Sinigang na Tanigue Head and Tail sa Gabi

Rich fish-head broth with taro, sitaw, okra and wild ampalaya.

Ingredients

• 722 g tanigue head and tail
• 1.8 L water
• 175 g gabi, peeled and cut into roughly 2.5–3 cm chunks
• 150 g apalya / wild bitter gourd, washed; halve the small ones lengthwise; remove only very hard/mature seeds
• 175 g sitaw, cut into 5 cm / 2-inch pieces
• 190 g okra, ends trimmed; leave small ones whole, halve very large ones
• 1 sachet, 44 g Knorr Sinigang sa Sampalok Mix Gabi
• 180–200 g ripe tomatoes, about 2 medium, quartered
• 100–120 g onion, 1 medium-large, quartered
• 20–25 g ginger, sliced thinly — strongly recommended for the fish head
• 2 whole green finger chilies / siling pansigang, optional
• 1 tbsp fish sauce/patis, initially
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• Salt or additional patis, only as needed at the end

Method

• Thaw and clean the fish, removing gills and blood clots. Simmer water, tomatoes, onion and ginger for 8–10 minutes.
• Add gabi for 10–12 minutes, until almost tender. Mash two or three softened pieces into the broth.
• Add fish, fish sauce and pepper. Gently simmer about 7 minutes. Dissolve sinigang mix in a little hot broth, return it to the pot, and add optional chilies for 2 minutes.
• Add wild ampalaya for 2 minutes, sitaw for another 2 minutes, then okra for 2–3 minutes. Avoid breaking up the fish.
• Check that the fish is cooked through. Taste and adjust with fish sauce or salt as needed; rest covered for 3 minutes before serving.

Before you cook

Read the ingredient labels for allergens, especially seafood, soy, wheat, dairy and eggs. Prepared sauces and seasoning powders vary in saltiness, so taste before adding more. Cooking times are guides; check doneness in the actual batch.

Cook poultry and reheated leftovers to 74°C, ground meat to 71°C, and fish to 63°C. FoodSafety.gov cooking guidance ↗