Seafood Kare-kare

Seafood Kare-Kare is a popular alternative version of the usual beef tripe kare-kare, oxtail kare-kare or pork leg kare-kare. A cocktail of seafoods and the same vegetables are used for this seafood version of kare-kare. Similar to my other previous kare-kare recipe I used the same Mama Sita Kare-kare mix for convenience reasons. I wanted my kare-kare sauce creamier and thicker so added extra peanut butter and further thicken the sauce using cornstarch.

In my opinion plus my love of seafoods, the seafood version of kare-kare is the ultimate version of kare-kare. Of course it would have been better if the kare-kare sauce is made from scratch using the traditional method but that would be troublesome in addition to the extra procedures of individually pre-cooking all the seafood and vegetable ingredients. The traditional way of cooking kare-kare could wait, I will post one in the near future.

Kare-kare is one dish that is usually served at gatherings or party lunch/dinner, it is one of the most ordered food in Filipino Food restaurants. Kare-kare is sure part of most Noche Buena and Christmas lunch or dinner. Here is how I cooked my seafood version of kare-kare.

Ingredients:

1 small size, cream dory fish fillet, cut into serving pieces

6 pcs. medium size pusit, squid, sliced or cut into serving pieces

2 pcs. alimasag, crab, trimmed, cut in half

2 cups medium size shrimp, trimmed

2 cups tahong, mussel

2 cups halaan, clams

2 medium size eggplant, trimmed, slice diagonally

2 packets young corn, trimmed, cut into wedges

2 bundles sitaw, trimmed, cut into 2" long

2 bundles pechay, trimmed

1/2 head garlic, peeled, crushed, chopped

1 medium size onion, peeled, chopped

2 packets Mama Sita Kare-kare mix

2 tbsp. unsweetened peanut butter

1/2 cup cornstarch

cooking oil

unsweetened ginisang bagoong alamang

Cooking procedure:

Wash clams and mussels, place in a container with lid, cover with water and replace lid, let sit for several hours (entire day) to allow the clams and mussels to expel sand and discard sea water, change water frequently and wash and drain. Put the clams and mussels in a large pan, add in 1 cup of water let boil and stirring occasionally until all the shells have open, remove from heat. Separate the clams and mussels from the broth, using a sieve strain broth of scum and sand if any, reserve the broth. Separate and discard the top empty shell and shells that did not open, keep aside. In a same pan boil 3 cups of water and quickly blanch separately shrimp, fish and squid, reserve the broth, keep aside. Boil crabs in 3 cups of water until color changes to red, reserve the broth, keep aside. In same pan boil 3 cups of water and quickly blanch vegetables, reserve broth, keep aside. In a large wok, sauté garlic and onion. Then pour in all the reserved broth from boiling the seafoods and vegetables, about 10 cups total and peanut butter, bring to a boil and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the kare-kare mix diluted in 1 cup of water and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, add in the cornstarch diluted in 1/2 cup of water to further thicken the sauce. Now add all the pre-cooked seafoods and vegetables and cook for another minute while carefully stirring to evenly coat with the sauce. Serve with ginisang bagoong alamang.

See other related kare-kare recipe:

Kare-Kare, Kare-Kareng Pata ng Baboy

Kare-Kare (Beef Tripe)

Kare-kare Buntot ng Baka