Ingredients from the Backyard

I generally prefer to eat tuna raw, and the only tuna dish that comes close to maguro sashimi or sushi in my opinion, is the zesty tuna with coconut milk our house help cooks up.

This dish can be included in the 4 ingredient recipe book i have on my shelf.
Ingredients:
coconut milk
kamias
tuna
salt

Coconut Milk
You can prepare the coconut milk from scratch by grating the meat of a mature coconut and adding just enough water to soak. Using too much water will produce a less creamy base. Mash the coconut meat in the water and drain, setting aside the white liquid.

However, if mature coconuts are not available where you are, you can find canned coconut milk in the grocery’s Asian section. Just pop off the top and you’re good to go.

Kamias
Kamias is a green sour fruit found in asian countries.

they grow in clusters and are generally used as a souring agent for dishes. they can also be candied (although ive never had these candied) or eaten raw dipped in salt (for that sour salivating experience)

for this dish the Kamias fruit should be dried under the sun to produce a bark like ingredient similar in texture to vanilla

once the kamias fruit has been dried it can be stored for future use

Just in case Kamias is not available, some cooks substitute this souring agent with lemons or tamarind, although i would not be able to make a good recommendation on that as i have never tried this dish with either of the two substitutes. If anyone ever tries it, please let me know.

Preparing the Dish
1. Rub the raw tuna or any meaty fish with salt to taste.

2. Place a few pieces of dried kamias fruit at the bottom of a sauce pan.

3. Place the salted tuna on top of the dried kamias fruit and add enough coconut milk to submerge the other ingredients.

4. Place over low fire and wait for the coconut milk to come to a boil. Do not stir.

5. When the coconut milk is thick and bubbling, you’re ready to serve.

This is great over steamed rice

(thank you to Manong Ken’s Carinderia for the photo of the Kamias tree)

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Zesty Tuna and Coconut Milk Dish

We had one of my favorite tuna dish (second to sashimi) for dinner tonight and i thought that i would just share it with you guys because before i got married, i dont think ive ever tasted this dish.

we have several fruit and vegetable plants in our backyard, among them a Coconut tree and a Kamias tree. our household help uses these two to cook up a delicious tuna dish.

the tuna is bathed in sweet coconut milk and flavored with the zesty kamias

this is delicious over hot steamed rice!  smother your rice with the thick sweet and tangy sauce, add a piece of tuna and chow!

now id like to know, who among your have ever tasted this dish before?

when time goes by at a snail’s pace

the holy week always gives us the opportunity to slow down.

this year will be a week-long vacation for most, a month for me…now whether this is a good thing (for my soul) or not (for my wallet), i will just have to be content.

my first week was a big relief after 3 stressful months, but as the 2nd week comes to a close, this busy body is feeling impatience creeping on. but i guess a few more days of my time at a snail’s pace wouldnt be so bad, after all, i do still need to start on my summer crossing…

speaking of snails, our cook is back and surprised me a couple of days ago with one of my favorite “bizarre food” dish, escargot!

im not sure if a lot of people i know like snails but i love them! this was prepared by soaking the shelled goodies in cold water for, well, i was told a long time, and then cooked in coconut milk and green pepper for that extra kick!

i enjoyed the dish so much that by the end of our meal, i had a mountain of empty shells on my plate! it was delicious!

i dont get the chance to have escargot very often so this dish really made my slow day wonderful!