Why not tuna fish cake for birthdays and other occasions? After all, technology has been recommended for dissemination by the Department of Agriculture Research (BAR).
Tuna Cake Ingredients:
Fresh tuna fish
Ordinary salt
Ginger juice
White sugar
Calamansi juice
Procedure:
1. Clean the fish thoroughly in fresh water. Cut the head and tall and set these aside. Remove the viscera, fins and remaining entrails.
2. Steam the fish for one to two hours, depending on the size of the fish. The bigger the fish, the longer is the steaming period.
3. The fish should be steamed and not boiled to remove excess moisture
4. Remove the bones and skin. Separate the white from the black flesh. For the cake making, the white flesh is better. Mixing white and black flesh was one of the causes of early spoilage as the blood of the fish is concentrated on the black flesh, which spoils this portion easily. (instead of including the black flesh in making the cake, it can be cooked and eaten separately as another dish. The same can also be done with the head and tail.)
5. Mash the flesh. Measure and mix one kilo of fish meat, five tablespoons of ginger juice, one tablespoon of salt, two tablespoons of white sugar and two tablespoons of calamansi juice.
6. Pound or grind the mixture. Place into molds.
7. Place the molds on trays and cook the cakes by indirect smoking. Use charcoal or sawdust as fuel. Do not use coconut husk as this gives the can an unpleasant smell.
8. Cook the cakes for two days or until they are golden brown. If they are not to be eaten immediately, place them in plastic bags. Seal the bags by passing the open end over the flame of a candle.
Cakes processed by using this procedure developed by the Department of Agriculture last for one month, much longer than the five-day shelf life of the cakes processed using the traditional method. The cakes also taste better than the traditionally made ones, their texture and aroma are also better.
