Recipe: Sinigang na Ravioling Isda (Fish Ravioli Tamarind Soup) - Filipino Haute Cuisine (Second Course)

Again, the table taken from

another angle.

After the amuse bouche of Pineapple Salad and Spicy Squid, we segued into the first course of soup - Sinigang na Ravioling Isda which is essentially a reimagination of the traditional Sinigang Isda Soup. Sinigang is the generic word pertaining to Filipino soup that contains the extract of tamarind providing a contrast flavor to fish or meat stock. It has a "fresh" and "naked" flavor - exposing the very tastes of meat, fish or seafood because of the tamarind. Amidst this, vegetables are included poached in the stock.

 

Usually, the way to prepare Sinigang is to first boil meat to tenderness then boil in another pot, sour tamarind fruit which later would be strained in a colander to remove the seeds. The tamarind extract is then mixed into the meat and stock as it is seasoned with usually garlic, salt, pepper (or peppercorns so to retain the soup's clarity), a whole onion and the vegetables. Vegetables usually include long string beans (sitaw), cabbage wedges (stems included), Asian long eggplants and white radishes although there is no one preventing anyone to use other vegetables like okra, tomatoes, winged beans (sigarilyas), Kang Kong (water spinach) or almost any vegetable imaginable.

 

In other variations of the Sinigang, one can add Miso or Fermented Soy Beans for added flavor or sometimes, rather than using tamarind, other souring agents are used usually Guava (Bayabas) or vinegar. Technically, one can use vinegar although purists would say that the use of vinegar transforms the dish into "Paksiw" and not Sinigang. Personally, the use of vinegar brings about a similar effect.

 

In this recreation, I used fish ravioli as my main seafood ingredient thus eliminating the use of fish cuts that include the bones and head which in haute cuisine is a no-no! The ravioli, including the pasta is made from scratch and thus I will also provide my basic proportions in making the pasta dough. As for the broth, the techniques of Escoffier are used while the vegetables served are steamed later in it. Some of the vegetables would be served pureed to provide flavor backgrounds in the broth and the ravioli while the tamarind extract is served as a reduction that provides a playful contrast to the broth and the diner could choose how much of it can be consumed in each spoonful in order to provide different degrees of sour experience in each bite. The intention of this dish is to provide the diner a venue for active participation in the creation of the taste experience while savoring its components.

 

Before we proceed, we have to remember the basic lesson from Escoffier in making SInigang and in fact, as with any soup. It all starts with the broth. Botch the broth - botch the Sinigang. And therefore, be extra careful when doing the broth and skim all impurities as much as possible.

 

Sinigang na Ravioling Isda (Tamarind Fish Ravioli Soup)

 

Step One: Making the Ravioli Filing.

 

Ingredients.

 

Two Fillets of tilapia

1/2 garlic, peeled and chopped

1/2 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 egg

2 tablespoons flour

Salt and Pepper to taste.

 

Procedure.

• Mince the tilapia very well - use a clever and slice thinly then chop well. Combining the next ingredients to the fish, mix by hand or with an electric mixer at the highest speed until the mixture gels very well and easily forms a ball when patted together. At this stage, the fish proteins will have been released to provide that gelling effect and thus would hold very well. This is therefore ready to be filled in pasta.

Step Two: Making the Ravioli Pasta.

 

Ingredients.

 

3 cups all-purpose flour (semolina, to be a purist about it)

4 medium eggs

1 teaspoon salt

 

 

Procedure.

1. In the absence of a mixer, sift the flour and make a well in the center. Crack the four eggs and place in the well along with the salt. Working from the sides and going in the center, mix the flour with the eggs, initially would result in a very dry and disintegrating dough. But continue to knead adding a few teaspoons of water to help incorporate the eggs and dough, kneading to become a dry and stiff dough.
2. Divide the dough into two portions and flatten it at first using a rolling pin. When thin enough, pass the dough through a pasta maker until it reaches at least number 6 setting. A thinner pasta may be desired using the number 8 setting. Using a ravioli maker, make the raviolis using the above mentioned filling.

   
   

    
3. If making raviolis by hand, drop teaspoonfuls of the filling on the first sheet of dough spacing them about 1 inch apart. Wet the spaces between the teaspoons of filling with water or eggwash. On the first sheet of pasta with the filling, lay the second sheet on top and press the portions of pasta that appose to each other. Using a crinkled roller cutter, cut the raviolis into individual pieces.

   
   

    
4. If making pasta using the mixer, mix the eggs, salt and flour using low speeds. As it begins to congeal, change to the dough hook and continue to knead adding teaspoons of water to make the dough gel and become a stiff dough.

Step Three: Make the broth.

 

Ingredients.

 

1 fillet flounder or tilapia

1 fillet salmon (about 6x6 square)

1 celery stalk

1 medium onion, peeled

1 small carrot peeled

1 medium tomato

1 garlic, peeled

1 gallon of water

 

Procedure

1. Boil 1/2 gallon of water in a stockpot. Once the water boils vigorously, add the fish fillets and the vegetables and cover. Slowly, the water will begin to boil and foam will appear on the surface - skim this and discard. Cover the stock and continue to simmer until the flavors are released in the broth - about 1 1/2 hours. Add salt to taste.
2. You may choose to clarify the broth, which if done is essentially a consommé. This is quite a skill and therefore could be done but not necessarily. The way to do this is to first cool the broth in the refrigerator. Then get the eggwhite of 4 eggs/1 liter of stock which have been beaten to a merengue. The eggwhite foam is then put into the broth by pushing the foam within the broth but not mixing it. Slowly heat the broth once more using medium heat. As the broth heats up, the merengue will cook to a solid quenelle which will carry the impurities within leaving a very clear soup like water but full of flavor. Do not let the stock boil. Using a strainer, place the quenelle in the middle of the strainer then pour the stock in the middle of the strainer saving the clear broth saved underneath in a bowl. (See the picture at right.)

   
   

    

Step Four: Creation of Vegetable Puree.

 

From the above stock, remove the vegetables and place them in a dish to cool. Mash well and pass them through a sieve. Save the puree and season with salt and pepper. 

 

Step Five: Creation of Fish Puree

 

Because I am not fond of throwing food away, the fish used for the creation of the broth is further minced finely and seasoned with salt and pepper. Place a teaspoon of chives and a tablespoon or two of mayonnaise to make it into a paste. Set aside.

 

Step Six: Creation of Tamarind Reduction.

 

Ingredients

 

1/4 package Fresh Tamarind (used for cooking, sold in Asian Stores without seeds - see the picture to the right)

1/2 cup fish broth

3 teaspoons powdered Bonito broth (available in Asian-Japanese stores, see picture right below)

1 head garlic peeled and chopped

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Procedure

 

1. Saute the garlic and onions until cooked and fragrant but not brown. Saute the Tamarind until it becomes a paste. Notice that the membranes of the tamarind seeds will become mushy and the mixture begins to puff as it boils. Lower the heat and slowly pour in the broth and season with bonito broth powder. Let cool to warm.
2. Puree the mixture in a blender then strain into a fine sieve discarding the solids. The reduction is the placed in a squeeze bottle.

Step Seven: Cook the vegetables.

 

Prepare some vegetables that you prefer to be included in the dish. In this version, I used the following:

1/2 head cabbage, sliced into 1/8 wedges with stems included

2 Asian long eggplants, sliced into 1/4 inch slices of 4-6 inches long

 

 

Procedure

• Heat 1 cup of broth in a soup pot, steam each vegetable separately, one after the other and set aside.

Step Eight: Assemble everything!

1. Using a wide presentation soup plate, place a teaspoon of the fish puree in the middle.
2. On top of the puree, assemble three raviolis. Apply some vegetable puree on top of this and sprinkle some finely chopped chives.
3. On the left of this fish ravioli mound, place a cabbage wedge, while on the right, fold three slices of eggplants and arrange them one beside each other.
4. Spoon the broth on the side of the plate to lightly cover the vegetables.
5. Using the squeeze bottle, squeeze a ring of the tamarind reduction around the ravioli.
6. Serve.

Now - that was rather complicated. But worth it. Not only does its look pretty but the flavors are intense but not overpowering and it is the clean presentation of the soup that makes a difference. Noted that various flavors of the fish and vegetables and tamarind have been extracted well and that the impurities are thereby discarded, what is left is just the flavor and the goodness of food.