Suppose you have two whole fish, each weighing about 400 grams, and you need to feed six people. Do you cut each fish into three portions (they’ll be small pieces, I tell you), give everyone one portion each and tell them that if their tummies are still growling after that, they’ll just have to drink a lot of water as a filler? Not very nice, is it?
Okay, one solution is to serve the fish with some very filling side dishes. The problem is that anyone can choose not to eat a side dish if he or she does not happen to like it. So, I use a different approach — frittata.
We know it as torta; it is called omelet in the West. I simmer the fish, flake the flesh, mix it with vegetables and eggs, then cook the mixture in a little oil. The 800 grams of fish, mixed with two potatoes, a carrot, an onion, a few cloves of garlic and six eggs resulted in two large frittatas. We ate one for dinner a few nights ago; we ate the second one for lunch the following day. How’s that for cooking on a budget?
To make the fish frittata, simmer the whole fish in a little salted water. Remove from the water, cool then separate the fish flesh from the bones and flake. To maximize the fish even more, return the bones to the pot, add more water, a whole onion, a whole garlic and some peppercorns, then simmer for at least 45 minutes to make fish broth. Strain the broth and use as a soup base. You can serve your frittata with the soup, if you wish, or reserve the broth for another time.
Okay, so you have flaked fish. To determine how much vegetables to you need, here’s a guide I follow. I use as much vegetables (excluding herbs and spices) as the fish. Since I started with 800 grams of fish, the total weight of the potatoes and carrots was also 800 grams. You’re not limited to potatoes and carrots, of course. You can use green beans, sweet peas, bell peppers, mushrooms (oyster mushrooms are very inexpensive and a great extender) or even tofu cubes. You will also need an onion and a few cloves of garlic.
Cut the vegetables into small pieces, peel and chop the onion and garlic, half-cook everything in a little oil, then stir into the flaked fish. Season with salt and pepper. Beat six eggs (six eggs were just right for 800 grams of fish and an equal amount of veggies), pour into the fish-vegetables mixture and stir well.
Divide the mixture into two portions. Pour one portion into a lightly oiled non-stick frying pan, cover and cook over medium-low heat until the top is set. Slide the frittata onto a plate, place another plate over it, flip and slide the inverted frittata back into frying pan to brown the other side.
If you don’t have a non-stick pan, or if you want to cook your frittata the Italian way by popping it into the oven, click here for the how-to.
Repeat for the remaining portion of the mixture.
To keep the cooked frittata in the fridge, cool on the plate then wrap, plate and all, with cling film. Reheat without oil.
So that was a frittata dish in the background of the macaroni soup..I have tried this before and used leftover fried fish, too much fat isn’t it Ms. Connie? I didn’t put vegetables in it, so next time i’ll follow your recipe. thanks for the budget meals.. Will surely wait for more affordable dishes.
By the way Ms. Connie, how to go to your new posts directly? I tried browsing the buttons above but I still cant view your new post. I tried clicking the “subscribe in a reader” button, it was there that I found your recent post.. Thanks
What buttons, Jinky?
If you’re looking for the index page, click on the logo on the banner. Top of the page.
Your budget cooking series is really well timed given the current economic climate! Wish I’d thought of it.
got it Ms. Connie, thanks!!sorry for confusing you, i’m not very familiar with the layout terminology kasi eh!
Hello, I’ve read your blog for awhile now and I wanted to tell you I really enjoy it like many other people, keep up the good work.
I’m trying to include more seafood in my diet and I think your blog is pretty helpful.
Oh yeah and I gave your blog my little so called award on my blog post haha, it’s insignificant but I thought it would be fun:
http://nathanscomida.blogspot.com/2008/09/carne-guisada-con-chile-y-papas.html
Ah! So that is a fritata … a budget fish fritata that I got curious about. You know what, Ms. Connie, besides teaching us budget recipes— I also noticed that you teach us how to maximize the ingredients that are available to us. Like you said, we can have fish broth based on the fish bones and just adding the garlic and onions for seasoning! Great! I am eagerly waiting for more of these from you! =)
Wonderful! Another recipe that I could try and a budget one too!
Thanks Connie!
hi connie! we do the same technique in frying a frittata
you can also make lumpiang shanghai with simmered mackarel and then flake, add finely chopped (use electric chopper) bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, onions, carrots, salt and pepper, and eggs. Wrap in egg roll wrappers and fry. Delicious! For sauce, you can do without. Or you can have balsamic vinegar with garlic, onions and salt and peppers. This recipe comes out cheaper because you do not need to buy pork and shrimps and mackarels are so tasty you could hardly tell the difference. I served it to guests as appetizers and they did not even realize that it had no pork and shrimp. But best of all healthier too. Mackarel is tulingan in the philippines.
Melly
Melly, I’ve done that already with tinapa, canned tuna and cooked fresh fish with coconut milk added.