Cook’s notes
Gourmet tuyo
In the Philippines, “tuyo” means dry or dried. It is also the commercial name of any salted sun-dried fish (usually herring). Traditionally, the fish is sold whole with the head, tail and scales intact. It is the traditional partner of chocolate rice porridge (champorado) and a popular companion of fried rice and egg. Gourmet tuyo is the designation of trimmed tuyo packed with spices in oil. Think anchovies. But because tuyo has been dried, the fish flesh is dry and chewy instead of mushy. The dry and often tough fish flesh softens a bit in the oil while the oil soaks up the saltiness and natural and intensified flavor of the fish. I have lost count of the brands of gourmet tuyo in the market. I have tried so many and I can assure you that some are not as good as others, and there are brands that are terribly overpriced.
We have a neighbor who makes and sells gourmet tuyo. On a whim, I ordered two jars — one plain and one spicy. Haven’t opened the plain one but we’re loving the spicy gourmet tuyo.
I especially love how well the fish has been carefully trimmed before they were packed in oil. Not a stray bone nor scale in sight.
So, that should explain the name of the dish and give you an idea of how this light and summery spaghetti dish tastes and smells.
Pasta tip
When I cook pasta for four, that usually means 125 grams / 4.4 ounces of dried pasta. That might sound too little for other people but we eat our pasta with garlic bread on the side so that much pasta is just right for a family meal. Use more than 120 grams / 4 ounces if you’re used to larger servings but note that you’ll have to adjust the amount of all the other ingredients too.Seasoning tip
Use salt sparingly. Add salt to the pasta water, by all means, but when cooking the vegetables with the fish, season lightly. The fish is salty; so is the oil from the jar. So add more salt sparingly.Spaghetti with gourmet tuyo
Ingredients
- 125 grams spaghetti (4.4 oz)
- salt
- 6 to 8 fillets spicy gourmet tuyo (plus more to serve, optionally) flaked or chopped
- 2 to 3 tablespoons oil from the jar of gourmet tuyo
- 200 to 250 grams cherry tomatoes (7 to 8.8 oz) halved
- 6 cloves roasted garlic or 3 cloves fresh garlic
- 2 shallots peeled and thinly sliced
- 12 to 15 Thai basil leaves plus more to garnish
- 12 to 15 mint leaves plus more to garnish
- 2 to 3 tablespoons finely sliced scallions to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Boil about six cups of water with a teaspoon of salt in a pot.
- In a saute pan, heat the oil from the jar of gourmet tuyo.
- To the hot oil, add the cherry tomatoes, shallots, garlic, Thai basil and mint. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, just until the leaves start to wilt.
- Add the gourmet tuyo and cook, stirring, for a minute.
- Add the pasta and toss.
- Serve the spaghetti with gourmet tuyo in shallow bowls. Optionally, top with sliced scallions and whole fillets of gourmet tuyo.
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