This Salsa is so delicious on rice, pasta and bread. I got the idea from Salsa Amaya but changed things a sit to suit my blood type AB diet. I also find it a ‘comfort’ food. With my hectic schedule in Manila, sometimes I don’t feel like eating a full meal. I ask my ‘yaya’ Carol Laoreno to cook me some fragrant Jasmine rice and then I mix the Salsa Ana on top of the steaming rice and just savor the homely flavor of the salsa. That’s what I call ‘comfort food.’

This recipe will make  three 300 gram-bottles.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons (25 grams) finely minced garlic
  • 60 grams deboned salted fish (tuyo na Lapad)
  • 2 tablespoons Mirin – cooking Sake
  • 400 grams canned button mushroom – sliced fine
  • 70 grams sun dried tomatoes or 100 grams sun dried tomato in oil – slice thinly julienne
  • 150 grams green pitted olives – sliced fine in round shape
  • 3 cups extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Procedure:

  1. Sprinkle the deboned tuyo with 2 tablespoons of Mirin and toss.
  2. Set aside.
  3. In a non stick, heavy bottom cooking pan, pour in olive oil and warm over very low fire.
  4. Place the tuyo in the pan and cook the tuyo in the low fire for 20 minutes.
  5. Then add in the garlic and continue to cook for 5 minutes; stirring every once in a while.
  6. Then add in the dried tomatoes and simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  7. Then add in the olives and simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  8. Then add in the mushrooms and simmer for another 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  9. Season with salt and pepper.
  10. Cool and bottle.
  11. Serve with steaming hot rice.

Notes:

  • The other way to use this sauce is as sauce for pasta. Tuyo is our version of anchovy sans the oil. I use either spaghettini or twist pasta.
  • Salsa Ana is also good served with crackers or bread, rolls or French bread (toasted or not).