A Tuesday night, rain drumming against the windows, and the fridge is almost empty. This is exactly where this Filipino dish finds its place. A tin of sardines, a sayote, fifteen minutes — nothing more needed.
On the plate, an orange-rust tomato sauce coats pieces of sayote with translucent, almost pearly flesh. The sardines have kept their shape, just shredded enough to blend with the vegetables without disappearing into them. The smell is that of garlic that has caught the bottom of the pan, mixed with tomatoes confit-ed in two minutes. The sauce, well-reduced, clings to the rice rather than drowning it.
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