Filippino
Philippines Culinary Adventure
May 2, 2009
MENU
Pinakbet (Philippine Vegetable Stew)
Ensaimada (Philppine-style Brioche)
Adobong Manok (Chicken Adobo)
Turon (bananas fried in lumpia wrappers – maybe with jackfruit preserves)
Pandan Iced Tea or Ginger Tea
Gin and Pomello (or grapefruit)
Pinakbet (Philippine Vegetable Stew)
SERVES 6
Bagoong, a pungent, earth-colored fermented shrimp paste, lends this traditional Philippine dish a pleasing depth of flavor. Take care not to stir the vegetables aggressively during cooking, or they will fall apart.
2 tbsp. canola oil
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
1 tbsp. bagoong (Philippine shrimp paste)
3 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
3 tbsp. fish sauce
1 1-lb. kabocha or other winter squash,
peeled, seeded, and cut into 1" cubes
1⁄2 lb. Asian eggplant, cut into 2" x 1⁄2" sticks
1⁄2 lb. long beans, cut into 3" lengths
1 bitter melon, peeled, halved lengthwise,
seeded, and cut into 1" cubes
10 okras (about 4 oz.), left whole
15 medium shrimp (about 8 oz.), peeled
Kosher salt, to taste
1. Heat oil in an 8-qt. pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 15 minutes. Add bagoong and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until paste becomes very fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add fish sauce, squash, eggplant, beans, melon, and 1⁄3 cup water. Stir briefly, cover pot, and cook, stirring once or twice (not much!), until vegetables soften, about 12 minutes.
2. Add shrimp and okra; cook, covered, until shrimp are just done and okra is tender, 6–7 minutes. Season with salt. Serve with steamed rice.
This recipe was first published in Saveur in Issue #116
Ensaimada (Philppine-style Brioche)
MAKES 10 ROLLS
Although these fluffy sweet-savory breakfast rolls are traditionally prepared with pork lard, most Philippine cooks nowadays use butter instead. Dutch edam cheese is sprinkled inside and on top of the dough, offering a subtle counterpoint to the breads' sweetness; for a more savory roll, add more cheese. To make these rolls, you will need ten 5 1⁄2" fluted brioche molds.
(1/4) 1⁄2 cup milk
(1 ½) 3 tbsp. active dry yeast
(half of) 3⁄4 cup sugar
(11) 22 egg yolks, at room temperature
(1) 2 cups unsalted butter (4 sticks),
at room temperature, plus more for greasing
(3 ½) 7 cups sifted flour
(1) 2 eggs, at room temperature
(half of) 1 2⁄3 cups plus 2 tbsp. grated aged edam cheese
1. Heat milk and 1⁄2 cup water to 115°. Stir in yeast; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine sugar, 12 yolks, and 4 tbsp. butter in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add yeast mixture and 1 cup flour; beat for 10 minutes. Remove bowl; cover with a damp kitchen towel. Set dough aside in a warm place to let rest, about 15 minutes.
3. Combine eggs and remaining yolks in a bowl. Return bowl of dough to mixer; replace whisk attachment with a dough hook. Working in 4 batches, beat in (3/4) 1 1⁄2 cups flour, 3 tbsp. butter, and one-fourth of the egg mixture per batch on medium speed. Scrape down sides of bowl; remove bowl and cover with the towel; set dough in a warm place to let rest for 15 minutes.
4. Return bowl of dough to mixer; knead on medium speed while adding remaining butter in 4 batches. (Stop occasionally to scrape down dough hook.) Continue to knead until dough is elastic, 18–20 minutes.
5. Using your hands, grease a marble slab or other smooth surface with a little butter. Transfer dough to the greased work surface; divide into 10 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball; flatten each ball into a 6" circle. Fold edges of each circle in toward center. Transfer dough pieces, seam side down, onto 2 greased baking sheets. Cover with damp towels; set aside in a warm place to let rest for 10 minutes.
6. Line ten 5 1⁄2" fluted brioche molds with 9" circles of parchment paper. Divide molds between 2 baking sheets. Working with one dough piece at a time, use your hands to press it into a paper-thin, translucent square, about 14" x 14", on the greased surface. (The dough will tear in some places; that's okay.) Sprinkle the dough square with 2 tbsp. cheese. Starting at the edge closest to you, use your fingertips to roll the dough toward the far edge, forming a rope about 1⁄2" thick. Gently flatten the rope. Roll the rope into a spiral, tucking the end under. Transfer the spiral to a mold, tucked end down. Cover the molds with damp towels; set in a warm place to let rest until almost doubled in size, 1 1⁄2–2 hours.
7. Arrange a rack in the lower third of oven and heat to 350°. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. cheese over top of each risen dough. Bake breads, one baking sheet at a time, until golden brown and puffed, about 20 minutes. Let breads cool before unmolding.
This recipe was first published in Saveur in Issue #116
Adobong Manok (Chicken Adobo)
SERVES 4
Adobo is often called the national dish of the Philippines. The preparation is endlessly adaptable, and nearly every Philippine cook prepares adobo in a slightly different way. Though some add soy sauce to deepen the color of the dish, we followed Lucia Mallari's method, which omits that ingredient. Philippine cooks favor mild-tasting vinegars made from coconut or palm sugar; we found that white wine vinegar makes a fine substitute.
4 chicken thighs (about 1 lb.)
4 chicken legs (about 1 lb.)
Kosher salt, to taste
14 cloves garlic, slivered
1 2⁄3 cups coconut, palm, [Pennie has some]
or white wine vinegar
2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
10 bay leaves
Steamed long-grain white rice (optional)
1. Place chicken thighs and legs on a cutting board and, using a heavy cleaver, cut each piece in half crosswise, through the bone. (Alternatively, leave the chicken pieces whole.) Sprinkle chicken pieces generously with salt and place in a 14" nonstick skillet. Add garlic to skillet along with vinegar, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat; stir briefly, then lower heat and simmer, basting chicken occasionally with liquid, until meat is cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 40 minutes.
2. Increase heat to medium-high. Continue to cook chicken, turning it frequently, until crisp and lightly browned all over, 6–8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter and serve with steamed white rice, if you like.
This recipe was first published in Saveur in Issue #116
Turon
ripe bananas, peeled and cut into half, lengthwise
brown sugar
3 cups cooking oil
lumpia wrappers
1/2 cup langka preserves (optional) [Jackfruit]
Directions
Roll banana in sugar. Wrap banana (and langka if you have) in lumpia wrapper just like you would a lumpia. Fry in hot oil until golden and crispy. Recipe from Manong Ken
Pandan Iced Tea - tea made with Pandan leaves and lemon grass.
“Pandan" as it is called in the Philippines or screwpine in english is said to be a restorative, deodorant, indolent and phylactic, promoting a feeling of wellbeing and acting as a counter to tropical lassitude. it may be chewed as a breath sweetener or used as a natural preservative on foods. it is also said to have flavonoids which are believed to have a variety of healthful properties, including antiviral, anti-allergen, antiplatelet, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant.
1 gallon water
5 tea bags
3-4 pieces screwpine leaves (pandan) [found in frozen section of Asian market]
2-3 cups brown sugar
shaved ice
I. boil the water, tea bags, pandan leaves and brown sugar together
until aromatic and well-flavored.
II. adjust sweetness as needed. strain the tea then cool.
III. serve with shaved ice and garnish with screwpine leaves (pandan leaves).
IV. (optional) can be added with juice of 4 calamansi or philippine lemon (aka: acid orange, calamondin orange)
Gin-Pomelo (a certain type of citrus, popular to its pink color) Juice Powder
[Just use Gin and grapefruit if I can't find pomello] Used grapefruit.