Fish Pochero

If you have read my guest post at The Exquisite Niche or if you've been to my Filipino Cuisine page, then you know how much influence my country's cuisine got from Spain. The Philippines was colonized by the Spaniards for almost 400 years, so many of our dishes are of Spanish origin. Today, I'm bringing you another one of those. It is called Pochero...Fish Pochero in particular. 

The term Pochero is from the Spanish word Puchero which means stewpot. According to Wikipedia, It is a kind of stew prepared in Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, and in Andalusia and the Canary Islands of Spain. Just like Spanish Puchero, Filipino Pochero is usually cooked with a wide assortment of vegetables and meat like beef, chicken and pork, but Filipinos have come up with another version using fish. Beef, Chicken and Pork Pochero are the popular versions for special occasions like fiesta and Christmas, while Fish Pochero is commonly served during Lent. Regardless of the meat used, Saba banana is a must-have ingredient in Filipino Pochero. The dish won't be the same without it.

 

I remember how much my mom loved cooking pochero (all versions of it)! Instead of tomato sauce, she would sometimes use pork and beans. I really loved the sweetness it adds to the dish. So whenever she uses tomato sauce, I would ask her to add a little sugar so it would still be sweet...and I would always ask her to put lots of fried bananas which I really love!

For my pochero, whether I cook it with beef, chicken, fish or pork, instead of using pork and beans, I use tomato sauce, banana ketchup and a little sugar to attain the sweetness I remember from my mom's version. Aside from Saba bananas, freshly cooked kidney beans are a must-have for my pochero.

Check out my version of Fish Pochero for Meatless Friday and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

• 2 whole golden pompano with total weight of about 3 lbs(or other lean fish like tilapia, tuna and salmon), each cut into 4 slices
• 3 pcs saba bananas, peeled and cut into 3 bias slices
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup water
• 1 *8-oz. can tomato sauce
• ¼ cup banana ketchup
• 3 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 15 pieces green beans, cut 2" long
• 1 cup freshly cooked kidney beans
• 3 heads small bok choi, washed and trimmed
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 5 Tbsp light olive oil
• salt and pepper
• garlic powder

Procedure:

1. Sprinkle fish with salt and garlic powder. Let sit for about 15 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, fry saba bananas and potatoes in light olive oil until golden brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.

 3. In the same skillet, fry the fish until medium brown on all sides. Remove from skillet and set aside. 

 4. In the same skillet, saute garlic and onion until onion is almost translucent. Add green beans and saute for a minute.

5. Add water, tomato sauce and ketchup. Bring to a gentle boil. Add sugar and fish sauce. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper to suit your taste. Simmer for about 3 minutes. 

6. Add kidney beans and bok choi. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add  fish and simmer for another 3 minutes. Transfer fish to a serving plate.

7. Add the fried saba and potatoes into the sauce. Toss until well coated.

8. Remove from heat. Transfer to the serving dish with the fish. Serve with hot rice.