Simple Seafood Pleasures

There’s nothing like having seafood that’s simply seasoned and cooked right after being freshly harvested from the sea. The last time I had that experience was when I was in Camiguin Island years ago. You ordered your meals and the ingredients were caught fresh from backyard fish pens of the eateries. It wasn’t the first time I had really fresh seafood; it’s just that every time I have it makes eating a truly amazing and unforgettable experience.

I haven’t had a chance to travel and sample seafood that fresh again after the Camiguin trip. Here in the city, you can’t always have that experience. The next best thing is to be at the market early so you can get the first crack at the seafood deliveries.

And that I did last Holy Week. Not having been able to cook much in the last few weeks preceding that, I took advantage of the break—I went wild. I went to Farmer’s Market on Maundy Thursday and had a field day picking out crabs, shrimp and shellfish. Got some taba ng talangka (crab roe) veggies and fruits too. There were some fresh arosep (a kind of seaweed) which I made into a simple salad by adding some sliced tomatoes, vinegar and pepper. Thank goodness for the shopping carts the market provides. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to carry all of that stuff around.

The result of all that shopping was a feast that lasted until Easter Sunday! So much for making Holy Week sacrifices.

Adobong Sugpo sa Taba ng Talangka
(Prawns in Adobo Sauce with Crab Roe)
adapted from Glenda Barretto’s Flavors of the Philippines

Yield: 5 to 6 servings

1 kilo prawns, peeled and deveined (leave heads and tails intact)
2 parts vinegar
1 part soy sauce
lots of minced garlic
2 medium bay leaves or 1 large one
2 to 3 parts water
1 to 2 parts taba ng talangka (crab roe)
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt (optional)

1) Combine prawns, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and bay leaves. Add water.
2) Allow the liquid to boil, then lower the heat. Simmer until prawns change color.
3) Once the prawns are cooked, remove and arrange on a platter.
4) Add the taba ng talangka to the sauce and stir to blend. (You may or may not strain the sauce before doing this.)
5) Pour the sauce over the prawns. Sprinkle with toasted garlic.


Steamed Crabs

Live crabs are always best to use for this. Placing them in the freezer for a few minutes will put them to “sleep,” after which you can untie them in preparation for steaming.

Put some water in a pot with a pasta strainer. Add sea salt. Once the water is boiling, place the crabs in the strainer. Cover, cook, serve, enjoy.


Baked Clams
The clams are good already simply steamed. But this is another tasty way of having them.

Yield: 5 to 6 servings

2 kilos clams (or mussels)
2 cups white wine
olive oil or softened butter
lots of minced garlic
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
a little less fresh regular or panko breadcrumbs
sea salt
rock salt (optional)

1) Pre-heat the oven to 300°F.
2) Combine garlic and olive oil or butter. Mash the garlic to infuse the flavor into the oil. Let sit at room temperature.
3) Combine cheese and breadcrumbs. Season with a couple of pinches of sea salt.
4) Steam the shellfish in white wine until shells have opened. Detach the empty half shells and discard. Discard also any unopened clams or mussels.
5) Line the bottom of a baking pan or sheet with a thick layer of rock salt. This is only to prevent the shellfish from rocking around in the pan or sheet as you move it.
6) Arrange the clams (or mussels) in neat rows on the bed of salt.
7) Spoon the garlic and oil/butter onto each half shell. Top with the cheese-breadcrumb mixture.
8) Bake in the oven until the cheese and breadcrumbs are a light brown.