Puchero (ni Lola Orang)

thursday pa lang i am thinking na of what to cook for lunch for the next day ( i haven't digested my intake of thursday yet! ahaha)

i checked the fridge: have chicken pieces, cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, tomato sauce.. hmm so i need pechay and banana ... well ok - i'll just buy in the morning from the veggie shop down our building .. - so that's it -- chicken puchero!!

friday morning while preparing the veggies, i thought - hmm better to make it fish puchero coz my roomie will not be able to eat if i cook chicken .... ahhh ... hmmm....went down to the fish shop nearby.. they have tanigue but my gollay!!! super expensive ..it is 45aed per kilo!!! what the .....!!!! it's been a while since i cook tanigue - so i bought half kilo, then a kilo of tilapia - and i asked the fishmonger to fillet half of the tilapia :D (he had them clean, descaled - FOC!). then after, i passed by the veggie shop and bought pechay and cooking bananas and proceeded with my cooking.

anyways - people has different ways of cooking their puchero. this is my version of the puchero as i remembered from my Lola Orang and my Auntie Cely.

Ingredients:
* 1/2 k -fish, cubed & seasoned with salt n pepper (can be beef, pork, chicken)
* 2 medium potatoes - cubed
* 1/3 head cabbage - cut into big squares
* 2 bunch pechay - if stems are big, cut: if not keep them as is
* 2 large bananas - cut diagonally 1/2" thick
* 4 large tomatoes - sliced
* 1 large onion - diced
* 3 large clove garlic - crushed
* 3-5 Tbsp. tomato sauce
* salt / pepper for seasoning
* 2 cups water (or fish broth if you have)
* 3 Tbsp. flour
* oil for sauteing and frying

Preparation:

1. Season fish with salt and pepper. Let stand for few minutes.

2. Paper-towel dry the cubed potatoes and fry in the hot oil till lightly browned. Remove from pan and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat same procedure with the bananas.

3. On a separate plate, season the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the fish on the flour, then fry in the hot oil till lightly browned (not toasted). Remove from pan and place on a plate with a paper towel. Set aside.

4. Sauté: garlic till lightly browned, followed by onions tills translucent, then tomatoes till they render their own oil. Season with a little salt and pepper.

5. Add potatoes - let simmer till a bit tender. Add cabbage and simmer for 5-7 minutes more (or till cabbage is half done) then add bananas... lastly, add pechay. Let simmer for 2 minutes.

6. Add tomato sauce and let simmer again for few minutes. Adjust season according to your taste.

7. Remove from heat (veggies will cook more in the heat of the pan).

Tadah! done ... serve with nice, hot rice.