Sweet and Sour Lapu-lapu

I've always liked the taste of any fish with pinkish red color. Lapu-lapu and dalagang bukid, particularly. They have white meat and they taste differently than other fish. They have a similarity in taste that's why dalagang bukid is sometimes used as a substitute for the more expensive Lapu-lapu in cooking this dish and escabeche.

We went grocery shopping the other day for our 15 day-stock and then I saw this big Lapu-lapu and decided to buy 1 large piece which weighed more than a kilo.

Aside from the Lapu-lapu,we also bought squid and the usual pork, chicken and beef. A few days ago, we chanced upon really huge edible crabs being sold alive, near the entrance of the subdivision. We bought 2 kilos, 3 extra large ones plus 2 pieces large crabs. The first 3 were cooked right away. I'll blog about it, too.

Going back to Lapu-lapu, the Eglish name for this is Red Grouper or Leopard Coral  Grouper. I actually googled it. "wink!" Lapu-lapu can be steamed, fried and cooked in a lot of different ways. Today, it will be with sweet and sour sauce.

Sweet and Sour Lapu-lapu

I was not able to take pictures of all the steps because I was in a hurry cooking 3 main dishes for lunch. My son had visitors so I had to rush-cook Sweet and Sour Lapu-lapu, Adobong Pusit (squid) and Steamed crab with soda.

Ingredients:

• 1 Large Lapu-lapu
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup cornstach 
• 1 thumb-sized ginger, julienned
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 bell pepper, julieened
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 garlic, minced
• Sweet and sour sauce: 1/4 cup vinegar; 3/4 cup sugar; 2/3 cup water; 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• parsley for garnishing

How to cook it:

• Dry rub lapu-lapu with salt and ground pepper.

• Cover or bread with cornstarch on both sides.

• Heat oil in pan and fry. Make sure oil is really hot to avoid skin sticking to the pan.

• When Lapu-lapu is fried to doneness, set aside and put in a serving platter.
• Saute ginger, garlic, then onions.

• add the carrots and bell pepper.

• Continue stirring. When carrots are half done, add the sauce mixture.
• Check the taste and season to your preference. If you want the sauce sweeter, just add more sugar.
• Once sauce has thickened, turn off heat.
• Pour sauce over the fried lapu-lapu. 
• Garnish with parsley.

Done! The Lapu-lapu is crisp on the outside and succulent inside. Sauce is a combination of sweet and sour. Delish! 

Try this,too, and let me know how it went. I'd appreciate your feedback! Please cook and share! 

Follow my blog for more adventures in the kitchen and beyond! Till next time! <3 - jewel