Seafood
Tomato Patis Tilapia
An original comforting, savory and lightly sweet from ripe tomatoes Tilapia recipe adapted for Filipino ingredients, family portions and an ordinary home stove.
This original Sarap Recipe version of Tomato Patis Tilapia is designed for a regular Filipino family kitchen. It uses tomato and patis to make a comforting, savory and lightly sweet from ripe tomatoes dish that works well with steamed rice.
Ingredients
- 2 medium tilapia, cleaned and cut into serving pieces
- 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1 onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce, or to taste
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- Black pepper and salt, only as needed
How to cook it
- Pat the fish dry and season it lightly before cooking.
- Measure and prepare every sauce ingredient before heating the pan. This keeps the aromatics from burning while you work.
- Sauté onion and garlic, then cook the tomatoes until soft and jammy. Add fish sauce and water.
- Cook until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily, turning only once when possible.
- Simmer until the tomato sauce clings lightly to the main ingredient; taste before adding more patis.
- Taste the finished dish with rice before adjusting salt, soy sauce or fish sauce. Rest for 3 minutes before serving.
Why this method works
Preparing the sauce first gives the seasoning time to dissolve and prevents rushed measuring over a hot pan. Cooking the main ingredient separately from the final reduction protects its texture, while gradual seasoning accounts for differences between brands of soy sauce, patis and oyster sauce.
- Use a wide pan so moisture can evaporate instead of making the dish watery.
- For a less salty result, start with only three-fourths of the soy sauce or fish sauce and adjust at the end.
- Cool leftovers within two hours, refrigerate in a covered container and reheat until steaming.
How to serve
Serve hot with steamed rice. A side of sliced cucumber, tomatoes or blanched leafy vegetables balances the rich sauce. Offer calamansi and chili separately so each person can adjust the flavor.
Original recipe prepared for Sarap Recipe readers. Cooking time varies with ingredient size, cookware and stove heat.
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