Beyond bacalao: It’s daing, not dead
Attendant to the deep Catholicism we’ve inherited from Spain’s more than three centuries of colonization is the practice of fasting and/or giving up certain types of luxuries as a form of penance during Lent, in particular abstaining from eating any type of meat. Though we faithful are obligated to fast and abstain from eating meat only on Ash Wednesday, the start of the cuaresma or 40 days of Lent, and Good Friday, a lot of devout Catholics practice varying degrees and forms of self-imposed sacrifices, the most common of which is having meatless Fridays for the whole of Lent. In fact, have you ever wondered why many Filipino households would have munggo soup and tuyô (dried salted fish) on Fridays not just during Lent but even as a year-round practice?
For a lot of affluent Filipino families, this meatless day translates to having bacalao ala vizcaina, a once-a-year appearance of the expensive salted cod fish imported from Spain, cooked with tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil to boot.
Since medieval times in Spain, there has always been a heavy demand for dried salted cod especially during Fridays and Lent. It is this practice of its religious significance that we’ve inherited from the former colonizers.
But why get stuck with bacalao with its prohibitive cost that makes it more of a luxury than penitence? Indeed, with an archipelago of 7,100 islands surrounded by a marine life-rich sea, isn’t it quite ironic (and almost a crime) that we would pine for something coming from halfway around the world when, in fact, we have so much more to offer the gastronomic world in terms of salted dried seafood?
Though salted dried fish, either tuyo or daing of whatever fish, is usually eaten as breakfast fare in most Filipino homes, normally eaten with sinangag or garlic fried rice and egg, there are so many ways of preparing it without emptying one’s purse. One such recipe is fried rice, in the Chinese tradition of “salted fish fried rice†(the standard one has bits of chicken, just remove this to make it meatless). In any case, one can have a meatless, flavorful, healthy, economical yet filling meal with this one-dish meal. You can be as creative as you like with so much local dried seafood available to us nowadays, readily available in palengkes and supermarkets nationwide.
Salted dried fish fried rice
Serves two or one hefty eater.
There is no rule of thumb about what goes into this dish. There are four main components: cooked rice (make mine brown); any dried salted fish like tuyô tamban o lapád (including the ready-to-serve bottled kind), danggit, palád, tinapá or smoked fish, pusÃt or squid, hibi or dried shrimps, fish tocino, tocino fish bones, etc.; scrambled eggs; veggies as garnish like tomato, lettuce, carrots, cilantro and chives.
Procedure:
Loosen cooked rice by sprinkling some water and mix with one’s hand. Using a non-stick pan, add 1 tbsp. of cooking oil and fry the salted fish of your choice. When cooled, shred or cut into strips and set aside. Clean pan, add 1 tbsp. oil and cook beaten egg salted lightly (1 egg per 2 cups rice) until light and fluffy. Transfer into a chopping board and roll into a tube, slice thinly to form into strips and set aside. Using the same pan, add cooking oil (allot 1 tbsp. oil per 2 cups cooked rice) and sauté 1 tbsp. minced garlic until translucent and fragrant. Add cooked rice and sauté for 2-3 minutes, constantly stirring. Add salt to taste. Set aside. Prepare all the garnishes by washing, trimming, and slicing or dicing into bits. When all is done, mix all the cooked components into a bowl and serve immediately while hot. Bon appetit! Text and photos CLAUDE TAYAG
