Читать книгу Tropical Island Cooking - Jennifer Aranas - Страница 9
ОглавлениеTHE BASICS
How do you prepare yourself and your kitchen for a Filipino meal? Naturally, you start with the building blocks: the sauces, stocks, and flavor bases that form the backbone of a cuisine. A good-quality stock is the foundation for soups and stews and can easily be the difference between creating either mediocre or memorable food. Seafood stocks are not only the quickest and easiest to prepare but, in my opinion, the most worthwhile since flavorful fish or shrimp stock is hard to find at your run-of-the-mill-grocery store. Chicken stock will require a couple of dedicated hours simmering on the stove and beef stock four to six hours, which is why the time invested into a homemade stock is certainly a persuasive factor in resorting to canned broth or bouillon. However, their inferior quality will become apparent when you try reducing your stock into a rich, bodacious sauce and the resulting liquid is flimsy and unremarkable. Good-quality stock is relatively simple to prepare and a powerful tool to add body, complexity, color, and flavor to any dish in any cuisine.
There are definitive flavors that either individually or in combination characterize Filipino cuisine. Adobo, a Spanish import from Mexico, is one of the culinary cornerstones that give Filipino food its flavor identity. Despite sharing a similar name, New World adobo is completely different in its anatomy than the island version, where adobo is as much a cooking technique as it is a specific dish. Literally translated, it means “preserved” or “marinated” in Spanish. In the Filipino kitchen, it refers to food cooked with five specific ingredients: vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaves, garlic, and peppercorns. This flavor formula is quintessentially Filipino and can be applied to any type of meat, seafood, or vegetable. Of course, there are variations on adobo that include the addition of coconut milk, ginger, tomato, or pineapple. But underneath the seasonings are the same five ingredients that support adobo’s recognizable flavors. Because adobo is considered a national dish of the Philippines eaten in some variation all across the islands, I wanted to address its importance here even though the adobo recipes are in later chapters.
Sofrito is another flavor base imported by the Spaniards that Filipinos integrated into everyday meals. Garlic, onion, and tomato sautéed together in oil is the triumvirate that underlies guisados (sautés), stews, and stir-fries. Sofrito may include bell peppers for sweetness or atsuete (annatto) seeds for color, which like adobo, can vary depending on which cook you ask.
Toasted garlic is on equal footing with soy sauce and pepper when it comes to seasoning Filipino food. Garlic is an essential ingredient cooked with tomatoes or onions in a sofrito base. But the flavor difference of garlic when fried to a crispy golden brown and sprinkled on top sinangag, fried rice with garlic, or arroz caldo, chicken and rice soup, is a subtle addition that lingers on the tongue and elevates the ordinary to a sophisticated plane. Once you’ve toasted your garlic, don’t feel as if you have to store it away until you plan your next Filipino meal. Add a dash to your container of sea salt or lightly crush it as a substitute for garlic powder in spice rubs or marinades.
A Filipino meal is hardly complete without an array of potent and vibrant dipping sauces (sawsawan), which add zest and balance to each bite. From bottled banana ketchup to sinus-clearing shrimp paste, there is always at least one sawsawan on the table to spoon over rice, to dip grilled meats or fish, or to mix into soups. A saucer filled with toyomansi is a common complement; it is a light mixture of soy sauce and calamansi (native lime) juice that is so popular it’s been bottled and made commercially available. Fish sauce and native vinegar is another classic combination that is easily transformed by substituting soy sauce or by adding garlic and fresh herbs. Although commercial sweet chili sauces are aplenty at the Asian store, the recipe included in this chapter rivals any store-bought brand and is a cinch to put together with ingredients you’re likely to already have in your pantry. A recipe for plain steamed rice, a basic component in nearly every Filipino meal, is also included in this chapter.
Fish Stock
Seafood stocks are relatively simple to prepare and a wonderful asset to add extra punch to any seafood dish from chowder to paella to stews. It is best to use fish bones or heads from nonoily fish such as flounder, sole, or snapper to produce a clean-tasting stock. Bones from oily fish such as salmon or mackerel produce an oily overpowering stock.
Makes 6 cups (1½ liters)
1 to 1½ lbs (450 to 675 g) fish bones
1 carrot, sliced into 1-in (2½-cm) pieces
2 stalks celery, sliced into 1-in (2½-cm) pieces
1 bay leaf
5 to 6 green onions (scallions)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
One ½-in (1 ⅓-cm) cube fresh ginger, peeled
5 to 7 cups (1 to 1½ liters) water
Spread all of the ingredients evenly on a sheet pan. Place the pan under the broiler 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) from the flame for 12 to 15 minutes. Periodically turn the bones and vegetables to brown all the sides. Place the roasted vegetables and fish bones in a medium stockpot (3 to 4 quarts/liters). Pour in water to cover the ingredients by 1 inch (2½ cm). Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Strain the stock through a fine sieve. Discard vegetables and bones. Cool stock. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for 3 months.
Variation: Shrimp Stock. Substitute the fish bones with shrimp shells from 2 pounds (900 g) raw shrimp for the fish bones.
Beef Stock
Choose meaty beef bones from the neck, knuckles, ribs, or shank to produce a rich, flavorful beef stock. I particularly like supplementing my beef bones with a few cuts of oxtail, which are packed with collagen and produce an incomparably thick gelatinous broth. Oxtail used to be a throwaway cut, the scraps that were left to the dog. However, its revival on upscale restaurant menus has elevated the demand and the price so that it is no longer a true bargain. Using oxtail for stock reaps double rewards—a bosomy broth and the simmered oxtail meat, tender and supercharged with flavor that begs to be added to soups, stews, or pastas.
Makes 4 to 5 quarts (3¾ to 4¾ liters)
4 lbs (1¾ kg) beef bones plus 1 lb (450 g) cut oxtail
2 large onions, quartered
5 green onions (scallions), whole
3 large carrots, cut into 1-in (2½-cm) pieces
4 celery stalks, cut into 1-in (2½-cm) pieces
4 to 5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup (250 ml) rice wine
2 bay leaves
5 to 6 quarts (4¾ to 5 liters) water
Brown the bones: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the bones, onions, green onions (scallions), carrots, celery, and garlic in a large roasting pan. Roast the bones and vegetables in the oven 1 to 1½ hours, occasionally turning the bones and vegetables so that they are browned on all sides but not burnt. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and quickly transfer the bones and vegetables to a large pot. While the roasting pan is still hot, deglaze the roasting pan with the rice wine, scraping any toasted bits of meat or vegetables from the pan. Pour the wine and scrapings into the pot with the bones and vegetables. Add the bay leaves and water. There should be enough water so that there is at least 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) of water covering the bones.
Simmer the stock: Bring the stock to a boil. Using a ladle, skim and discard the foam that rises to the top. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the stock 4 to 5 hours. Remove the meaty bones and oxtail and set aside on a plate. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a large container. Discard the vegetables and aromatic herbs. Cool the stock and bones to room temperature. Skim off the fat from the surface of the stock or refrigerate the stock and scrape off the hardened fat. Use your fingers to pull the meat off the bones. Discard the bones and gristle. Reserve the meat for another use. Store the broth in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze in ice cube trays or small containers for up to 3 months.
Chicken Stock and Flaked Chicken
Whether you’re whipping up a warm soup, braising a roast, or cooking rice pilaf, a light and versatile chicken stock is an invaluable ingredient that adds flavor and depth to your food. Here is a simple recipe for a light chicken stock that calls for simmering a whole chicken so that you are left not only with the broth but with tender cooked chicken that can be used in countless recipes for your favorite salads, casseroles, or soups. The broth can be frozen in ice cube trays or small containers for convenient use. Portion the chicken into ½ to 1 pound (225 to 450 g) bags that can be defrosted quickly.
Yields 8 to 10 cups (1¾ to 2¼ liters) stock and 1 lb (450 g) cooked chicken
4 to 5 lbs (2 to 2½ kg) whole chicken
2 medium onions, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped into 2-in (5-cm) pieces
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into 2-in (5-cm) pieces
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
One ½-in (1-cm) cube fresh ginger, peeled
6 black peppercorns
10 to 12 cups (2¼ to 3 liters) cold water
Prepare the chicken: Remove the giblets packet from the cavity of the chicken. Reserve the neck bone for the stock. Rinse the inside and outside of the chicken thoroughly under cold water.
Make the stock: Place the chicken and neck bone in a large stockpot (6 quarts/liters) with the remaining ingredients. There should be enough water in the pot so that there is at least 1 inch (3 cm) of water covering the chicken. Over a high flame, bring the water to a boil. Using a ladle, skim and discard any foam that rises to the top of the stock. Reduce the stock to a simmer over medium heat for 2 to 2½ hours.
Strain the stock and flake the chicken: Cool the stock to room temperature. Remove the chicken from the pot. Pour the stock through a fine sieve into a large container. Discard the vegetables, bay leaf, ginger, and peppercorns. Use a ladle to skim the fat off the broth or refrigerate the broth and scrape off the solidified fat. The chicken will be very tender and easy to pull from the bones using your hands. Flake the chicken into small chunks, discarding any skin, bones, or cartilage. Store the broth in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. The chicken may be refrigerated for 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Vegetable Stock
Vegetable stock, with its light, neutral taste, is a versatile ingredient that can be used in practically any dish to add both moisture and flavor. Not only does vegetable stock take little time to make, but it is easily assembled with ingredients you probably already have in your refrigerator. It’s also an economic way to utilize wilted vegetables that are past their prime.
Makes 4 cups (1 liter)
½ lb (225 g) onions, quartered
½ lb (225 g) carrots, peeled and cut into thirds
¼ lb (125 g) celery stalks, cut in into thirds
2 whole green onions (scallions), cut in half
4 cloves garlic, peeled
One ½-in (6-mm)-slice peeled fresh ginger
6 to 7 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
5 cups (1¼ liters) water
Place all ingredients in a 2 to 3-quart/liter pot. Bring stock to a boil and skim off foam that rises to the surface. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 1½ hours. Strain stock through a fine sieve and discard vegetables. Cool stock to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or freeze for up to 6 months.
Coconut Cream Latik
The Philippines is one of the world’s largest producers of coconuts, which explains why Filipino cuisine would only narrowly exist without the fundamental flavors and textures lent by the myriad of edibles from the coconut palm. Notwithstanding the tender palm hearts and the valuable sap used for sugar cakes, syrup, alcoholic beverages, and vinegar, the coconut fruit itself is the source of precious coconut water, meat, oil, and milk. I remember making coconut milk the old-fashioned way: sitting on a short rectangular bench to which my grandfather attached a serrated metal blade used to finely grate the flesh of mature coconuts. We’d steep the grated meat in the water collected from the center of the nut and squeeze the pulp to extract thick coconut cream. A second steeping of the pulp with tap water extracted thin coconut milk. A traditional recipe for latik starts off by slowly cooking the first press of thick coconut cream until the coconut solids caramelize and the coconut oil separates and rises to the top. However, I know that there aren’t too many people grating coconuts in their spare time to make coconut cream. In this recipe canned or frozen coconut milk is the convenient base that’s easily simmered to evaporate water, leaving you with a smooth creamy latik. Look for the Chaokoh brand of canned coconut milk, my preferred choice, which has a considerable amount of thick coconut cream.
Makes ½ cup (125 ml)
1 (13-oz/400-ml) can coconut milk
Pour the coconut milk into a small saucepan and simmer over low-medium heat for 40 to 45 minutes. Cool the reduced coconut cream to room temperature and refrigerate. Once chilled, it will have the consistency of cream cheese. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
The longer you cook the coconut milk, the darker and thicker it will become. As the coconut milk reduces, the coconut solids will begin to caramelize and the coconut oil will rise to the surface. Whisk the mixture occasionally during cooking to reincorporate the oil and smooth out the mixture. If you find that you’ve overreduced the coconut milk and that it is too thick (perhaps you need it to be spreadable or pourable), simply add water to thin it to your desired consistency.
Sautéed Shrimp Paste
Guisadong Bagoong Hipon
Bagoong, pronounced “bah-GOO-ong,” is neither easy on the nose nor on the eyes. But this fermented seafood paste, though pungent, perhaps even offensive to some, is a signature ingredient in Southeast Asia that adds dimension and complexity to the food. Bagoong is available jarred in the condiments section of the Asian market and can be purchased in different fish and shrimp varieties, the most common being bagoong hipon (also called shrimp fry), bagoong teron (bonnet mouth fish), bagoong padas (siganid fish), and bagoong monamon (anchovies and scad). Bagoong is added to soups, stir-fries, and stews not only as a salt alternative but also for its unique flavor. If served alongside a dish as a condiment, it can be served straight from the jar, although it’s typically sautéed with a sofrito of garlic, scallion, and tomato before being brought to the table.
Makes 3 tablespoons
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped green onions (scallions), white parts only
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons diced tomato
1 tablespoon shrimp paste
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the green onions (scallions), garlic, and tomato. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until the vegetables soften. Add the shrimp paste and cook for another minute until heated through. Season with pepper. Serve in a small bowl.
Serving suggestions: Odd as it may seem, bagoong is a classic condiment paired with sour green mangoes, although I equally enjoy it with sweet ripe mangoes. Filipinos are hugely keen on the salty-sour or salty-sweet flavor dynamic that makes this dish a popular snack. Dab a little bagoong on boiled or fried plantain bananas. Add a small dollop to your pickled dishes such as Achara (page 62). Straying from Filipino cuisine, bagoong monamon (anchovies and scad) is very versatile and works wonderfully in dressings for Caesar salad, Niçoise salad, and potato salad. Mix bagoong monamon with softened butter or cream cheese, spices, and herbs for a quick cracker spread. A dash of bagoong monamon with sherry, mustard, lemon, and parsley makes a great pan sauce for steak.
Curry-Tomato Sofrito
This unique, curry-flavored sofrito works double duty as both a flavor base and a sauce. The tomatoes are slowly baked in the oven with garlic, curry, and plenty of olive oil. The result is a rich tomato sauce instead of the classic sofrito paste.
What I love about this sofrito is its easy versatility paired with noodles, ladled on grilled chicken, or even topped on fish such as Milkfish with Pili Nut Stuffing (page 124). For a quick noodle dish, heat the sofrito with fresh basil or mint and toss with pasta. For a quick seafood dinner, heat the sofrito with a little seafood stock and add clams or mussels to the pan. Cover and steam until the shells open and serve with lemon and crusty bread.
Makes 3 cups (750 ml)
2 pints (575 g) cherry tomatoes, stems removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green onion (scallion), finely chopped
¼ teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon yellow curry paste or curry powder
½ cup (125 ml) olive oil
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Place all the ingredients in a medium baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour until the tomatoes have completely collapsed and released all of their juices. Cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
Edam Butter
Makes ⅔ cup (75 g)
2 oz (50 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup (25 g) finely grated Edam cheese (substitute gouda)
1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon honey
¼ teaspoon salt
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
Combine the butter, Edam, Parmesan, honey, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix until well combined. Spoon the butter into a ramekin or small bowl. Serve at room temperature with Suman Nga Baboy, or Steamed Rice Cakes (page 28). Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Toasted Garlic and Garlic Oil
In Filipino cuisine, there’s no such thing as a little garlic. Present in our sofrito, marinades, and dipping sauces, raw, roasted, or sautéed, garlic is one of the essential answers to flavorful food.
Transformed by a little oil and heat, toasted garlic is commonly sprinkled on dishes as a finishing condiment to add an extra boost of flavor. Filipinos often serve toasted garlic as a topping for rice porridge (page 50), or fried rice (page 79), but I find it a versatile ingredient sprinkled on top of casseroles, soups, salads, even mixed into my spice rubs for chicken or pork.
Makes approximately ¼ cup (15 g) toasted garlic and 1 cup (250 ml) garlic oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 cup (250 ml) olive oil or vegetable oil
8 to 10 cloves garlic, chopped
Pinch of salt
Heat the oils in a small skillet and warm over low to medium heat. Add the chopped garlic. Cook and stir the garlic until it has lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Pour the garlic and oil through a fine sieve over a bowl, reserving the garlic oil. Dry the garlic on paper towels. Cool the garlic and infused oil. Store separately in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Five-Spice Vinegar
Filipinos are addicted to the amazing versatility and indelible zing of vinegar. Not just reserved for pickling or preserving, vinegar is an essential flavor component in dishes ranging from marinated kilaw (raw fish, similar to seviche) to slowly stewed adobo (a national Filipino dish) to refreshing sinigang, hot and sour soup. For an all-purpose vinegar, I prefer the native coconut or palm vinegar that is readily available in Asian markets and to my surprise even carried in select chain grocery stores. Coconut and nipa vinegars are mildly acidic and leave a clean finish with just a hint of sweetness. Most important, they do not overpower the food, allowing the ingredients of your dish to shine.
This recipe infuses vinegar with the bold flavors of five-spice to add a wonderful dimension to certain dishes such as the Scallop Kilaw (page 64), Salmon Kilaw (page 73) and pickled vegetable Achara (page 62). Using a combination of the five individual spices over five-spice powder will allow you to control the infusion of delicate flavors while keeping the color and texture of the vinegar intact. If at all possible avoid five-spice powder for this recipe. I go through a lot of this vinegar, so I add my spices directly to my bottle of vinegar. For smaller batches, simply use a glass jar to hold the vinegar and spices. Once all the vinegar is used, add more without replacing the spices. The spices will impart their flavors through 2 to 3 steepings.
Makes 2 cups (500 ml)
2 cups (500 ml) coconut or palm vinegar
2 pieces star anise
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
5 cloves
Place all the ingredients together in a glass jar and allow the spices to impart their flavor for at least 24 hours before using. Store the jar in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.
Basic Dipping Sauces Sawsawan
A Filipino table is incomplete without the littering of small dishes filled with sawsawan, dipping sauces, to add the piquant heat of chiles, the puckery tang of citrus, or the heady zest of shrimp paste to the food as each person prefers. All-purpose dipping combinations such as vinegar and soy sauce, garlic and fish sauce, or calamansi and chilies are served to enliven simply prepared foods such as grilled fish or broiled chicken. More elaborate sawsawan such as the liver sauce served with spit-roasted suckling pig (lechon) or the garlicky sweet and sour sauce served with fresh spring rolls (lumpia sariwa) are reserved for specific dishes. I’ve included here just a few easy and basic dipping sauces that intensify the flavors of grilled or roasted meats, poultry, fish, and vegetables. Experiment with different herbs to add an extra layer of high impact flavor to your dipping sauces.
Toyomansi: makes 1⅔ tablespoons
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons calamansi juice
Spicy Garlic: makes 3 tablespoons
2 tablespoons coconut or palm vinegar
1 small Thai chile, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Green Ginger: makes 2⅔ tablespoons
2 tablespoons calamansi juice
1 teaspoon chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
1 teaspoon minced ginger
Shrimp Paste: makes 2⅓ tablespoons
2 tablespoons coconut or palm vinegar
1 teaspoon shrimp paste (bagoong hipon)
Sweet and Sour: Makes 2⅔ tablespoons
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
2 teaspoons calamansi juice
Sweet Chili Sauce: makes
½ cup (125 ml)
½ cup (125 ml) corn syrup
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon coconut or palm vinegar
2 teaspoons chili flakes or sambal ulek
½ teaspoon minced ginger
Combine in a saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes to marry the flavors. Cool to room temperature before serving.
Lumpia Sariwa Dipping Sauce
Makes ½ cup (125 ml)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
½ cup (125 ml) water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons vinegar
¼ cup (25 g) finely chopped roasted peanuts or cashews
Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the pan is hot add the garlic. Cook and stir the garlic for 30 seconds until golden brown. Stir in the flour and mix with the garlic and oil to form a paste. Add the water, soy sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar. Use a whisk to dissolve the liquids with the flour paste. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until thick, constantly whisking until smooth. Cool the sauce and pour into a serving dish. Sprinkle the sauce with the chopped nuts and serve with lumpia sariwa (page 40).
Mushroom Soy Dipping Sauce
Makes 3 tablespoons
2 tablespoons mushroom soy sauce
1½ teaspoons palm or coconut vinegar
1 clove roasted garlic, mashed
1 teaspoon mirin
¼ teaspoon salt
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, mashed garlic, and mirin in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a dipping sauce bowl and serve alongside Suman Nga Baboy, or Steamed Rice Cakes (page 28).
Eggplant-Prune Compote
Makes approximately 4 cups (600 g) Serves 4 as a side dish
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup (50 ml) coconut or palm vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup (250 ml) Chicken Stock (see page 15)
1 small eggplant, cut into 1-in (2½-cm) cubes
1 cup (150 g) chopped prunes
¼ cup (25 g) toasted and chopped pili nuts (substitute pine nuts)
Melt the butter in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and cook until browned and caramelized, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar, scraping any browned bits of onion off the bottom of the pan. Add the soy sauce, pepper, chicken stock, eggplant, and prunes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the eggplant is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the pili nuts and spoon alongside the grilled grouper (page 129).
This naturally sweet compote also pairs well with Whole Roasted Red Snapper (page 125), Bistek (page 112), Oven Roasted Pork (page 107), and Stuffed Quail (page 103).
Tomato, Onion, and Garlic Paste
Basic Sofrito
Sofrito is originally a Spanish paste of cooked tomato, onion, bell pepper, and garlic used as a flavor base for any number of soups, stews, and sautés. Naturally, the different Spanish colonies have long since individualized their sofrito so that in Puerto Rico it is different from the sofrito of Cuba or Mexico. In the Philippines, we start many of our dishes with a basic trio of onion, garlic, and tomato sautéed in olive oil. Depending on the dish being made, atsuete (annatto) seeds may be added to impart a burnt russet color and earthy flavor to the oil before adding the garlic, onion, and tomato. Other times, bell peppers are added for sweetness. You can certainly tailor your sofrito to suit your own taste. This recipe gives you a basic flavor template that you can build upon with other ingredients. Keeping a sofrito reserve in your refrigerator will allow you to save time chopping onions, garlic, and tomatoes.
Makes 2 cups (450 g)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan (1 to 2 quarts/liters) over medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the onion. Cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until tomatoes completely collapse and all the liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated. Season with soy sauce and pepper. Remove from the heat and cool. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Variations: 1. With annatto seeds.
To add a light earthy flavor and russet color to your sofrito, first sauté 2 teaspoons atsuete (annatto) seeds in olive oil for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the seeds from the oil, which should have an orange color. Discard the seeds and continue directions for basic sofrito.
2. With bell peppers. Green bell peppers will add a grassy flavor and red bell peppers will impart their characteristic sweetness. Use one small bell pepper, deseeded and chopped into a fine dice. Follow the original recipe sautéing the pepper with the onion.
3. With misu. Misu sofrito, or sofrito with miso paste, is especially delicious as a base for seafood soups and sautés. You’ll see it used in the Pesa nga may Misu (page 126) although it also pairs well with poultry. In this recipe, I find that caramelizing the onions in butter creates a nice sweetness that is surprisingly delicious paired against the salty miso. See Misu in “Buying Filipino Ingredients,” (see page 171).
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 thinly sliced yellow onion, approximately 1 cup (80 g). Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until browned and well caramelized. Add 1 minced garlic clove and 1 small diced tomato. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until the tomato softens. Stir in ½ cup (125 g) miso paste and stir to combine. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Yields 1 cup (250 g).
Steamed Rice
The thread that weaves through nearly every Filipino table from Luzon to Mindanao is the humble grain of rice. Whether served as the most important component of a meal or as the basis of a quick snack—as shown here in Fragrant Rice with Green Mango (recipe, page 79)—rice is what Filipinos equate with sustenance. Without flair or flourish, steamed white rice is ideal. Long-grain indica varieties are the most widely grown on the islands, which include the jasmine-like milagrosa variety that is so popular for its floral aroma and fresh-cooked stickiness. Many Filipinos rely on their electric rice cookers to steam rice to fluffy perfection, but equal results can be achieved on the stovetop.
Serves 6
3 cups (600 g) long-grain rice
5 cups water
Place your rice in a large deep pot. Wash the rice thoroughly in several changes of water until the water runs clear. This washing will give your rice a cleaner flavor and whiteness. Drain all of the water from the rice.
Pour 5 cups water into the rice pot. Cover the pot and place over high heat. Bring the water to a boil. This may take 5 to 7 minutes. Turn the heat to the lowest heat setting and allow the rice to steam for 12 to 18 minutes until the rice is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and allow the rice to continue steaming for 10 minutes before removing the cover. This method of cooking rice yields a fluffy, moist, and sticky rice. Serve hot.
Varation: Pandan Steamed Rice.
After you have washed your rice, add a 5-inch (12¼-cm) pandan leaf to the pot. Cook the rice as directed.
SHANGHAI EGG ROLLS LUMPIA SHANGHAI
PORK AND GINGER DUMPLINGS SHUMAI
STEAMED RICE CAKES WITH BACON AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS SUMAN NGA BABOY
SHRIMP AND SWEET POTATO FRITTERS UKOY
CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE
ADOBO-FLAVORED PECANS BEEF TURNOVERS EMPANADAS
FRIED SWEET BANANAS PRITONG SAGING
GRILLED CHICKEN WINGS
STEAMED BUNS FILLED WITH CURRY CHICKEN CURRY CHICKEN SIOPAO
CRÊPES WITH SHRIMP AND GREEN PAPAYA LUMPIA SARIWA
SPICED ANCHOVY CRISPS PRITONG DILIS
