Ginisang Tahong at Pechay
(Sauteed Mussels and Snow Cabbage)
INGREDIENTS:
1 kilo of medium sized mussels, (tahong)
5 gloves garlic, peeled and crushed,
1 thumb sized ginger, peeled and julienned,
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped,
5 medium tomatoes, chopped,
½ tsp ground pepper,
1 tsp salt or to taste (or 1 tbsp fish sauce if you like) and
about 2 tbsp vegetable oil.
3 pcs “petchay” or “bok choi” or young chili leaves (tops)
Water or Hugas Bugas (rice washing)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- How to clean mussels: The mussels should cleaned thoroughly and scrub the shells, beard removed and thoroughly washed and rinsed several times until it smells clean, soak it in water and set aside.
- In a large cooking pot, heat oil over medium-low flame. Sautè garlic and ginger. Toss in the chopped tomatoes and sautè until soft and mashed up (flatten out the flesh as you sautè).
- Add in mussels (drained from water) and continue sautéing until it renders out its own liquid and shells starts to open.
- Continue simmering with liquid that comes out.
- Add some more hot water or better yet, rice washing (second wash) if you want it soupier. The soup taste even better with rice water left over.
- Add ground pepper and season it with salt to taste. Mussels usually packed some salty liquid inside the shell so taste and watch out adding salt.
- Add the “petchay” or any veggies of your choice and continue simmering until the vegetable is cooked through.
- Transfer in a serving bowl and serve it while hot with crispy fried fish on the side and steamed rice. This soup is such a budget meal but very delicious and healthy meal. Yummy!