Prawn and salmon sinigang

Sinigang na hipon at isda

By: Yasmin Newman
From: 7000 Islands
Serves: 4
Photographer: Jana Liebenstein

An exotic variety of unripe fruit is used to sour sinigang. Green mango is one of them. While it is a less common choice for soup in the Philippines, it is widely available overseas and partners fabulously with oily prawn and salmon. Look for very hard mangoes, as these are the most sour, then season the broth well, keeping in mind that the fruit taste can vary.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
1kg	green mangoes, peeled, cheeks sliced and stones reserved
2 litres	rice washings, (see note)
4	large red asian shallots, halved
400g	boneless salmon fillet, skin on, halved lengthwise
300g	snake or green beans, trimmed, tied into knots if desired
600g	raw king prawns, whiskers trimmed
1/2	daikon, peeled and sliced into rounds
1/2 bunch	water spinach
	steamed rice, fish sauce and kalamansi or lemon wedges, to serve

Method

Place the mango flesh, mango stones and rice washings in a large, deep saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium–high heat, then cook for about 20 minutes, mashing occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the mangoes are starting to break down and the liquid is sour (it should be quite sharp; if not, continue cooking). Strain the mixture through a sieve into a bowl, pressing the flesh and seeds to extract the liquid. Discard the solids and return the liquid to the pan.
Add the shallots and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium, add the salmon and cook for 2 minutes. Add the beans and cook for 2 minutes, then add the prawns, daikon and water spinach. Cook for a further 3 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the seafood is just cooked. Remove from the heat and season with salt flakes, to taste.
Transfer to serving bowls and serve with steamed rice, fish sauce and kalamansi.

What is it?

Rice washings, or hugas bigas, is the water used to wash rice and is a common ingredient in soups. It was originally added to reduce waste, but is now prized for flavour, nutrients and starch, which acts as a mild thickener. The second washing is considered the best.