Donna's simple inun-unan/paksiw na isda

Paksiw na isda is a Filipino style of cooking, whose name means "to cook and simmer in vinegar. It's called inun-unan in our Visayan dialect. It is my dad's favorite and we'd always eat it paired with scrambled eggs and hot rice. It is a Filipino food close to my heart because it reminds me so much of my father.  He passed away in 2010, since then the paksiw moved its way up in my comfort food list. It brings fond memories of breakfasts with daddy, having it at any time of the day takes me back to happier times when he was still here. Those days seem like a different lifetime ago but the paksiw, its familiar savory-sour goodness, remains the same and is a constant reminder that those days aren't only in my mind but did indeed happen.

There are so many ways of cooking this dish and I'm going to show you the most basic way to do it. No-fuss cooking, just chop the aromatics put it in one pot with your preferred fish and seasonings, simmer it in vinegar and it's ready. 

★Inun-unan a la Donna★

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo of Kitong (rabbitfish)
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 1 bulb of onion
• 1 thumb-size ginger
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

Procedure:

1. Clean the fish, remove the innards. Slice in half if the fish is too big.
2. Chop the aromatics whichever way you want. 
3. Arrange the aromatics in the cooking pot.
4. Put the fish on top of the aromatics.
5. Drizzle the fish with cooking oil.
6. Pour in the vinegar, fish sauce, and water.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Cover the pot and let it cook in a slow boil, just simmering it until the fish is tender and the liquid is slightly reduced.
9. Serve with hot rice and a side of fluffy scrambled eggs.
10. Enjoy!

My fish of choice for this was the rabbitfish or Kitong because it is a tasty fish, its flesh is firm and its fishbones can easily be taken off when cooked (unlike the bangus/milkfish which takes so much effort). From this basic recipe, you can choose to add bay leaves, chilies, and vegetables like eggplant and bitter gourd. You can also add coconut milk to make this extra special. I didn't have any of these available at the moment that's why I just made the basic paksiw na isda. This recipe is very versatile, you can use different souring agents, you can use whatever fish you prefer, and you can also choose to reduce the liquid totally or leave a whole lot so you can top your rice with its savory sauce. 

The way like to eat my inun-unan: rice should be hot and completely doused with the sauce, fish fall-off-the-bone tender, with a side of soft and creamy scrambled eggs! 

So yeah, I hope you liked my entry for the Pinoy Recipe Challenge: Your Version of the Filipino Paksiw by @blurtfilipino. Thank you for your time. See y'all on my next blurt! ❤️ 

P.S. Special thanks to @mermaidvampire for encouraging me to post my inun-unan recipe!