This is Paksiw Na Isda (Fish Poached in Vinegar and Ginger). Paksiw na Isda is a traditional Filipino dish that includes fish is cooked in vinegar. Filipinos love sour dishes like this one, Sinigang, and more. This dish works great as a palate cleanser due to its acidic content. You can use this recipe with many other kinds of fish. In this instance we used galunggong or mackerel scad. Just be sure to properly prepare your fish if using something different than what we used. Remove scales, skin, or filet as needed. Enjoy this recipe from all of us at Filipino Chow.
Paksiw Na Isda (Fish Poached in Vinegar and Ginger)
Ingredients
- 1 pound of fish, gutted and cleaned
- 1 eggplant, sliced into half crescent shapes
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 3 green chili peppers
- 1 knob of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 cloves of garlic, crushed then peeled
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon of whole peppercorn
- 4 pieces of bay leaf
Instructions
- Heat a large pan or wok over medium high heat.
- Pour the vinegar and water into the pan.
- Now add the salt and whole peppercorns, then stir.
- Bring this to a boil.
- Carefully place the fish in the pan, then add the ginger, garlic, onion, eggplant, and chili peppers.
- Cover and reduce the heat to low.
- Let this simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the consistency of the fish.
- Once the fish is fully cooked, turn off the heat and transfer it to a serving dish.
- Serve hot with steamed rice.
You can also adjust the amount of vinegar to suite your taste. Some people like more. Some like less. Given the strong aroma of the vinegar, it is best to cook this in a well ventilated area.