Seafood Kare-kare

Have your fix of this fiesta staple fortified by the sea's freshest catch.

by Chiqui Obcemea

Ingredients

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 fillet of cream dory, cut into 1-inch thick fingers

1/4 kilo prawns

1/4 kilo squid, cleaned and sliced into 1-inch pieces

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 large onion, chopped

6 cups fish or shrimp broth

4 pieces sitaw or string beans, cut into 3 inch pieces

1 medium eggplant, sliced

2 Tbsp achuete, soaked in 1/2 cup hot water

1/4 cup toasted rice, ground

1/2 cup toasted peanuts, ground

1/4 cup peanut butter

Salt and pepper, to taste

Procedure

1 On a medium sauce pan, saute fish fillets, prawns, and squid. Season with salt and pepper then set aside. Using the same pan, add a bit more oil and when hot enough, add garlic and onions. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add sitaw and eggplant and lower heat to a simmer. Mix in the achuete water, rice, peanuts, and peanut butter then stir continuously. Once the vegetables are almost cooked, add seafoods and season with salt and pepper.

2 Adjust cosistency of sauce with water and peanut butter if it's too thin or too thick, or if you wnat a more nutty taste.

3 Servce with bagoong on the side.