans, trimmed and cut into 2-3 inch pieces
1 medium eggplant - cut into 1-inch diagonal pieces
1 sweet green chili pepper, sliced diagonally
2-3 tablespoons fish sauce , or to taste
1 bunch water spinach (Kangkong) - - hard part of the stalks trimmed OR 4 pieces Pak Choy, blanched

Recipe
  1. ​Soak tamarind in hot water for 30 minutes. Once soft, massage tamarind using your fingers, extracting as much pulp as you can. Discard any leftover fiber and seeds. Set tamarind pulp aside.
  2. On medium flame, heat oil in a non-stick frying pan. Sear fish skin side down for about 2 minutes until the skin is crispy. I used silver pomfret which is a flat fish and therefore needed searing on both sides. Set aside. (Traditionally, Sinigang is made using Milk Fish cut into steaks and never seared prior to cooking)
  3. In a saucepan over high heat, bring 1 liter of stock to a boil. I used homemade prawn stock made from leftover prawn heads but quality chicken stock also works well.
  4. Add tomatoes, onion, ginger, lemongrass, bird’s eye chilies, beans and radish. Lower heat to low-medium and cover and simmer for 5 minutes, until radish is partially cooked.
  5. Add fish, eggplant, and green chili pepper. Pour in tamarind juice and fish sauce - cook for 10-12 minutes until fish cooks through. The cooking time may vary based on the thickness of the fish.
  6. Add water spinach - cook for a few seconds then turn off the heat. (Blanch pak choy separately if using in this recipe and add just before serving). Serve hot with steamed rice.
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