Kilawin Isda is a simple dish of fish "cooked" in spiced vinegar. The vinegar pickles the fish, adding flavor and making it more palatable.

The fish's texture changes considerably after marinating; its mouth feel becomes a bit more crumbly, like fish cooked in broth. I personally prefer a shorter a marinating time. A shorter marinating time results in the fish retaining its firm and almost gelatin-like consistency.

The name Tanigue is applied to different species of fish caught in Philippine seas. It seems to be a common name for any fish in the Mackerel family. Others use tuna or anchovies. Any fish (or seafood) can be prepared this way but the less bony fish are preferred. I will probably never try to make kilawin bangus.

Latin American countries have their own version of this dish. They call it "ceviche" and instead of vinegar they use sour citrus fruits for the marinade.

I bought the fish earlier today. I wasn't planning to make kilawin but I found some very nice looking fresh fish being sold at the wet market.

The freshness of fish can be gauged by the following:
- Color; the rosier the better
- Firmness; the flesh should be firm and not mushy when pressed.
- Smell, fresh fish has a clean briny scent not a heavy fish odor.
- Shiny skin
- Bright and clear eyes

Avoid using fish for kilawin if it fails on any of these. The ideal fish would be something that was caught and cleaned within the last 3 hours. Any fish fresh enough for sashimi is useable for kilawin.

For additional information about checking the freshness of fish check this site: http://fishcooking.about.com/od/howtochoosefreshfish/bb/buyingfish.htm

The ingredients:
1/2 kg. FRESH tanigue (mackerel)
1/2 cup coconut vinegar (reduce quantity if using stronger vinegar)
1/4 cup finely chopped white onions
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp grated ginger
1/2 tbsp rock salt
1/4 tbsp pepper powder
1 tbsp finely chopped long green peppers
1 cup cubed cucumber
1 tbsp calamansi or lemon juice

Optional:
1/2 cup coconut milk (first pressing)
Chopped semi ripe tomatoes for garnish
Red chili peppers (adjust to desired spiciness)

Preparation
Since we are dealing with raw fish, some hygiene considerations need to be practiced.
Make sure you are using a clean knife and chopping board. Try to rinse both board and knife in steaming water to sanitize it. Hot water also takes care of the taste and smell of food that it touched previously. Wash hands thoroughly. Don't ever handle food directly if your nails aren't clipped short.

1. Clean fish and slice into bite size pieces, I usually slice the fish into 1/2 inch cubes. Set aside and let drain. If you have paper towels available, pat the fish dry with the  paper towels before slicing.

2. Finely chop onions, garlic, green peppers. Chop or slice cucumber into preferred size. Grate ginger.

3. Add all ingredients in bowl then mix slowly and let the marinade and the spices coat the fish.You may also add the optional ingredients at this time.

4. Leave the kilawin to marinade in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

5. Serve slightly chilled.

For larger batches just multiply the amount of spices per half kilogram of fish, however adjust the vinegar manually. There should be just enough vinegar to cover all the fish slices when you mix it.

Kilawin is a very popular "pulutan". It goes well with a cold glass of beer.  Some variants add chopped grilled pork into the mix. The version I presented here is my usual recipe for kilawin.

If you tried this recipe, send me some feedback on how you liked it.

I hope you enjoy making and eating your own kilawin.