Tinapa two ways

Tinapa is an iconic Filipino staple that probably reminds you of slow and long brunches supported by garlicky fried rice, your favorite pinakurat and a hot cup of coffee. The smoky smell of tinapa cannot be ignored and is anything but a reminder of a not so hurried life.

Explore other ways to prepare tinapa 

To those who love tinapa (as much as I did years before), here are two other ways you can prepare the fish for you and your family to enjoy.

Tinapa Pasta

1. Cook 500g spaghetti noodles as per package instructions.
2. Flake about 2 cups tinapa, slice half a kilo of tomatoes and mash 2 to 3 salted eggs.
3. In a pan, heat vegetable oil and saute garlic.
4. Add your sliced tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes until soft and tender.
5. To that, add your tinapa flakes and mashed salted eggs. Taste for seasoning. Tomatoes should give a balance to the saltiness of the tinapa and eggs.
6. Add olive oil for a creamier texture.
7. Add the spaghetti noodles then garnish with lemon wedge.

Tinapa Lumpia

A favorite pondo ulam in my household, we prepare tubs of this for days when we are lazy to cook – this tinapa lumpia goes well with your favorite vinegar dipping sauce.

1. In a bowl, add 2 cups flaked tinapa, diced deseeded tomatoes about half a kilo, sotanghon or bihon noodles (don’t miss this one out) and chopped wansuy or kinchay. You can as an option add salted eggs.
2. Mix to combine thoroughly. Taste for seasoning – this doesn’t need any more salt given the ingredients. Add more noodles if a bit salty.
3. Take a teaspoonful of the mix and place in lumpia wrapper and roll.
4. Stash in your freezer or cook immediately.

Pro tip: choose the bigger tinapa fishes such as tamban to flake the fish more easily.

Happy cooking!

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The author may be reached at kaycalpolugtu@gmail.com or follow her at Instagram @kaycalpolugtu and @aplateofbahaykubo.