Pro Tips
**Chef's Tips & Troubleshooting:**
- For fried fish, score the skin in shallow slits to help it cook evenly and prevent curling.
- Use fresh seafood whenever possible — frozen releases excess water and dilutes the sauce.
- Marinate seafood for no more than 15-20 minutes — acid from calamansi or vinegar can cook it prematurely.
- Remove the vein from shrimp with a toothpick for a cleaner presentation and texture.
Cooking Tips
Seafood cooks quickly — remove it from heat the moment it turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Overcooking makes it tough and rubbery. Pat shellfish dry before adding to the pan so they sear rather than steam. A hot, quick cook preserves their natural sweetness. Have all your ingredients prepped and measured before you start cooking — quick dishes leave no time for chopping mid-recipe.
Ingredient Substitutions
Short on time? A pressure cooker (Instant Pot) can reduce cooking time by roughly half for most braised and stewed Filipino dishes. Reduce liquid slightly since less evaporates.
Storage & Reheating
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. The flavors often deepen overnight, making leftovers even more delicious. Seafood dishes are best consumed within 1–2 days. Reheat gently — microwave on low power or warm in a covered skillet over low heat to avoid overcooking. Do not refreeze thawed seafood dishes. Once reheated, consume immediately and do not re-refrigerate. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water or broth if the sauce has thickened during storage. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each.
Creamy Tuyo Pesto
Creamy Tuyo Pesto — fresh seafood prepared Filipino-style with garlic, vinegar, and calamansi. Briny, savory, and deeply flavorful.
Instructions
- Heat a cooking pan then pour-in water. Let boil.
- Cook the spaghetti noodles according to package instructions. Set aside.
- Combine garlic and olive oil in a blender or food processor then blend until finely chopped.
- Add salt, ground black pepper, basil leaves, and half of the parmesan cheese then blend until the texture becomes fine. You may add extra olive oil as needed. Set aside.
- Bring to a simmer a cooking pot and pour-in water and heavy whipping cream. Stir.
- When the mixture is hot enough, put-in butter and stir until melted.
- Add-in the tuyo flakes and pesto then stir.
- Put-in the remaining parmesan cheese and stir. Simmer until the texture thickens.
- Turn off heat. Top noodles with sauce.
- Serve.
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Pro Tips & Troubleshooting
- For fried fish, score the skin in shallow slits to help it cook evenly and prevent curling.
- Use fresh seafood whenever possible — frozen releases excess water and dilutes the sauce.
- Marinate seafood for no more than 15-20 minutes — acid from calamansi or vinegar can cook it prematurely.
- Remove the vein from shrimp with a toothpick for a cleaner presentation and texture.
Cooking Tips
Pat shellfish dry before adding to the pan so they sear rather than steam. A hot, quick cook preserves their natural sweetness.
Have all your ingredients prepped and measured before you start cooking — quick dishes leave no time for chopping mid-recipe.
Substitutions
Storage & Reheating
Seafood dishes are best consumed within 1–2 days. Reheat gently — microwave on low power or warm in a covered skillet over low heat to avoid overcooking.
Do not refreeze thawed seafood dishes. Once reheated, consume immediately and do not re-refrigerate.
Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water or broth if the sauce has thickened during storage. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each.
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