CALDU PESCADOR

Serves 6–8

Also known as fisherman’s soup, this dish is so-named because it was first prepared by fishermen using a variety of seafood from their day’s catch. It is a simple dish that will help whet the appetite. You can vary the seafood used according to taste. This soup is best enjoyed hot and can be served with rice or bread.

Water 1.5 litres (48 fl oz / 6 cups)
Onion 1, peeled and quartered
Garlic 3 cloves, peeled

Lemon grass 2 stalks, hard outer leaves
removed, ends trimmed and bruised

Kaffir lime leaves 4, crushed
Dried sour fruit 1 slice
Red bird’s eye chillies 4
Salt ½ Tbsp
Ground white pepper ½ Tbsp

Sugar ½ Tbsp
Light soy sauce 2 Tbsp

Coriander leaves (cilantro) 1 sprig,
finely chopped

Seafood

Mussels 400 g (14⅓ oz)
Prawns (shrimps) 300 g (11 oz)
Squid 200 g (7 oz)
Fish fillet 200 g (7 oz)
Crab meat 100 g (3½ oz)

1.   Scrub mussels to remove any dirt on shells. Discard any that are open or have
shells that are chipped. Soak in a large basin of water for about 20 minutes to allow
mussels to expel any sand. Lift mussels out of the water, being careful not to agitate
the sand collected at the base of basin. Repeat to soak the mussels a second time.
Pull beards off just before cooking.

2.   Peel prawns and remove heads, leaving tails intact. Slit prawns along the back and
remove the black intestine. Rinse well and pat dry.

3.   To clean squid, firmly pull head and body tube apart. The head and innards should
slip out of the body. Trim off innards by cutting below the eyes. Discard. Squeeze
between the eyes to remove the beak (which is located at the base of the tentacles)
and discard. Remove cartilage from inside body and discard. Rinse squid and cut into
rings about 1-cm (½-in) thick.

4.   Bring water to the boil in a pot. Add onion, garlic, lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves,
followed by mussels, prawns, squid, fish and crab meat. Simmer for 1 minute, until
prawns change colour.

5.   Add dried sour fruit and bird’s eye chillies. Season with salt, pepper, sugar and
soy sauce. Remove from heat.

6.   Dish out and garnish with coriander. Serve hot.

NOTE

•  Bruising the lemon grass before cooking ensures that its fragrance is released. Do this by
bending it with your hands. Do the same with the kaffir leaves by crushing them with your
hands before adding to the pot.

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EURASIAN HERITAGE

Cooking