pangapom.

Yes, this looks almost exactly like the last time I made pom. However, there are some important distinctions. 1) This is a catfish (or pangafilet) pom instead of a chicken pom. 2) I did several things differently this time, including using way too much panga filet (the extra fish was reserved for another use before baking, but it ended up stealing some of the onions and tomatoes from the baked dish) and a little too much butter (the recipe below contains the measurements I should've used).

And thus my resulting texture, while more like the pom that I'm used to being served at Suriname restaurants, was less suited for standalone presentation than the last pom I made...this time it really kinda needed a baguette or some rice to go with it. The photo above is actually of ice-cold pom, that's the only reason it's got some shape. I know I'm not supposed to reveal those kinds of food styling details. Please don't tell.

















Regardless, it's just amazing how easy it is to make pom, I just can't get over it. Here's the recipe I was trying to make, but I didn't follow it, if I had, I think everything would've been just poi-fect.

















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panga pom (surinamese catfish and malanga casserole).

400g pangafilet, cut into 2cm strips
freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper

100g zoutvlees
150g butter
3 yellow onions, chopped
5 canned roma tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 tbsp palm sugar

1 kilo pomtajer/malanga/new cocoyam, grated
1/3 cup celery leaves, chopped fine
the juice of 2 oranges, or one big one
the juice of 1 lemon
freshly grated nutmeg (maybe 20 gratings)
salt
pepper

Soak the zoutvlees in cold water for 30 minutes or so, then rinse and dice the meat. Rub the panga pieces thoroughly in a mix of equal parts salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg. Brown the catfish pieces in a sautepan, using a little of the butter to facilitate if necessary. Add the zoutvlees and saute for 5 minutes or so, then add the rest of the butter and the onions, tomatoes, chicken broth and palm sugar, and simmer until the palm sugar melts.

Turn off the heat. Grab your defrosted, grated pomtajer. Add the orange and lemon juices and the celery leaves to the pomtajer, then add all of the liquid from the catfish mixture, and stir to integrate everything.

Spread half of the pomtajer mixture along the bottom of a buttered baking dish, and then place a layer of the catfish mixture on top. Top with a layer of the pomtajer mixture. Dot the top with butter if you feel like it.

Bake for 90 minutes at 175C. After about an hour check to see if the top is drying out. If it is, either dot some more butter on top, or if you think you've already added plenty of butter, you can mix things around in the baking pan to moisten. Before serving, salt to taste (you can't taste it earlier because uncooked pomtajer can make your stomach hurt really bad due to its high oxalic acid content, which is denatured during the cooking process).


















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In other news, the above photo shows the lovely Mara modelling our new standard-issue Moep Family protective headgear, a security measure deemed necessary after our latest domestic bungle: Mačka kitty accidentally (at least we're treating it as an accident) fell off of our 20-foot-high second floor railing and bashed her chin on the ground. She's fine, we think: brain function pretty undetectable as usual, appetite strong as ever...basically she's got a busted lip. I guess my point is: August's health jinx seems to be reluctant to relax its deathgrip on the hapless Moep Family in Apt. 100-M.

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