KUL1NARYA

A Guidebook to Philippine Cuisine

Glenda Rosales Barretto
Margarita Fores
Jessie Sincioco

Michaela Fenix

Conrad Calalang
Myrna Segismundo
Claude Tayag

Neal Oshima

Contents

Preface
Messages

Asia Society Philippine Foundation, Inc.

San Miguel Pure Foods

Del Monte Philippines, Inc.

10

Introduction

13

Pa rtici pati ng Chefs

16

Working Towards World-Class Cuisine

19

What Is Filipino Food?

29

Branding Our Food

33

PULUTAI\ Appetizers
SABAW Soups
GUlAY AT EN SAlADA I Vegetables and Salads
UlAM Main Dishes
ADOBO Vinegar Braised
PANClT Noodles
MER1ENDA Snacks
M1NATAM1S Desserts
APPENDlX Sundries, Sauces, Condiments and Relishes

47
61
75
99
137
155
165
189

203

Glossary

222

Index

224

Sponsors

226

Acknowledgments

240

Asia

')ociety

Phi lippine Foundation, Inc.

One key aspect of culture is food, and it serves as a powerful promotional

channel. Millions of Filipinos live and work around the world, yet Filipino
cuisine is hardly known or recognized outside the country, compared to,

The Asia Society IS the leading global

and pan-Asian organizatIOn working to
strengthen relationships and promote
understanding among the people, leaders.

for example, Thai and Vietnamese. Relatively few Filipino restaurants

and institutions of the United States and

Asia. It seeks to increase knowledge of

have made their mark abroad .

Asia and Its dive rse cultu res, enhance

dialog ue, encourage creative expression.
and generate new ideas across the fie lds

These are the principal reasons that

the Philippine Department of Agriculture,

the Asia Society, in cooperation with

offers information on the sourcing of

the Philippine Department of Tourism,

ingredients

with grants from San Miguel Corporation

and best practices to help growers and

and Del Monte Corporation, started the

producers,

Kulinarya project, consisting of this book

cooks meet the increasingly discriminating

non-partisan,

and the Kulinarya website (kulinarya .netj.

expectations of a growing domestic and

This ambitious project advocates improved

international market.

institution with centers in Hong Kong,

Houston , Los Angeles, Man ila , Melbourne ,

cooking methods and best practices in the

and

provides

packagers,

standards

purveyors,

and

and investment in Filipino restaurants

food. It hopes to build greater appreciation

and develop demand for our food and

for and understanding of Filipino cuisine

ingredients, which will directly benefit

and its traditions at home and throughout

Filipino food producers, big and small.

Asia

Society

thanks

its

partners in this project: the Department

chefs gave generously of their time

of Tourism, San Miguel Corporation, Del

and talent to create this book. Glenda

Monte Corporation, Anvil Publishing, and

Barretto headed the group, composed of

the Hotel and Restaurant Association of

Conrad Calalang, Margarita Fores, Myrna

the Philippines.
Michaela

and assess best practices to improve the

Oshima, Claude Tayag as food stylist, and

standards of selection of ingredients,

book designer Ige Ramos.

than 90 recipes.

Fou nded in

1956, Asia Soci ety is a

non-profit

ed ucational

Shanghai, and Wash ington, DC.

The book was created by food writer

Tayag. Together, they set out to identify

preparation and presentation of more

programs in schools and on t he Internet.

invaluable

Six of the country's most prominent

Segismundo, Jessie Sincioco, and Claude

lectures, exhibit s, j ourna ls, publica tions,

conferences, travel t ours, and ed ucation al

Mumbai, New York, San Fra ncisco, Seou l,

Quality standards will enhance branding

preparation and presentation of Filipino

the world.

of policy, busi ness, educat ion , arts, and

culture. The Society does t his through

Fenix,

photographer

Neal

The scope of the project has been a

challenge . With

this guidebook, Asia

Kul inarya.net, produced in cooperation

Society hopes to make its contribution to

with the Center for International Trade

the recognition of and appreciation for

Expositions and Missions (CITEM) and

Filipino cuisine throughout the world.

W!IppaI SkaIMd mushrOOlllS (pino,s no kobu td

Foreword

lntroduction

The principal problem in branding and defining standards for Filipino

cuisine is that Filipinos are by nature highly individualistic and diverse.
Standards in our culture seem to exist not so much to be followed
strictly, as to serve as a basis for personalization. In fact, variation and
diversity

are the

standard. The preparation and presentation of Filipino

food is tremendously varied, even within the same province, town or

neighborhood, in the same way, for example, that villages separated by
less than an hour's walk in the Cordillera mountains speak completely
different languages and regard each other as foreigners.

to the concept of branding, which is

variations.
The team decided that Kulinarya's

based on agreement and convention. For

recipes

Wide variation seems to run counter

should

define

tradition,

not

example, to brand a dish, there ought to

reinvent it. For example, although the

be a commitment to how it should look,

team's first impulse was to focus on

so it can be recognized. Well-known

large family-style servings in the fiesta

dishes found in Asia such as tempura,

or restaurant tradition, we realized that

nasi goreng, Peking duck, or tom yum

Filipinos, on a daily basis, eat more

are consistently prepared and instantly

typically from smaller portions. These

recognizable. This is not always the case

are most commonly a viand (ulam), a

vegetable (gulay), and rice (kaninj. Thus,

with Filipino dishes.

The
purpose,

Kulinarya
however,

project's
is not

primary
to

define

how a dish should look, nor is it to

suppress variation in favor of a single
strict interpretation. It focuses instead
on defining guidelines to improve the
selection of ingredients, preparation and
presentation. The end product should be
food that is freshly cooked, served at
the ideal temperature, and aesthetically
presented. The goal is to establish a
reprodUCible baseline of quality, with
characteristics that persist through all

~awttd salad knsoladang gos6 or laid)

the recipes in this book are designed for

four to six but can be presented for two
or more people to share.
There are notable exceptions. Some
recipes specify larger quantities because
they require more time and effort to
cook and are thus more cost-effective
when prepared in quantity. Also, many
Filipino dishes (for example adobo) are
more delicious when stored and eaten
later, as flavors are more fully absorbed;
it is a sort of retro-marination that is
unique to the cuisine.

Introduction

I 13

many discussions
conducte d
.
The team
.. e to other ASian
. Filipino CUISIn
companng
h of Asian cooking
Because muc
cuisines.
. k the ingredients
. ten with ChOpStlC s,
.
IS ea
t . to bite-size pieces
are generally cu In
I
. the plate c ean
and deboned, leaving
after eating. There were arguments. on
bones and shells enhancing
the men tsof
...
flavor, versu S t he archetypal Filipino

plate full of debrIS after a meal. In the

.
end, the recipes pay particular attentIOn
to achieving good flavors without too
many bones and shells left on the plate.
Anotherdebate centered on identifying
what makes Filipino food unique. The
team agreed that "sourness" is a basic
quality of many Filipino dishes-adobo,
sinigong, paksiw, kilawin. Another IS
its flexibility, accommodating dipping
sauces (so wsa wanj, condiments, and
relishes made from a wide variety of
ingredients. Filipinos like to personalize
their food with individual dipping sauces
and other accompaniments.
Kulinarya's first challenge was to
draw up the list of standard Filipino
dishes most repreSentative of the diverse
culture. The team also strove to create a
balance of m t
ea , Poultry, seafood and
vegetables. After much debate th ' .
, e recipe

selections

were force-classified into

ven
if Filipinos do not always
e
cour ses serve meals by courses. This was done to

many variations of br ..
.
alSlng, stew,
sOmetimes frying. Ap t f
ng,and
..
ar ram techn,
there are sign ifi cant
..
. que,
variations
ingredients added to th b .'n the
e aSlc V'n
salt, and pepper, Such
egar,
as coconut milk
soy sauce, and annatto wate A
.'
...
r. dObo Isn't
limited either to basic "CPA"
.
!chiCken
pork odobo), as the adobo tech.
.
nlque 's
applied all over the country t
. .
0 meat,
fish, shellfish, and even vegetables.

make the cuisine more understandable

by international norms, and also to
make menu planning, whether for home
or restaurant, easier. Meriendo (the
traditional snack between meals) was
added because it is when delicacies like
rice cakes (kakoninjare eaten. Rice cakes
are considered too heavy to be part of

After hammering out the list and

the main meal, and neither can they be

achieving agreement on the recipes, the

classified as dessert.
Recipe
regional

next challenge was presentation. It was

selections

were

preferences

and

based

on

agreed that one person had to style the

popularity

throughout the country. Every home,

dishes and we unanimously nominated

Claude Tayag for this.

town, and region has its own version of

The entire Kulinarya team would like

a particular dish. Poksiw, for instance,

to express its gratitude to those who

varies widely depending on regional

contributed their time and ideas to help

preferences, such as the type of vinegar

with this cha ll enging project.

used, the vegetables added (or not), and

The most gratifying experience of

whether or not pork fat is a feature of

all was the way the chefs all worked

the dish. It was difficult but imperative

together-with enthusiasm. generosity,

to select recipes that best represent the

and a constant sense of fun. in spite of

dish and serve as a standard.

the serious ambition of the project, and

Adobo was a manifest exception.

Most Filipinos regard

adaba as the

the effort and energy it demanded from

all of us.

national dish,' but the team recognized

that adobo is not just a dish but a way

Glenda R. Barretto

of Cooking in itself. The process involves

Chair, Kulinaryo Project

-----dalY !kan
It should be noted that the legen rch tilt
. . and rrst3 '
of filipino food wilting
rnadt a
1

~__ fernandeZ,
late Doreen Gam~.
as the dish Ift05I
compelling case for SIn/gong . thIS IS ~
representative of f I,Iplno taste.
the convention in acackfnC.

14 f klJlINARYA fAG '

u1debook t

DL.

o ~"lhppine CUiSine

Working Towards
World-Class Cuisine

Kulinarya's mission is to inspire world-class preparation and presentation

of Filipino food. It promotes the application of best practices and a basic
understanding of cooking methods that apply to Filipino food. This
section emphasizes practices that should develop into habits.

Start with quality ingredients

Prawns for sinigong are aesthetically
large enough, yet still tender when
they are 50 grams, or 20 pieces to a
kilo.

Market vendors and supermarkets supply

ingredients and produce according to
demand.lfwe exercise more discrimination
in our purchases and demand better

The ideal weight for milkfish, or

bangus, is 500 grams, or two to a
kilo, for special dishes like rellena.
At this weight, it is easier to de-bone
and the belly fat has developed.

quality, these suppliers will provide it.

Some examples:

Pork belly or liempo, a key ingredient

of Filipino food, should have evenly
distributed fat-to-meat content.
The ideal quality is achieved from a
swine slaughtered at 90 to 95 kilos
live weight, with a dressed carcass
weight of 65 to 70 kilos and a back
fat measurement of 15 mm.
The best pigs for Filipino lechon de
leche are a native variety which have
a higher fat to meat ratio, making
the meat tender and juicy. We should
take away the guesswork of what size
of lechon to order, often calculated
according to the number of people to
be fed, and instead adhere to ideal sizes
which are specified on page 128.

Select young, newly harvested

vegetables because they require
less cooking time and retain their
green color. Yard-long beans, or
sitaw, when not fresh, are so tough
that they must be cooked until they
discolor; yet when picked young they
can actually be eaten raw.
Consumer demand for specific
standards and sizes of produce,
meat, poultry, and seafood will give
the needed incentive to producers
and their logistic providers to supply
better quality ingredients.

Above - Fresh "baby" vegetables, clockwise

from top: eggplant {t%ng no bi/og},
string beans {hobichue/os}, bitter melon

{omp%yang 1I0cono a bi/og}, and okra.

Opposite page - Filipina salad {ens%dong
Filipino}

Oayap <.arvIOCJ Technique

..

Thin k pre<;en td
in preparation df

. carving
.
tradition s show the Filipin
o
FrUit
.
aesthetic sense. The picture shows IJm~ or
doyop carve d by one of the food artists

~ ervlce

in Bulacan.
The intricate pattern IS called burdodo,
. h f or "embroidery"
because
t show s
Spams
.
.I.

""

I II .

the same fine detailing as applied In the

sewing ar ts . Th e first step is to remove

Filipinos are one of the few ASian peoples

the insides of the lime with a small scoop,

who do not eat with chopsticks, but with a

until only the rind remains. A small sharp

fork and spoon, Yet hom es an d restaurants

knife is then used to carve out the deSign.

across the country still so metimes serve

When held up against the light, the final

food with bone or shell splinters caused by

carved rind is virtually translucent. This

is then usually preserved in syrup. Before

haphazard cutting and chopping, Greater

serving, each rind is stuffed with pastillos

attention must be paid to proper cutting

de leche, a traditional soft candy made of

techniques and knife skill s, to provide

carabao milk and sugar.

greater control and evenness in cooking,

This will naturally lead to less waste and
better presentation, Since poultry and mea t
vendors now provide pre-cut parts, the task
is made a bit easier, This book specifies
chicken cut into quarters and eighths or
pre- cut breasts and thig hs rather than the
t raditional bi rd chopped through the bone
into 12 to 15 pieces for adobo,

Mince (pinong hiwa 0 tadtad) - Used

for aromatic vegetables, such as
shallots and garlic or herbs, This is a
fine, small chop,
Shred (himav) - Used for leafy herbs
and vegetables, This is a fine strip
cut.

julienne - Used for starchy root

vegetables to produce matchstick
sizes:

julienne (ma tchstick or allumette)

- '/a x '/a x 2 IN, used for salads
Batonnet - '/4 x '/4 X 2 IN
Dice - Produ ces cube-shaped cuts
used for garnishes and vegetables,
Fine Dice I Brunoise - '/a x '/a x '/a IN
Small Dice I Macedoine
- '/4 X '/4 X '/4

IN

Medium Dice I Parmentier

- '12 x ';' x

'/2

IN

large Dice I Carre -

20 I kUllNARYA I A Guidebook to Philippine Cuisine

rye In Ima

pla tes, at home or in restaurant

I, al a'11,
to define and enh ance the u .
'
nlquenellof
Filipino food,
Vegetab les should be prepared so thai
they are served crisp and Vibrant. It \
important to understand the COoking tl~e
of each vegetable, as well as when t.'ty
none of the ingredients are overCOO'ej

Chop (hiwa, putol, tadtad) - Cutting

into small pieces without specific
measurement.

Fine julienne - '116 X 11 6 X 2 IN,

used for ubod for lumpia or ukoy

1~r ~triklng color of FI ' ,

I 'P'no f
ran from the wid
'
oOd COlli!
e varrety f
s"
condiments characte' . a IaUC!s a"
.
rrstlc of th
'
Little platters of co/
,e CUisl,!
.
omonsl
lalt
egg (Itlog no mao/at) ch'l' ' !d dUCk
, I leI (si/in /
green mangoes piokle (
9 abuYOI
, ,
I atcho
"
a few, bring an exciti
raj, to na~~
ng color PI,
the table, The 'Ind' 'd . a!,t! ~
IVI uallty
by mixing one's OWn d' e'pr!11td
'PPlng sa,
(sawsawan) to Campi
'c~
,
ement th! d'
IS characteristically Filip'
Ilh~
Ina. So"so
an d condiments should be Ie d ",-

are to be mixed with other food, 10 trt

Basic cuts and terms

n, green,
n, and ColOr

3/4 X 3/4 X 3/ 4 IN

Vegetables should ideally be blanChed

and then cooked at the last mometl
just before serving, This is an Importa,'
technique to ensure that vegetablelrelalr
their vibrancy and the overall presentate"
is more appetizing,

Serve food freshly

cooked and pipin~
hot
, ortant pract C!
Perhaps the most Imp
fG:;j
. b ok IS to sme
encouraged in th iS a
ndQ':~
"
hot. Th is maysou
fresh and piping
I t Ilag e; at
'n the as
obvious, but plan nr 9 b fore leNing
e Just e
cooking to converg
. The reCipC
an
izatlon.
requires carefu I org
dded step
. lude an a
in this book often Inc bl sor seaW'"
eta
of partially coo kIn 9 veg t e
minute >1-"tl
.
h for a las
-d
and readying t em
the table'G,a
, sat
.or boil so food arnve . food ,,~rl .h Filipino
r
fresh, Since muc
derstand tr3
t to un
~~
it is also importan
es may n
rocess
timing of other P

be adjusted to coincide exactly with the

completion of grilling, including the "rest
time" for grilled meats.

1ed

..111 plat('~

Since Filipino food is most often served all

at once, "family style," and all the dishes
are eaten on one plate (unlike the Western
practice

of

different

courses

served

sequentially, and a change of plates for

each dish or course), the cook must try

poa ching . Th is method uses wate r or

a liquid (such as stock, a sauce, broth

or soup) as a medium . Generally, It is
Important to select good quality, tender
cuts of meat for dry- cooking meth ods
while the moist- heat cooking meth od is
certain to tenderi ze even the tough est
cuts.
The following charts (see pages 22-

23) define the different Filipino cooking

methods and categorize the recipe s in this
book.

the grill, brush the grill well

. h . 9 to

about done.

ng"

If possible, have 0"

allow the time nor moisture needed to

hi gh heat and ore"

Always prepare the grill by cleaning it

with a wire brush and clean towel. It is
Make sure the grill is very hot. It will
be difficult to achieve the caramel ized ,
smoky flavor otherwise. Avoid flare-ups,

different cooking methods and how they

which happen when fat drips down on the

apply to Filipino cuisine. Cooking methods

heat source. Flare-ups will char the food

may be divided into two major groups: dry

and give it a burnt taste. Have a spray

heat and moist heat.

bottle of water on hand to put out the

Keep the skin on chicken and small

methods are characterized by the omission

poultry to prevent the meat from drying

and

sauteing.

of water or liquid as a cooking medium.

Moist-heat cooking includes simmering,
boiling, steaming, stewing, braising, and

burn ing.
lJ'if

meth od helps prevent

burnt on the outSide
th e inside. This .s par'
pork and poultry, wLich

<~

done. The first step is '0 p.'

the meat by another methoc. fu.

by poa ching it In its marinade fOi two

minutes, then finishing it on the gril, ThiS

flames.

These

frying,

flavor but Iner,_

Si nce grilling

important to use a very clean grill.

It is important to be familiar with the

broiling,

,.:

Covering the fo .J

tenderize tougher meat cuts.

grilling,

just

To slow dov/' Or pe'

.inug

fast, dry-heat cooking method does not

includes

It LS

make a crOSS-hatch mark on the f~ ~

turn the f 00 d 9 0 degrees after the f 1 ,
k
II,),
mar S appear, When the mark .ch".
turn t he food over and cork .}

should be deboned and prawns peeled

cooking

Also

f Place the presenta!"Ion Side of the

ood down first to create grill mark. tha.
are made by th e ...
Inltla I .Intense heat 1

Select tender cuts of meat becau se thi s

Dry-heat

all.

'.
en

left on a plate, for example, chicken parts

Learn the cooking

methods applied 111
Filipino cui')ine

Wit

remove fISh from the grill wh

locate the hot and nlJ

beforehand.

stiC~~

doneness. 1 urn only on'~

to visualize what will be left on the plate

when the meal is over. To limit the debris

Oily fish is excellent for grill;

aVOid .Iean fish or other food

method also works well when preparing

many port ions (e.g. catering).

out. Be extra watchful to keep boneless

chicken breasts from drying out. Keep
some fat on the meat.

Fish and Seafood

Grilling Times

Barbecued Pork Chop I Inihaw

no Babay: '/2 in thick 1100 g. 6
minutes each side (well done)
Pork Barbecue (PAGE
minutes each side.

Whole tilapia : 2.5 minutes each

side (200 g)

Whole bang us wrapped in

banana leaves: 3.5 - 4.0 minutes

55) : 4

Chicken
Inasal thigh:
minutes each side (115 g)

Chicken breast with wing : 7

minutes each side (190 g)

Chicken cubes in a stick: 5.5

minutes each side (165 g)

6.5

each side (500 g)

Butterflied bongus: 3 minutes

each side (500 g)

Bongus bellies : 2-3 minutes

each side.

Working

ro~ards World-Class Cuisme I 21

Chick~" Iflu

Pork Barbe.

TortDng Tolor
Rtlltnong Tu.
Rtlltnong Bur,
Shrimp Ukoy
Oolng no Bang"
Beef Topo
Pork Torta
Pinaputok na /sda
Crispy Pata
Lechon Kawali

ImItbtt
;:, ... ,: J~1IDng Hubod
,~"o Gllisodo

Rtllenong Manak
Cassava Cake

MOI~T
-

Pan-steaming

pastngaw

!
-

Leafy vegetables such as spinach or camote tops, still moist

from rin sing, are put in a covered pan over high hea t for a
few minutes until just wilted but still green .

_.

~~.

-.~

Rellenong Bongus
Rellenong Monok
Ensa/oda FilIpino

Steaming I pasingaw

En Papillote

I plnais

Braising

Stewing

Braising 1Stewing in Vinegar

adoba

Simmering

ininin / pananukon

Boiling

pinakulo
sigang/sinigang

Blanching

banlian

Cooking in a steamer or on a rack over boiling water preserves

the flavor, nutrients, shape and texture of foods better t han
poaching or boiling.

vege tables

Food wrapped in banana leaves (or paper) and ba ke d or

grilled.

Pinais no KobutPinois no Alima.

Tough cuts of meat or stringy vegetables are cooked slowly

in a small amount of stock or sauce, in a covered container in
the oven or stove top. Generally for larger cuts of meat.

Hu mba

Similar to braising but using more liquid and, usually, smaller,

tough cuts of meat. These are slowly simmered in liquid for a
long period to tenderize and allow the flavors to meld.

Searing

sonkutsa

Bistek
Kaldereto
Kore-kare

Pinatisang Manok
Chicken Bin okol
Binogoongon

Instead of stock or sauce, the cooking liquid used is principally

vinegar.

Adobong Kong kong

Adobong Pusit
Adobong Puti
Adobo 50 A tsuete
Adobong Manak at Boboy
Adobo SO goto

Food is cooked gently (below boiling point-not exceeding

B2C 11 BOF) in water or stock to just cover. In a simmer, the
bubbles rise slowly to the surface.

Laing
Guinataang Kalaba5a at Sitaw
Pandt Malo
Guinataong Sugpo
Seafood Sinigong

Food is submerged in salted water and cooked above 100C 1

212 F, and maintained at high heat. In a boil, the bubbles rise
quickly to the surface.

Pochero
Beef Bulalo
Pork Sinigang
Tinola
Seafood Sinigang

Vegetables are submerged in salted boiling water for one

or two minutes, to partially cook. The vegetables are then
removed and immediately submerged in iced water to stop
the cooking. They are then dried on towels and usually
reserved for later use.

Stewing in Vinegar

paksiw

Puto
Kutsinto
Politow

The food is submerged in vinegar and cooked until done.

Fresh Lumpiong Ubod

Ensalado Filipino
vegetables

Poksiw no Lechon
Paksi w no Bangus

Browning (caramelizing) the surface of the food at high heat

with little or no fat, searing brings out the flavors and creates
a fond (caramelization/brown bits) at the bottom of the pan,
used in making sauces.

Workin g Towards World-Cla ss Cuisine

I 2J

'con.

'

frying.
.
The number of times and length of time
oil is used affects its smoke point Oil should
be discarded as soon as it changes color or
starts to develop a smell.
The presence of salt lowers the smoke
point and breaks down the oil more quickly.
Do not salt or season deep-fried food prior
to cooking.
Reduce moisture contact with the oil.
Dusting food with fiour or cornstarch, or
using abatter mixture or standard breading
procedure will help.
Oil with a high smoke point can be
reused a few times. The presence of food
particles pollutes the oil, so filter them
out after cooling using a strainer or paper
towels. Store oil in a tightly sealed bottle in
the refrigerator or in a dark, cool place.
. Avoid preheating oil too long or too
high. Turn off the heat immediately once
you are finished frying. Discard oil if smoke
appears before it reaches 190"C I 37S"F or
If It smells rancid.

to master frying techn iques for food that

is moist and tender on the inside and crisp
on the outside.
Heat the oil to 180- 190C

24 I klJLJNARY
AlA

fish

(p

mang iSda)

350-

375F, depending on the size of the

food being cooked and the recipe. Do
not

exceed

this

optimal

deep-frying

temperature by more than 7-8T Since

the temperature of the oil drops when the
food is placed in it, it is good practice to
use a deep-fry thermometer. If the oil is
too hot, the exterior will burn before the
food is cooked through.
Generally, oil should be six times the
vo lume of the food to be fried. The food
item should be submerged in the oil, so
allow space in the pan or casserole for the
level of oil to rise when the food is put in.
Pre

Fried

draws moisture to t
meat and dissipates he SUrface of
causes splatter'
flaVor, as ... the
Ing.
qell as

Filipinos like crisp food, so it IS Important

erature

ke point of oil is the temp

The shmoh the all begins to burn, and thus
at w IC
. . h h'gh
mes visible. Use oil Wit a I
smoke beCO
. h th n
. t that is one much hlg er a
smoke pam "
"CI
thdeal deep-frying temperature of 190
37~:F If the oil's smoke point is too close to
this t~mperature, its smoke point will drop
after the first use and it cannot be reused.
Oils that have high smoke points and are
thus ideal for frying are coconut, peanut
and vegetable oils such as sunfiower, corn
and soybean oil. Olive oil has a low smoke
pomt and can be costly to use for deep

tl

'on

Maintain oil at h' h

Ig tempe
greasy food. Put ingred'
ratureto a'Od
.
lents i
.
I
time to keep the tem
n a little at
perature fro
.a
Once you have cooked
mdrOPPing
.
one bat h
.
remove It, raise the t
c of food

em perature
. '
Immediately add anoth
again and
er batch.
Place deep-fried item
.
s On wife racks
a pan to allow excess oil t d '
over
a Tip off 0
cover deep-fried food .
. a not
Items as tho
make them soggy.
IS wil
Use two-stage COOking on f
pork belly, or poultry:
atty fOOds like

Sp11t~E

Remove moisture from meat by

blotting with paper towels before
frying. In some cases, you may lightly
coat the poultry, pork, or fish with
flour or cornstarch. The coating acts
as a protective shield, cooking the food
through indirect heat and preventing
the ali from penetrating the food and
leaving it greasy.
Carefully slide the food into the oil to
prevent splattering.
Do not apply salt before frying. Salt

Prepare pork belly by slowly sim .

water until fork tender th fmellng
.
,enrySe
reci pe for lechon kawafi, page 109. e

In

Prepare poultry by steaming and then

drying, then pouring hot oil on the sk'
before frying.
In
Double frying: For excellent fried
chicken,
lightly coat the dried Ik'm
.
with flour. Fry at 190"C I 37S"F for
10 minutes. Remove the chicken from
the oil and allow to cool for 2 minutes.
Allow the oil to heat up again and fry
the chicken again for 10 minute~ Check
that the oil reaches the optimal deepfrying temperature for the second fry.
A batter mixture may also be used.
Dredge the food item with seasoned
flour, rice flour, or cornstarch, then dip
in batter mixture just before frying.

aut n
The correct sauteing or stlrJrylrg method
~t heat the pan over a rot flarre.
IS to frI "
When the pan starts to smoke (whlel)

ture Tra( tona ll y. Fil ipinos cook the

garlic f rst because of a preference for a
rr'ore purge'lt aroma and flavor. This can
f t'l e ti ming is right.

w'Jr~

't should If It is seasoned). add a sma

f 011 or fat It is Important not
arnoun t O
.
to add the oil to a cold pan because it

Braising delivers excellent food while

will burn by the time the pan reaches the

actually demanding little effort from

correct temperature for the saute. and the

the cook. This moist- heat method first

food will stick to the pan.

As soon as the oil is hot (no more

oil, and then simmering it in a stock or

than a few moments). carefully place the

sauce in a covered container on the stove

involves searing the meat in hot fat or

food in the pan in such a way that the

or in the oven. The liquid must come up to

oil splatters away from you. A handheld

at least two-thirds of the meat. Braising

screen may also help. Shake the pan so the

generally uses larger cuts of meat, such as

food does not stick to it. It is important to

pork belly for humba (PAGE 114).

reduce the heat, especially when the food

Braising tenderizes tough cuts of meat

is thick and requires more cooking time.

by gently penetrating it with moist heat

When sauteing a flat piece of food (like

which breaks down the tough fibers and

a chicken breast, or steak), start with the

collagen. ThiS makes for a thick, flavorful

presentation side so it is exposed to the

sauce.
Even tender meats such as poultry,

hottest heat for an attractive finish.

Sonkutso or searrng meat and poultry

fish, and shellfish can be braised, but

is a step used for braises and stews, to

for a shorter period of time at a lower

caramelize the surface and sea l in the

tempera ure and in less liqUid, otherwise

juices. After searing, a technique called

they Will dlsin egrate.

deglazing can be used to enhance the

BraiSing liqUids can be a good stock

flavor of the sauce. Deglazing is a process

or a combination of stoc

in which the fond (the brown bits that

including tomato sauce. For braiSing, use

stick to the bottom of the pan) IS released

a heavy-gauge cooking vessel, such as a

by adding a liquid such as broth or water.

casHron pot.

This fond'S then used to flavor the sauce.

The basic ginisa base for many Filipino

and sauce,

For enhanced flavor, roughly chopped

onions,

carrots,

and

celery

may

be

dishes is a combination of garlic, onions,

browned in the same cooking vessel after

and tomatoes. The easiest practice is to

searing the meat, hen adding the liquid.

cook the Ingredients by order of densi y

The vegetables may be remo ed or left in

to prevent charrrng. Start with the onions,

for a country-style dish.

they are

An Important rule for braising' Never

ranslucen (to release the sugar content,

allow the interior temperature of meat

ich s auld be cooked untl

3'ld

us brown evenly), follow With the

to reach anywhere near boiling or It will

mOre de Icate garlic (do not bro lin or burn

become tough. Heat must be kept low at

gar IC, It

all limes.

111 t rn bi ter) and finis

omatoes because

Wit

hese In raduce

Pork in shrimp paste (Binagoongang baboy)

. an important element
Shrimp stock IS.
It is made from
'I' 'no dIShes.
d
of many FI Ipl
.
. 5 that waul
hell trimming
heads .and s.
d d Water is added
be dlScar e .
.
otherwISe
.
flavor by pounding
t the shrimp
(
to extrac
d
d trimmings. SEE
or blending the hea 5 an

PAGf 207)

. . imi lar to brai sing except that

SteWing IS S
. 'd overs the meat and is heated
the IlqUi c
.'
. t under boiling point (simmering) In
WJus
.
a long an d S low cooking process until the
meat becomes fork tender.
This technique is best for the toughest cuts
of meat. Unlike braising, which uses whole
cuts, stewing uses smaller, evenly cut chunks
of meat to aid the tenderizing process.
Stewing is an important cooking
method for Filipino dishes like kaldereta,

Cleaned beef, poultry

.
, and fish b
well as the heads and h
on~s a
s ells Of's
are used to make stock AI
ShellfiSh
.
. thOUgh
'
time to prepare stock t.
It tal.
,I IS a
'\
the meat, bones and a
good uSe Of
.
'romatk Ve
(garliC and/or onions I k
getable\
.
' ee s, carrot
and trimmings that m' h
s, celen,
Ig t oth . "
thrown away). Stocks ca b erwise be
n e stored f
to one week in the ref'
Or up
rrgerator an
three months in the freez
. d up to
. .
er Within 1
It IS Important to cool th
-4 C.
. .
e stack b f
storing In the refrigerator.
e Ore

kare-kare or adobo.
In some cases, to make the dish more
appealing, the meat is sauteed or seared
for flavor development. This is a critical
part of making adobo.

The difference between broth

is that broth uses chicken
band stock
or
eef me at
'l
h
w I e stock uses bones.
Rinse bones an d scraps w'th
I cold
water and place in a heavy t k
s oc
po.
t

Boiling. simmering I pinakulo, inin-

Boiling

brings meat-especially

tough

Add cold water to the pot, enough to

cover the bones by approximately an
Inch.

Bring to a boil over high heat for

approximately 20 minutes. Drain the
water and add cold water again. This
will remove impurities that eould
make the stock cloudy.

for one or two minutes to preserve

Bring the stock to a rolling boil

then lower the heat immediately to
medium-low in order to bring the
stock into a gentle simmer. By gently
simmering, any impurities will float
to the top and can be easily skimmed

crispness and color. To stop the cooking

off.

cuts-to the internal temperature required

to

break down

collagen

(connective

tissues). Boiling is also used to make

broths and soups such as nilogo. However,
it is important to immediately reduce the
heat to a low simmer once boiling point is
reached or the meat will toughen and too
much liquid will be lost.
in

In

Blanch ing IS partially cooking vegetables

process, immed iately chill the food in an

ice bath, then drain and dry until further

cooked or eaten.

simmer the stock.

How to make broth

or stock

Simmer the bones for 1 hour. Add the

. eto
aromatic vegetables, and contlnu
. (see
After the allotted cooking time d
note below) strain the broth ahn
t
cool or use .Imme d'la teIy. Note t ak
'
s the stoe
during the entire proces '. med to
should be constantly skim
produce a clear product.

Broth or stock is a flavorful liquid that

is the foundation of many soups, sauces
and stews. A good stock, added to recipes
Instead of water, adds flavor and aroma ,

. mered (of
Note: Beef bones must be Slm n6 (of 4
6 to 8 hours: chicken :, 1/rOC1"
to 6 hours; fISh tJon6

Ra i

dlllt

In the lower shelves particu larly poult

which could have Salmonella, and cou~
contaminate the rest of the food with its
blood drippings.

I(

and food h mcilln

auid lin
In order for Fil ipino food preparation to
be world-class, one must comply with the
standards of sanitation and food handl ing.
proper food handling minimizes the risk

It is therefore important to adhere to th e

follow ing storag e prin ciples:
Top shelf: ready - to-eat food (produce
stock, lunch meat, leftovers)
,

of food-borne illnesses. Food hazards

Next shelf: dairy products

can be avoided by monitoring time and

Next shelf: seafood

temperature. At any stage of preparing

Next shelf: fresh meats

and cook ing, food will be subject to

Next shelf: ground meats

temperature and time danger zones as

Bottom shelf: poultry

follows:
Temperature - Pathogens can live in
extreme temperatures. The temperature
danger zone is the range within which
pathogens can grow. This range is between
4' to 60' C I 39' to 180' F .
Time - Pathogens need time to reproduce
and grow. The time danger zone-four
hours-is the minimum amount of time

r ~ tor

fnl n

Ing th

..,.f.:.

p
Proteins should be stored according to
their safe internal cooking temperature.
The product with the highest internal
cooking temperature is stored on the
lowest shelf.
Whole poultry, breasts, legs, thighs,
wings: 74' C I 16S' F
Ground chicken: 69' C 11SS' F

needed for pathogens to grow rapidly to

Ground beef, pork, veal, or lamb:
68 ' C I 1SS' F

dangerous levels.
Th is means that any food-in both raw or

Fresh beef or pork : 63' C I 14S' F

cooked stages, should never be exposed

to the danger range for more than four
hours.

Food.

All foods should be reheated to an internal

temperature of 74' C I 16S' F within less
than 2 hours after thawing or removing
from storage.

It is important to store food at the proper

temperature :

Meat and Poultry: 0-2' C I 32-36' F

Refrigeration method - Remove frozen

Fish and Seafood : -1-1 ' C I 30-34' F

item from the freezer, place in a shallow

Eggs: 3-4' C I 38-40' F

container and keep in the refrigerator

Dairy Products: 2-4' C I 36-40' F

Produce: 4-7'C I 40-4S' F

overnight (or longer) until completely

thawed.

Proper storage lo,ation in the

refrigerator
The proper

storage

method

in

the

refrigerator or chiller is important to

ensure that there .... ill be no crosscontamlO3 Ion of food items. The rule
0'
b
.IT' IS 0 place all raw food Items

Sink method - Place frozen item in a

container or wrap tightly with food-grade
cling wrap. Place in the sink and run cold
water (4"C I 40' F) over the item until
completely thawed. Use within 2 hours.
Microwave method - Place frozen Item
in a microwavable container and thaw
i n a mIcrowave oven according to the
appliance instructions.

' 121
Working Toward~ WorldClass CUISII'IC

Bran di, 9

What Make

ad lJniqu

fly Micll.1l'I.l I <'Ili\

Filipino food has a deep and complex taste th at has been described as

linol11no l11 . Literally "deliciousness " yet signifying much more, it is the
root of the word molinomnol11, which is how a Filipino might describe
the savory and fragrant qua lity of a dish.
A significant aspect of the Filipino

lil10 111 110 111

is sourness and a

penchant for tangy flavors . Three major Filipino cook ing techniques
have sourness as a flavor base: poksiw, kinilow or kilo win, and sinigol1g.
Although vinegar is also used in odobo, sourness does not dom inate the
dish's flavor.

Vinegars
The major souring agent in Filipino cuisine

that gives paksiw its definitive taste.

is suka, vinegar. There is a considerable

Many dishes, most notably fechon, can

array of vinegars made allover the

be recycled for next- day eating by making

country from such diverse sources as the

them into paksiw.

flowering stalks, and its vinegar is milder

than that of the coconut or nipa.
Sugarcane is the source of the most
common vinegar because of the high

sap of palm trees, sugarcane, fruits, and

Vinegar is also the main ingredient for

yie ld of raw juice per cubic meter of cane.

alcoholic beverages. ' Some Ph ilippine

kinifaw, raw fish marinated in vinegar, then

Sugarcane vinegar is sweeter than palm

vinegars are as clear as water, others as

removed, after which other ingredients

vinegars. For the special basi vinegar, a

dark as soy sauce, whi le sti ll others have

are added for flavor and texture.

yeast called bubud, as well as flavoring

green, orange, olive, amber or yellow

Vinegar is also one of the main dipping

tints. Vinegars are also flavored by the

sauces used on the Fi lipino table and is the

marination of spices, onions, chilies and

other vegetables.

main ingredient in the pickling solution of

from tanbark and leaves, is added to the

sugarcane extract.

atchara (pickled fruits or vegetables).

The eponymous method of cooking with

vinegar is paksiw, which in Cebu is called

Types of Vinegar

Bicol, mUllon and in Iloilo,

Sap from the flowers of the coconut, nipa,

pinamalhon. ln the Eastern Visayas, poksiw

is sometimes pronounced "paksiu".

and sugar palms, or kaong.' are made

inununan,

In

in to vinegar. Each pa lm has a different

fish,

flavor. Coconut vinegar is more acidic and

COoking It in vmegar with water, salt,

so can be very sour. Nipa ' pa lm grows in

garlic, ginger, peppercorns, and finger

chilies
. paksiw
. ' Some regions prefer their
With sauce, while others reduce the sour

brackish water, so its vinegar is slightly

and its high Iron content turns the vinegar

2005

mixture, COoking It till almost dry. Apart

from the fre h
.
s ness of the fish, It is vinegar

blackish after a while. The sap from the

Arrenga pll1nato

sugar palm tree IS taken only from male

NW" truticul1' lVurmb

Paksiw is app lied

mainly to

sa lty, but sweeter than coconut vinegar,

, PIJ Lim Castillo, "Traditional Philippine

vlnegJr~ and their role III ,hJplllY the

culinary culture" Presentatl!lI) at the
Oxford SYlllp(l~1U1ll on food Jnd Cookery,

nt f1 () I 1111it and L(avc~

(urtnCT

The most w idespread fruit souring agent

is the tamarind, known as sampa/oc

Bauhinia,

called

a/ibangbang,'O and

/ibas. "
Sinigang variations throughout the

Either the green sampa/oc fruit or the

young leaves, or both, may be used to

country

different effect. It has been noted that

from the arsenal of fruits and leaves,

use

the use of the unripe samp%c fruit

ranging from just a hint of sourness

is unique to the Philippines. Tamarind

to

leaves can substitute for vinegar, as

sinigongs are soured with sompa/oc, but

practiced in one town in Bulacan. Their

kamias is preferred when cooking the

dinuguan, or blood stew, tastes like

sinigong variation that includes miso

sinampa/ukang manok, a chicken soup

in the broth. Native ripe tomatoes add

dish that also uses young tamarind

just a hint of sourness to the Visayan

leaves as an ingredient.

version

outright

different

combinations

mouth-puckering.

of sinigong called

Most

tino/a or

samp%c

tinowo, because the main ingredient is

is kamias' Visayans prefer a small,

seafood, and nothing should overpower

the freshness of the fish or shellfish.

round,

close

runner-up

green

fruit

to

called

batuan

Other fruits used in their unripe forms

In the Bicol region, where sinigang is

include pineapples, mangoes, guava,'

called cocido, the souring ingredients

and santo/' Native Filipino tomatoes'

are tomato and the ubiquitous local

are used ripe; unlike their European or

lime called c%monsi12 These agents

New World counterparts, they remain

add

sweet

counterpoint

to

the

completely

sourness. OayoplJ is another lime that,

ripe. The different kinds of leaves used

like ca/amansi, is also used to make a

as souring agents include those of the

refreshing drink.

slightly sour even

when

. .fII';

".1'

.. "'id'

13

Tamarind, or sompofoc,

In

its green, unripe stage,

IS excellent as a souring agent. After it is boiled

whole, it is mashed and strained through a wire
mesh to puree. The puree is mixed with the broth,
or 's used as an Ingredient ,n dipping sa uces
Isowsowonl. Young sa mpaloc leaves and flowers

are also used fo r dishes li ke slnompofukong

monol:, a chlt"en soup from the Northern and

Ctntral Luzon. The same leaves substitute for

Tamarmdus indica
Averrhoa bifimbi
Garemia moreffa
Psidium guaJava
Sadorieum koetjape
LyeopefSleon eseu/entum
Bauhinia ma/abartea
Spondias pinnata
Cltrofortuneffa mieraearpa
Citrus durentlfafoio

vinegar In Bulaean 5ampaloc is readily available

In powder form .

Branding Our foud

l'i

There are many souring agents used to enhance

Filipino dishes, either as part of the recipe or
as an ingredient in dipping sauces and other
accompaniments.
& 2 The

a/ibangbang and /ibas leaves are

used with fish.

Native ripe tomatoes, kamatis, are used

in the Visayan version of sinigang, called
tina/a or tinawa.

Star fruit, called carambo/a or ba/imbing,14

is aIso used for sinigong.

Tamarind, or samp%c, is the prevailing

souring fruit throughout the country.

Green pineapple, pina" is used as a good

substitute to many souring fruits.

Green mango, or manggang hi/ow,16 is

eaten in slices or chopped into small
cubes and tossed into salads. As a souring
agent for soup, it is boiled then mashed.

Guava, or boyabas, is used in sinigang.

Kamios is stewed with fish to make

pinongat no is do, used for sinigang with

miso, or added to other dishes in raw

slices.

10

Sontolis used for sinigang and pangat.

11 & 12 Ca/amansi and dayap are important

souring agents that enhance the taste of
many Filipino dishes, and are often served
alongside them.
13

Batuan is a small, round, green fruit that

is used in the Visayas for sinigong and
tin 0/0.

Averrhoo carambala
Ananas camasus
Magnlfera Indica

Sawsawan: Sauces and Condiments

pickled small green mango (burong

pajo)

Filipinos typically eat in communal fashion,

Sawsawa n can

be

flavored

with

with all dishes served sim ultaneously for

aromatics such as garlic, onion, and

soy sauce (toyo)

everyone at the table to share. There is always

ginger.

shrimp pa ste (bogoong alomong)

an array of dipping sauces and condiments,

the sour types, are also added to the

fish sauce (patis)

or sawsawan presented alongside. Served

basic sauce for a twist. These include

unmixed, they are "fine-tuned to the diner's

colamansi, kamias, tomatoes, chili, guava,

taste"." Sawsawan livens up roasted, grilled,

ginger, mango (half-ripe or green), and

and boiled dishes.

dayap. Spices such as wansuy (coriander

white vi negar (sukang putl)

fish paste (bagaong isda)

green mango (manggong hilaw)

black pepper (paminto)

in the book Philippine Food and Life [pp.

salted duck egg {itlog no maalot}

56-57] by Gilda Cordero Fernando. The

10

chopped tomatoes {tinadtod no

kamatis}
11

coarse sea salt {asin dagat}

12

kamias

13
14

A complete sawsawan guide is listed

Fruits

and

juices,

especially

leaf) and kinchay(Chinese parsley) add an

herbal dimension.
The various atchara or pickle relishes

book matches the sawsawan, which uses

made with green papaya, coconut pith

the basic foundations of toyo (soy sauce),

(ubodl, kamias (as in the bora de kamias of

patis (fermented fish sauce), and suka

Zamboanga), the dampalit that grows on

(vinegar), to certain foods. The sauces

the banks of fishponds, and the fermented

can be combined with each other and

mustard leaves, or burong mustasa, can be

coriander leaves {wansuy}

cond i ments such as bagoong (pungent

served on their own alongside the main

fermented rice and fish {buro or

fermented shrimp or fish paste). One of

dish as flavor counterpoints, or they may

bolo-bolo! bolaw-balaw}

the oldest traditional condiments is heko,

be blended into the sawsawan.

15

native chilies {siling labuyo}

the residue of bagoong. A Ch i nese black

16

chopped onion {tinadtad no sibuyas}

bean cake called tajure is also used.

17

tamarind puree extract {pinigang

" Ooreen G. Fernandez, Pa/ayok, p. 66.

sampaloc}

18

calamansi lime

19

pickled papaya {atcharang papaya}

20

dayap lime

fermented mustard (burong

mustusal

Branding Our lood

39

Filipino Way" with Ri(

Rice is the food of more than half the

Rice is often flavored. It may be gently

world, but the Filipino idiosyncrasies about

patted with a block of salt (called tultul,

how rice is cooked and served, and what it

duldul, or dokdok) to give the grains a

is made into, defines Filipino cuisine.

delicately salty flavor; or it may have soup

Filipino cooking reserves the water used

or sauce poured on top, an act known as

to wash rice (hugas bigas) and uses it as

hirhir, bahoc 17 or laboy. To create a dessert

a base for sinigang broth. Th is th ickens

or porridge, liquid chocolate, coffee, or

the soup and retains vitamins that would

fresh

otherwise be washed away.

poured into the rice.

The

traditional

Filipino

way

carabao (water buffalo) milk is

of

Rice is the principal ingredient in dishes

measuring water for cooking rice is to

such as bring he, cooked with turmeric, and

lightly place the tip of the middle finger

paella Valenciana. Arroz coldo, literally

on the surface of the washed rice (it

"hot rice",

should barely make a dent) and add water

ginger and chicken or ox tripe (go to}.

up to the first joint. Scientists may insist

Stnangag, day-old rice fried with garlic,

that every finger is different, and every

has been gaining notice from foreign

rice variety requires a different volume

chefs, who like its garlic flavor and aroma.

of water to cook properly, but somehow,

In Iloilo, ka/kag, small dried shrimps called

the method works, and traditional cooks

a/among, is preferred to garlic.

swear by it.

Hugas bigas

IS

CJ

Add enough water to the pot to

cover the rice grains. Slowly rub
the grains against each other
with the palm of your hands.
Pour out and discard the first
washing .
Wash rice a second time. Rub
the grains against each other.
Reserve the liquid of the second
washing in a bowl.

rice porridge flavored with

Rice can be made into wine, such as the

On the Filipino table, rice is always

topuyof the Cordillera, the mountainous

eaten as accompaniment to something

region In North Central Luzon. Tapuy is a

else, usually a viand. The exceptions to

key feature in the rites of the indigenous

this are desserts and porridges, such as

people of that area .

champorado.

" FeLce Sta. Maria. The Governor General's

Kitc:hen, p. 26.

RIce rooked

I~

a wo

n coconut frond ,s railed puso

II r...,mbl ... the h ar\.

~causr

Branding Our lood

I 41

The PIJI' ppines is famous too for tile

s llpendous

rice

erraces

of

Bal"aue,

unr"valled by the other rice terraces

In

To complement gril'ed fish, fermented

r ce with shr'mp or fish called buro or
bolo-bolo IS served alongside.

the Asian reg ,on. There are many varieties

Rice can be made into a variety of

of rice found In the Philippines, from

kokomn or cakes. There are a multitude of

the highlands to the lowlands, which

rice cake varieties, shapes, wrappers, ways

15

one reason

the International

Rice

Research Instl ute decided 0 base i self

In

he country. From natIVe to hybrid to

organically grown, these are some of

of coo lng, and names. Kakonm is usually

eaten as snac

as been bOi ed In is used to treat

Kamuros

combira jon 0 1,2, a d 3

blac' rice

Cagayan Cal orma

red r ce

red and blac smulog

S IC

10

bro ~r rice

II

'2
13

( anm pula)

whl

e nce {malaq

loqr05O

Dmorodo
I

oqr05O sa Bu angm

14

Duman

15

Pn p q

ac problems

also gi en 0 adlll

I }

In

babies. It IS

s in the form of lugow,

or ;a e ed-down rice.

red bran {unoy]

the

Rice is also medicinal. The water that

colic and s 0

In

a f ernoon for meflendo.

rice

organ c red st:c f rice {malag It]

in the morning, or

Sj langag
Fried Rice
efl eve' f ). he gr
Jrp.
'ened 'r c. Wit"
lie < n "'"
) r e )f a rl f ent fiJ C and ar )mi.!. )f a "c . morning gc c c.

') epn,' Fe,nardez. "Bre

'~e Fa't

/ I,

m;

r TiK
"'e l fa c ')mblnerl IV tf- egg' af'( a' eat sur~ a~ t Def t 'P" I
Uk. 'en N"ry,S'1 au. agee cr k ) )pre' mllkhn (1 rllnq ryo /'''''''7u<
k" )wn ~'i aC'ony'" ,-tup' tlq '\ tap" + ""onqoq + itlog ThLJ'. tordog.
K

,a y 5 r.ed

t.;.'

Prep r

Sprinkle a little water over the cold

cooked rice and mash with one's
hand to loosen every gra in.
2

Crush the garlic cloves.

Cookmg

Sinongog is best
d
ma e from I ft
steamed rice that h beaver
as een allow d
stand overnight. Freshl
. e to
.
.
Ymade nce II t
mOist. and smangag made f
. 00
be mushy.
rom thll Will
Make sure the nee grains do not Itick
together by mashing them enough to
loosen. but not to crush.

In a frying pan. saute garlic in

coo Ing oil untilligh brown.

The garliC should be browned. but

never burnt.

Add rice. Using 2 meta l turners

(wooden If using non sltc~ pans). mix
e nee Jery well and coo until the
nee IS hgh I toasted .

Distribute the cooking oil evenly,

brown the garlic in oil first, then mix the
oil well IOta the rice before frying. Fry the
nce without adding more oil.

Season With sa lt. Mix well. Serve

immed la ely. hot.

Appeti zers

Filipinos do not eat by courses, so the concept of the

appetizer as known in the West does not translate exactly.
The traditional Filipino belief is that even small tastings
will ruin the appetite, rather than enhance it. Instead, the
usual practice is to sip hot broth to prepare the stomach
for the meal ahead. R staurants fr qucntly provide broth
before the meal.
Pu/uton, the close t tran la ion of "appe izer", is actually

far closer in can

a Spanish tapas, smull tastings best

washed down /;lith al oholic beverag s.

By today, of tours ,man

Filipinos are familiar with

the concep of app tiz rs, not least because they have
for years app ar d as a s para e category on restaurant
menus. These menus tellingly use either the Englisn word,
or the Tagalog construct pampagana" (literally, "to whet
U

the appetite"), rather than pulutan, which remains bonded

o its original meaning.

f l'

1
Cured Beef

f,
I
to the woo d er lJdpldCedl"gl,<se of"'lnP re um tlvtc ke p
In SI msh, re elf n9
I de the <ma,1 morsP,s of fond, urh a, 01 P )r <IJre
came to inC u
.
T
in tine' the mean,ng
" d, we
.,
5 ",oulrt put or th e ds as a 9 'Olty to the, c "omer
and
~am.
t"at
pu_
,can
h
f
d
In
the
Philippines,
whether
or
nu'
hp
ollqlr,,'
sausages
enre of Spanls 00.
evolved
,nto
the
tapas
g
.
.
.
.
has
mutated
to
Signify
a
means
of
prese'
vmq
~rv
bee
know
S anlsh the word tapa
meaning evolved from. p
,
h ar uably more flavorful than the Wester" variety.
9
tapa IS rea II ya ty pe of lerky, althoug

~ears

pa...
floes au t

/I

Slice the sirloin across the grain into

pieces with a thickness of 1f2 cm I '/4
inches.
2

Pound the slices with a metal or

wooden mallet. Do this at least 3
times on each side of each slice.

Crush, peel and mince garlic.

Mix together the salt, sugar, and garlic

then combine with the meat slices.

C
It is important to dry the meat slices to
make these crunChy. The traditional way
is to dry the pieces under the sun. In thiS
recipe, drying is done in the oven.
Preheat oven to 2oo' C I 4OQ'F.

Brush a baking tray with the cooking

011. Arrange the meat slices on the tray

making Sure not to Overcrowd them. '

Place tray inside preheated oven. Turn

oven off after , 5 minutes but keep
traf Inside for another, 5 minutes to
dry the meat. At his stage the meat
IS ready to b f
'
.
e rled for eating or kept
Inaseaedb'
f
ag In he refrigerator or
reezer for future use,

.....UIU1r:g

Fry

mea

sli('tS

o Ora n on a rack.

There are two ways to prepare beef tapa: dry

and crisp or moist and chewy. Both versions
can be served as an appetizer, or pulutan,
or as a meat course with rice for breakfast,
combined with a fried egg and day-old fried
rice (sinangag, PAGE 44). Sawsawan for tapa
is usually vinegar with crushed garlic.
For dry tapa, Besa and Dorotan ' suggest
drying the pieces of beef by training an
electriC fan on them for one hour. For a
moist tapa, keep the meat In the marinade
longer and skIp the drying phase. The meat
should be sauteed in a lit Ie oil and cooked
qUickly. It should not be overcooked, so it
remains tender.

Meat chOICes for tapa

Sinoll'l is he most averful lean meat chOice.
Top round IS a richer (more fa ) option. Bottom
round ISiess tender. Ana her op Ion IS beef belly
sliced very hinly and dried sligh Iy. Fatty beef
should be fr,ed r.e bacon, to express the 011.

More fatty selections f

. I
'
Or mOist
inC ude rib eye. Another beef
. tapa
'
.
mar bl Ing IS neck Or botok M part With even
'.
. any other
including venison, corobo (
meats,
o Water bUff
meat, and some varieties of p k ala)
.
Or ,can alsabe
made Into
tapa.
It is best to have a butCher cut th
.
conSistency.
He will probably us ebmeat for
'
.
e a uttertly
cut like pail/a rd. Sukiyaki cut will al
SO Work
The meat is sliced evenly at a thickness 0;
'12 cm I '/4 in, and it can be POunded and
flattened with a wooden mallet (preferably
With diamond-shaped teeth). Pounding
tenderizes meat, especially less choice cuts
by helping break down connective tissue. '
If slicing meat for tapa at home, It helps
to partially freeze the meat so it IS firm
enough to slice evenly and thinly.

Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan, Memo"" of

Philippine Kitchens.

illi)'

J 9

Vinegar-cured Mackerel

Many (Urture'- have VefSlOr") (l" fIsh rUft."d/cookeCl n \: el H fer xlmple the <;pani~r C"'vlcne,
n
an., th- Sonc navlan grav1ux The first w,t'e
. '''ent (n of klnll< w r our C', ndry ~lstOry ";;,, the
ICCQUnt cf Piqafe'ta, chronicler of Magell," s voyage

l-

<

ee'l '

1411

rrall

pll

) QUit

!11

u~

.. '

J rr ac ell' It

lper

vr ar
I

If using fresh mature coconut, grate

to yield 1 cup 1 240 ml cream.

In a nonreactive bowl, combine the

grated coconut and the remaining
vinegar. Extract the juice then strain into
a glass bowl. If using prepared coconut
milk, mix this with the remaining
vinegar.

qrJu 1r
p

Wash the fish cubes with half of

the vinegar (1/2 cup 1 120 mil. Strain,
discard the vinegar then set the fish
aside. Washing the fish cubes with
the vinegar cures the raw fish and will
turn them opaque. Keep the remaining
fresh vi nega r.

Assembly
r

, uyu

To the bowl with the coconut/vinegar

juice, add the fish cubes, shallots,
ginger, chilies, red bell pepper, salt, and
pepper. Toss gently but thoroughly.

o
Peel and slice the shallots.
2

Peel and chop the ginger.

Seed and
chilies.

chop the

green

finger

Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise.

Remove and discard the stem and
white membranes. Slice red pepper
into fine strips.

Peel and slice the onion into rings.

Chill in the refrigerator.

Serving suggest.
Transfer the kinilaw to a platter. Garnish
with the onion rings and siling labuyo.

6 Remove the skin and remove the

bones of each fillet. Cut Into 2-cm
l/hn cUbes.

small r d 001"'" (S/buyas nu pu/aJ

Use only the freshest fish, thoroughly

cleaned. Only the highest quality
white vinegar should be used, such as
native vinegars made from coconut,
sugarcane, and sugar palm. Prepare only
in nonreactive bowls and dishes such as
glass or ceramic.

The most common kinilaw is made from

tanguigue (mackerel), although most
larger fish can certainly be made into
kinilaw. Ma/osugue (marlin), bang us
(milkfish), and espodo (swordfish). Fish
should be as fresh as possible, and firm.
Prepare by filleting, then cutting into
2-cm 1 3/.-in cubes.
Small fish like tombon (sardines),
sapsap (slipmouth), dilis (anchovy),
especially the bigger variety called
tuwakang, can also be made into klm/ow.
Remove the head and spine by running
one's thumb along the spine from the tail
to the head, separating the skin from the
bones and effectively filleting the fish.
Small bones can then be indiVidually
picked out and the head detached.

Pill

lJ<:>hrooms

Wrappea Stea'led
i no

to wnp

Banana eove'

nr

(H'

par.

dr
01

~-3n' 01

ntlf1

e fectrve y e]1

Ir

COl
II

JnrJ

th( JUI P

~ (Or

~ pes arara lee ve~ -~d 'plre l

c+ Inq f
'(Ol,'
t'lr. rack
-u~~

I ~ )\) I"

\I'i

r r~)n

In 1 ')

(Iwn ir Ice

fr"h .roma t

the food.

Use a clean, damp towel to thoroughly

remove any visi ble soil from the
mushrooms. Do not wash the mushrooms
becau se they will absorb water, lose
flavor, and discolor.

Cook just in time to serve at the

table.

Passing the banana leaf quickly over

an open flame softens it, making it pliable
enough to fold.

+(Or
For ind ividual serving, cut and remove the
sp ine/string, but do not open the packet.
Arrange each parcel on a plate with lime,
lemon wedges, or ca/amans; halves to
squeeze over the mushrooms.

Garnishing
8

<

Pour water into a pot and heat. Steam

the parcels over medium heat for 5
minutes, after which remove them
from the pot.

()'11

1t
lUrl

earn It

'p.rt

11'

u'

pI qQ

'd

wr1g(O

l I

""'I

Native

literally
the

Cut banana leaves into 6 (21 x 21 cm

I 8 x 8 in) pieces. Pass the banana
leaves quickly over an open flame.

If using the banana leaf sp ine, trim

first then cut 31-cm I 12-in long
strips. You will need 6 pieces. If using
string or twine, do the same.
Place a handful of mushrooms in the
center of each banana leaf and fold in
the 4 sides, each side overlapping to
close the parcels. Secure each parcel
with the banana spine string. The
fi nished parce l should be 10 x 10 cm I
4 x 4 In.

after

"lightning

Bicol

region,

kid/at kabute,

mushrooms".

In

mushrooms called

kurakding, fine as pencil shavings, are

found on the trunks of trees after the
rains. Its flavor, it is said, is comparable

Remove stems of mushrooms. Wipe

both the mushroom caps and stems
with a damp cloth and slice into bitesize pieces.
Toss the mushrooms and stems in salt
and black pepper.

abound

mushrooms are called

Parce ls shou ld be opened at the table and

the mushrooms eaten hot.

mushrooms

thunderstorm. This is why some native

to the Italian porcini. Other mushrooms

that can be cooked alone or in a mix are
abalone, straw, oyster, shiitake, banana,
portobello,

and

domesticated

button

mushrooms.

hydrated jew's ear or tree ear (Auriculo flO

aUflcula-judat)
2

3
4

chanterelle {Cantharellus clbarius}

fresh shiitake {lentmuS edades}
cloud ears, wood ears, dried black fungus
(tengang dago)

5
6

dried shiitake

oyster {Pleuratus ostreotus}

kurakdmg
Agofl CUS bisparusi
button or champignon {

. rs I Ij}

pork Barbe u
Grilled Skewered Pork
II as nH~dI3, Clnd a<;, '- )tJplp CI f t
rhe
dday snack> as we
fdvor'te for ml
~.
piece') (f pOI k t utt Iko Ifn, . 0
k barbecue IS a
b e IS
to threa db I te c;lze
Por.
f maklno pork bar ecu
flavor and ,heen to th "8n me, It 1<
traditional way 0
. - t h a piece of fat to qlve
a bamboo skewer starting WI h
as needed. and serve hot
k barbecue In bate es.
best to coo

On the day
Soak bamboo skewers in water for
at least 1 hour. This ensures that the
skewers will not burn while the meat
is grilling_

Remove marinated pork slices from

the refrigerator_

Bring the excess marinade t

for basting_
0 a boil

Grill

Thread marinated pork slices onto

each bamboo skewer by doing the
following:

Start grilling just before serving. Do

not overcook; serve immediately.

a Take one end of the slice then thread

onto the sharp end of the skewer.

Peel and slice th;: yor:;;: ~:,inly_

3 Cut the chilies into 3 pieces_

4

In a bowl, make the marinade by

combining garlic, chilies, soy sauce,
brown sugar, and soda_

for 4
.
_
minutes, basting
occaSionally,. then rotate and glill
another 4 minutes (8 minutes total).

Serve as appetizer or with rice as a

meat course with otcharo (PAGE 205) as
accompaniment.

The day before

The pork should be frozen. Have the
butcher slice the pork into bacon-thin
long pieces_ For the belly, trim the
slices so there is an equal distribution
of fat and meat. Cut both belly and
shoulder slices into 10 x 2.5 cm I
4 x 1 in rectangular pieces_

Prepare the charcoal I

..
charcoal shoUld be re~r ~~'Ihng Tht
flames_
t Without

Twist the slice and thread onto the

skewer again_

Each slice should be tWisted four

times to ensure that the fat is evenly
spread around the skewer.

Each skewer should have four slices of

pork, alternating the belly pieces and
the pork shou der.

S Add the pork slices to the marinade_

Cover the bowl and refrigerate
overnight.

The recipe featured here came about

after many experiments to achieve a
tender barbecue even when cold, and to
have the fat needed lor taste but thinly
sliced and evenly distributed so that the
heat from the coals melts the fat away.
., the maronade
It is important to b01
- It- for bas t lng, to destroyany
before uSing
bacteria_

l1rimp Jk
Crisp Shrimp Fritters
r- of Like V CflSp s, ImO 'fitters th;: come . all - P Snre
O rSt'
rriJry v e
I
f
l.
~L'e It retains Its c'lspress evpn w ,~n C Ie e l ... ter r{lnf) .
IS uc;;ed "the rec pe, rlfet; )
There

~,.

Heat a 26-cm I la-in frying pan and

fill with oil until 2 cm I 3/4 in deep.
Temperature of oil for frying should be
175C I 350F.

Wash shrimps. Trim the sharp part

of the whiskers. Remove the head
for larger shrimps. Place shrimps in a
bowl.
2

Peel the sweet potatoes. Cut into

julienne strips.

Scoop up a tablespoon of the mixture,

making sure that there are 5 pieces
of shrimp in it. Drop the mixture into
the hot oil and press with a spatula to
flatten into fritters of 3-in diameter.
Fry until golden brown and crisp.
Make sure to have the shrimps on the
top of each mound.

Drain on a paper towel.

Repeat process with the remaining

m xture, frying a few pieces at a
time.

Ukoy should be Crunchy F

just before serving Uk' ry the fntt~~
. Y Will r
crunchy as long as 't .
emaln
I IS not ke t
covered container.
P In a
The preferred shrimp varie"
'f IS the
.
greasy back shnmp (suwohej C
. ommerClal
ukoy uses a/among very smallsh .
nmps,1n
.
'
a thin batter. These have a longer shelf
hfe. If hve shrimp are not available, seled
firm, fresh shrimp with the heads firmly
attached. Never soak shnmps in water.
Ukay can also be made with shredd~d
green papaya or squash.

Serving 5 gg st on
Place shrimp ukoy fritters on a platter.
Serve with vinegar infused with crushed
garlic and ch:li.

3 Crush, peel, and mince the garlic.

4

Place the sweet potatoes, egg white,

and garlic in the bowl with the
shrimps.

Mix cornstarch with the cold water.

Add to the shrimp mixture.

6. Se.ason mixture with salt and pepper.

MIx. well. Drain to remove excess
liqUid.
SLlwoht (grrasY

bad>hnmpl

Thrice-cooked pork
Ong nJt m "am rarpan~ J, SIS g has r e e the
( Flliplr CUI' ne Pork e s, cheek"
and OW s -e f 'ely chopped, bOIled gr ed, dnd
IZ. '9 on a hot plate Tre word , ISI 9
< said to rave onglnally had ornet og
0 w't
eat rq sour frUit., d pped In SaIt or vinegar
r
Whlch pregrant WOr1en did to wa-d aff morrlrq" k e l..J e ' the word SIS Ig was used to refer'
to solidified fat cet nto cubes
. IS
. and served as pu/utar How It evolved Into the pres en t day dish
anybody's guess. Some vanatlOns add a raw egg over th sizzling dish.

In a stockpot, place water, pineapple

JUice, salt, peppercorns, chicken liver
and pi~'s head pieces. Cover stockpo~
and bnng to a boil, then immediately
reduce to simmer. Continue to cook
until meat is fork tender but not too
tender so the ear cartilage is still on
the crunchy side, about 45 minutes to
, hour.

Carefully pass the deboned pig's head

over an open flame to remove any
visible bristles. Wash and cut into 4
pieces.

Peel and chop the onions finely,

Remove pork and chicken livers

from stock pot and cool to room
temperature, Discard the liquid.

Grill the pork over charcoal until the

skin becomes brown and crisp.

Chop the pork and the chicken livers

Into small cubes. Place in a bowl.

Mix in the ca/amansi or lemon Juice,

chopped onions, white vinegar, salt,
pepper, and the chilies.

Just before serving, heat the skillet to

sizzling hot. Put the meat mixture in.
This IS the third cooking stage where
the meat becomes browned a bit and
gets an added crunch.

S rvrng Suggest

Sisig is served on a hot sizzling skillet with

halved ca/amansi and chopped chilies on
the Side.

Cut the meat as small as possible (brunoisl

and In uniform sizes.
Liver thickens the mix and adds
flavor.

Lechon kowo/i (PAGE 109) or fresh pork

belly, cut uniformly into small cubes,
can be substituted for pig's head. Other
variations use chicken, tuna, milkfish, or
tofu. Chop and add the boiled chicken
liver and seasonings of c%mansi juice,
chopped onions, vinegar, salt and pepper,
and the chilies.
(

The green finger chili (siting hobo) is used

whole in dishes such as sinigong and
poksiw. It is the main ingredient in the
gu/oy no /oda of the Bicol region, famous
for its hot, spicy cuisine.
The red finger chili is hardly used in
the north of the country but is a part of
the cooking of the southern regions.
Bird's eye chili (siting /abuya), is an
extremely hot chili used in the cooking of
the Bicol region as well as in the cuisine
of the Muslims, many of whom originate
from Mindanao. Elsewhere, si/mg /abuya
is used mainly to spike dips such as
vinegar, soy sauce or fish sauce.
The leaves of the chili plant are also
used 10 dishes such as Pinatisang Manak
(PAGE 132) and specially, Tina/ang Manak
(PAGE 69).

AW
Soups

Soup is an integral part of the Filipino meal and is generally

served at the same time as the other dishes.
When served ahead, the broth is sipped hot, to prepare the
stomach for the meal ahead.
Broth is also poured over rice, a practice followed by many
Filipinos who like th ir ric moisten d.

Seafood Sinigang
Seafood in Soured Broth
Doreen G. Fernandez argued that
s'ed' c' odaVa. slIl,ganq IS the dISh "most repre'entat ve
of Filip,no taste. We like the slight Y boded. the slightly Soured" [Doreen G. Fernandez. "Why

Sin/gang?".

In

So rap.]

' .

BaSIc simgong broth IS rice washing. or hugos bigos, to which a SOuring agent has been added. The
sour flavor can

come from

a fruit or leaves

(WTE~

ON P'Gf

37), and every region has its preference.

Cooking

5 pC5 I 400 9 t0r>1atoe5

Tips

Pour the water or rice washing into a

big pot.

1 pc 180 gonion
300 g prawns of 50 g each (6 pieces)
2
500 9 mackerel (tanguigue) steak
1 pc 1150 g white radish (!abanos)

10 pes yard-lang beans (sitaw)

1 bunch 1150 g water spinach
(kangkang)

6 '/2 cups 11.6 I ters water or rice

washing (SEE PAG, 41)
3 to 4 tbsp extract sour jUice froIT'
unripe tamar nd frUit (SEE PACE 207) or
45-60 g tamarind powder
2 g'een finger chilies
S
1 tsp salt or 1 tbsp fish sauce (pat/5)

Put in the tomatoes and onion. Boil

over medium heat.
Add the prawns and cook for about 2
minutes. Remove the prawns. When
cool, peel the prawns, leaving the
heads and tails intact, and set aside.
Add the radish and yard -long beans,
which take longer to cook. Simmer
over low heat until vegetables are
tender, but the beans are still green.
Remove vegetables from the soup. To
stop the cooking, transfer onto a precooled metal tray and chill.
Just when ready to seNe, bring soup
to a boil.

The ideal prawn for this dish is 10 cm I 4

in from head to tail, about 20 pieces to a
kilo, or 50 g each. A flaVOrful option is the
river prawn called ulong. which stores its
roe in its very large head.
The prawns are cooked in their shell
to preserve color and texture. They are
nevertheless best peeled before serving.
Deveining the prawn with the shell
on: Bend the head towards the tail. In the
open space between two shell segments.
pierce the meat with a toothpick below
the vein. Slowly lift to take out the
whole vein.
It is important to serve sinigong
steaming hot, yet the vegetables must
still be green and the prawns and fish
must not be overcooked. Since fish cooks
quickly, add it at the last minute. The
green vegetables may be blanched and

Preparation

Add the mackerel.

Return the radish and yard-long beans

to the pot. Add the water spinach.

Cut the tomatoes into quarters.

8

2 Peel and quarter the onion.

3 Wash prawns and devein, leaving
shells on (SEE TIPS).
4 Cut the mackerel into 2.S-cm 1 1-in
thick pieces.
5. Peel and slice the radish diagonally
Into 1-cm 1'/4-in thick pieces.
6
7

~ut the yard-long beans into 8 cm

Season with fish sauce (patis) or salt

to taste. Stir and correct seasoning to
taste.
Add the tamarind extract or powder.

added just before serving.

Fish for sinigang

Bongus belly is cut in half for sin/gang.
Since bongus tends to become leathery
when overcooked, try removing the fish
from the broth as soon as it is cooked, and
serve it separately. This also ensures that
the belly does not break into pieces. FISh

10 Add the green finger chilies.

heads-salmon, tonguigue (mackerel) and

11 Before turning off the fire, return the

prawns to the pot.

these should also be cut in half.

13

In long pieces.

Serving suggestion

Select the water spinach leaves with

the small stems. Discard thicker main
stems. Wash leaves well.

Arrange the prawns, mackerel:. and

vegetables in a seNing dish or individual
bowls. Add broth and seNe piping hot
SeNe with fish sauce and halved calamansl
as dipping sauce (sawsawan).

talakitak (salt water jack)-are delrclous;

pork Sinigang
On

pa r'k I

soured Broth

theast AS! In cultures. T~e Maley' an slnlqan" h ,

f Ind ,n other sou
I
t7Puno He aI50 Ol
d "5 the rounded las opposed to e ongated) komlas
v3(13r1tS ~J f s '1
' I d name) an lI_
the SJme Iwpe an
d with seafood, or meat such as beef and pork, but
prdctll' IIY
_' -an be ma e
, nQ aQent. )/",gon L
I -k n soup but It IS called slIlompa/ukonq mono" not
a" ,r ... ~lllJ
,
I ' tly soured C1H.: e
.
-h 'ken - Thete IS a 5 19s1 from the young leaves of the sompa/oc
or tamannd. SiniCfon9 llways
nc ver L (l
,
.
Ilq fhe S"ur taste COllle.
d t 11 a purely vegetanan 5tl1lgong 15 a good addition to
stn,</o .
Aithouqh not tfa I lon, ,
ndudes "eQetables.

thr

repN OIFt'

Serves 6
:ooking

500 pork nbS

Put the pork ribs and water in a pot.

Bring to a boil and immediately reduce
to a simmer, 82 C I 180F. Remove the
scum that rises to the surface.

5 pes I 400 q tomatoes

I pc 180

q orion

2 pes 1200 9 small taro (gabi)

1 bunch I 150 g water spinach

{kong kong) or sweet potato tops
(tallJos ng kamote)

6'12 cups 11.6 liters water or rice

washing (SEE AGE 41)
3 t~ 4 tbsp extract sour jUice from
unripe tamannd f'uit (SEE PAre 207) or
45 to 60 q tamari~d powder

1 tsp salt or 1 tbsp fish sauce (pot's}

Preparation

Cut the pork ribs across the bone into

8 cm long and 1112 cm thick I 3 in x 3/4
in pieces.

2 Quarter the tomatoes.

3 Peel and quarter the onion.
4

Peel and quarter the taro.

5 Trim the water spinach by picking the

leaves with the tender stems. Discard
main stems. Wash well.

..

To remove excess fat from the broth,

chill the soup in the refrigerator
follow ing ch ill ing guidel ines on page
24.

When ready to serve, bring soup to a

boil.

Return pork and taro to the pot.

Add the water spinach.

Add the tamarind powder or tamarind

extract.

Season w ith sa lt or fish sauce. Stir

and correct season ing to taste.

Before turn ing off the fire, add the

green finger chilies.

2 green finger chilies (sil'ng

pOflgsigaflg)

Put in the tomatoes and onions.

Simmer until pork is tender. Add the
taro until cooked. Remove pork and
taro.

ServO 9 suggestior
Arrange the pork, taro, and the water
spinach in a serving dish or individual
bowl. Add broth and serve piping hot. Serve
with fish sauce and halved c%mans; as
dipping sauce (so wso wonj .

sweet pot" to tops Itolbas n9 komorej

Tp.
To keep pork tender, alwa 5
It In plain, lukew
y stanto,""
.
arm Water
washmg without salt
Or ,,~
, and bn

Iaw simmer
(below b '1' ngIt to,
Oling) Po ' ,_
5hauld be Si mmered f
' .r, ""~/
Or along tim
the fat becomesgelatinous
~ unl'
j

Select pork belly (liemp~) tnat 1\ n

more than one inch in tn' ,.
ot
l C~ness and
t he meat and fat are Spread '
.
evenly. 10
cut pork Untfofmly into 1-incn tub'lfor
a best presentation, partially freeze tht
meat first.
Pork ribs are best presentedwhentu;
evenly and uniformly as well. Evenly CUI
meat also ensures even cooking.

Beef

1f 11

Beef in <)ouyea Br It

Sn' keI
.
opt1or

"flC bpnt-1f'I hOlt

r-o"eles~ C'ht rt nbc

f';1

)'nlIjO!ltJ.

A 01 h

In a deep pot, put the co ld water

and the beef pieces. Bring to a boi l
and immediately reduce to a simmer
B2'C I lBOF. Remove the scum that
rises to the surface. Add the tomatoes
and onions. Simmer until beef is very
tender.

2 pes 50 q "'edlu!" -Slze( on C 1S

lC yard ong beL 1S (5itlw)

2 eggplants, abou' 15 C'1l I 6 Ir

6"2 cups I 1 'i liters c'Jld water

4 tbsp I 45 to 60 q tarn,,' 'ld

~owder L' ex'ract sour Jl< ce froM

unripe '<~arind f'l< t (>1

)s or rrl<ket

pes I 400 g tomate es

1 '0

fc r

c;

500 9 beef tore ir ;hort

~

1 c f~

Ar. 207)

2 Qree~ fnger c~lhes f5i/iflg (X1ngsigang)

1 tsp salt 'Jr tts, fsh sauce (patis)
3
1 tsp )epDPr
p ~
Cut the short ribs or brisket into 4 cm
I 11/2 in cubes. (The butcher can do
this neatly.)
2. Quarter the tomatoes.

5. Cut stem of the eggplants. Slice

lengthwise then crosswise into 5-cm
I 2-in pieces.

To remove excess fat from the broth,

chill the soup in the refrigerator
following chilling guidelines on page
2~

Just when ready to serve,

Bring soup to a boil.
2

Season with salt or fish sauce. Add

pepper. Stir and correct seasoning to
taste.

Add the tamarind extract or powder.

Return the vegetables.

Before turning off fire, add the green

finger chilies.

3. Peel and quarter the onions.

4. Cut the yard-long beans into 8-cm
3-in pieces.

Add yard-long beans and eggpla nts.

Simmer over low heat until vegetab les
are tender but still crisp. Remove
vegetables from the soup. To stop the
cooking, transfer onto a pre-cooled
metal tray and chill .

Serving suggestion
Arrange beef and vegetab les in a serving
dish or an individual bowl. Add broth and
serve piping hot. Accompany with fish
sauce (potis) and halved co/amansl as
sowsowon.

lam.rlnd (sompo[oc)

i
Like pork, beef sinigong is started in
plain, lukewarm water without salt, and
brought to a low simmer (below boiling).
Do not use rice washing (hugos bigos) Or
the broth will be too thick.
Beef, especially with bones, is best
presented cut evenly and uniformly.
Beef sinigang can be quite fatty. This
can be avoided with a simple procedure.
When the meat has become tender, turn
off the heat and allow the soup to cool.
The fat will rise to the top. The dish
can then be placed in the refrigerator,
allowing the fat to solidify, making it
easy to remove.

Chick
Chicken Stewed ill Coe or lit Water
Chicken f~'maAo.'. ...:hiden ~ooked

ut "".

OF"lJI 'I

r-

Okf'rj n

an uprlg hI b,,mboo contdlne' (with Ii 01, It t e t It'. m W !:Ian. Ild ledf I)\lpr) f'}( In
C( weetl')r 1
t _ tc the broth
shell over a charcoal fire The coconul wate give' '~I

ci

cocunut

In '01 H

1 I 500 9 whole chicken breast, bone I~

Coo~

Add the chicken breast, lemon grass,

and peppercorns. Season with fish
sauce.

Add the chicken broth and coconut

water. As soon as the broth begins
to boil, reduce to sim mer until the
chicken meat is cooked . Remove
chicken meat from the bone and slice
into strips.

2 stalks I 60 g lemon grass

2 cups 1'/2 liter coconut water and
1 cup I 250 g coconut meat (SEE PAGE
206)
'/4 tbsp I 3 g peppercorns

'/4 cup I 60 ml fish sauce (patis_) _

6 cups I 1.5 liter chicken broth (SEE PAGE

26)

Return broth to the fire and bring to

a boil. Return the chicken strips and
coconut meat.

2 stems I 125 g chili (sili) leaves

Preparation

Strain the broth and place in the

refrigerator to allow fat to solidify.
Remove fat.

Just before serving,

4 stalks I 40 g spring onions

4 young coconut shells (OPTIONAL)

ing

1 pc I 80 gonion
2 tbsp I 30 ml cooking oil_

cJ('lt

In a preheated pot, saute garlic,

ginger, and onion in oil.

2 cloves 110 g garlic

1 thumb-sized pc I 25 g ginger

(J ed In II 110. It

r,orll

Adjust seasoning with fish sauce.

Add chopped spring onions and chili

leaves and serve immediately.

Wash the chicken.

2 Crush, peel and mince the garlic.
3

Peel and chop the ginger.

Peel and chop the onion finely.

Cut off and discard the lemon grass

leaves. Pound the bulb or the white
part.

If using young coconut, crack open

each buko at the top. Reserve the
water and scrape the meat. (See
quantities needed above.) Reserve the
she ll and the top.

Clean the spring onions and chop.

Remove chili leaves from their stem.

Wash the leaves and discard stems.

Se 'ving suggestIon

Serve piping hot in individual coconut

shells. Serve with the cover.

g,nger (Iuya)

To make a clea r broth, reduce the

temperat ure t he moment it comes to a
boil, to ba rely si mmering. If boiled too
long , the broth becom es cloudy and the
meat shrinks and dries out.
Free-range native chicken is al ways
preferred, because it is more f lavourful.
It is often necessary to cook it longer,
however, as the meat is tougher t han the
commercial variety.
~-----------------------~

Tinola ng

dllOk

Chicken Sou p
1 the national hero of the Phi PP" e , In murtdl, I t nll/anq I1'nnok In hI> nov 'I N /
Dr Jose. R,za.
I
t
.
0 I
.
. the dlch IS served at a party celebrdmg t e prot,,~( nl ,< rel"rn from abroa" fl
Me Tangere
'
u" .r
ne of the guesb, the tnar hlh" Demaso, feels I' ,ultpd when he IS ,erved d Ilort I an
everal years. O
S
d f a lot of squash and broth, with barely 1 chlder neck and mng, while hie fellow
"compose a
. "T
uests were ea ting chicken legs and chlcke.n brea,ts. he fr or felt that since he was an Importont
9
h Id have been given the chOice cuts.
person, he s au

Se[\les 6

Cooking

1 thumb-sized pc 1 25 g ginger
In a preheated pan, sa ute ginger,
garlic, and the onion in cooking oil.

2 cloves 110 2 garliC

'h pc 1 40 gonion

Add the chicken breast.

V2 1 250

Season with fish sauce. Add the

chicken broth and boil. Reduce heat
and simmer until chicken is cooked.

Remove the chicken breast and cool.

Debone. Carefully cut meat into 2.5cm 1 1-in cubes. Set aside.

Strain the broth and return to the

pot.

Just before serving, bring the broth to

a boi l aga in. Add the papaya and cook
until tender. Add the chicken. Adjust
season ing.

La stly, add ch ili leaves.

g green papaya

2 tbsp 1 30 ml cooki~ o_il_ _ __

-2 tbsp 1 30 ml fish sauce (patis)
1 500 g chicken~reast, bone-in

10 cups 1 2'/2 liters water or chicken

broth (SEE PAGE 26)
2 tsp 110 g salt
6 green solo papayas (OPTIONAL, SEE TIPS)
15 g chili leaves
Preparation

Peel and cut the ginger crosswise into

thin slices.
2 Crush, peel, and mince the garlic.
3 Peel and chop the onion finely.
4 Peel the green papaya and cut evenly
into wedges.

Tips

-- -

Make sure your guests get chOice cuts!

Chicken can be either deboned breast or
thighs cut into 1-in cubes.
The tinolo can be presented in a small
green papaya. Cut the top off the papaya
to allow a cavity for the soup. Remove
the seeds, replace the other half, then
blanch the whole papaya until tender, but
not soggy. The blanched papaya should
be hot when filling it with the soup. A
well-chosen papaya, even when green,
will add sweetness to the broth. Soaking
the green papaya in rock salt takes away
the bitterness.
Leafy vegetables should always be
blanched then added just before se[\ling.
In many provinces, the native freerange chicken is used. It takes more time
to make the meat tender but the dish is
more flavorful.

Serving suggestion

Serve piping hot in individual soup bowls

or in so lo papaya bowls with a cover.
Accompany with fish sauce mixed with
ca/amansi. Ca/amansi dipping sauce on
page 209.

h leaves of the

Instead of chili leaves, f~n;gay) can be

horseradish tree (m~. h tree groWS eaSily
substituted. The hor~ra I~ are used In many
m backyards and Its ,eave s are tradItionally
soups. Malunggay eave others prodUCe
believed to help lactatmg :e eVidence for
more milk,. and there I~ mofunggay pods
thiS in medical science. h
can also be cooked in brat.

69

Pancit MoJo
Dumpling Soup
f "'h,nf,>e H'tnt! n soup or rgllltlte,; from Moln town. thp oil! It- ne e

rhl v-al d on 0
rnclave ,n /10110.

, Id 'R umr'mQ I C:;rrve G

Cooking
200 q fr~sh s~ Imp~

pc BO Q or

21)0 g OL

In a preheated pot with 1 tbsp / 15 ml

oil, saute the other half of the minced
onions. Add the garlic. Add the Chicken
broth and simmer over medium heat.
Season with salt and pepper.

on

a pork

, ega
1

'SC I 3 Q sal 'Jr fish sauce (pat/s)

'sP,' 9 around black pepper

In a separate pot with water, cook

the dumplings, a few pieces at a time,
for about 3 minutes. Remove the
dumplings and set aside.

In a preheated pan with the remaining

oil, fry chopped garlic over medium
heat until golden brown. Set aside
and use as garnish.

When ready to serve, bring the broth

to a boil. Put three dumplings onto a
soup ladle, dip it into the boiling soup
to reheat and then pour into individual
bowls.

18 pes wonton or molo wrapper

6 cloves

~O

q garlic

2 spr gs spring or Ions

2 tbSp 30 ml oil
6 cups /1 5 litm ('hlcker broth (m
26)

PA

salt ana pepper tn taste

P 'epa ltiol
Peel and devein the shrimps. Discard
the heads and shell trimmings. Mince
the shrimps.
2

Peel and chop onion finely. Divide into

two Portions.

Se ving suggestion

-----

Tips

Like all soups the I

'
Oundatio I
Molo should be a gOod
n 0, PonN

stock can be made f stOck. Thech'cI"

rom SCratch
soup packs (chicke b
. ">'g
.
n acks W'th
skin) Or awhole Chicken Ch '
Out tn,
d
. Inese-Fllip,
a d pork ribs to enrich the broth nos
The chicken meat lelt aft .
er bOiling
can be shredded and used I
0, salad\
nOOdle dishes and soups. (ltE PAGE 26~,
CHICKEN STOCK 10EAS.) The ground pork 10'
the dumplings should be 80 percent :"n
and 20 percent fat, in order to be tend".
Chopped water chestnuts are somellm,s
added to the filling lor texture.
Chopped garlic chives {kutchoy} are
traditionally added as a garnish before
serving.
The size of the dumpling or wonlOn
wrapper is 7 x B cm 12.5 x3in.
Uncooked dumplings and chicken soup
stock can be frozen for future use.

Garnish with the fried garlic and the

spring onions. Serve hot immediately.

How to wrap a molo dumpling

In a bowl, mix the ground pork, minced
shflmp, and half of the onions. Add
the egg and mix thoroughly. Season
With salt and pepper.

4 Take one wanton wrapper. Place 1

tsp / 5 g of the mixture on the corner
of the wrapper nearest you and fold
Over once Take th
1
e Corners on the
e ft:
a d and fight sides, dab with water
h
n press those ends t
finished d
'
oget er. Place
Umpling On a tray Re eat
the procedure for all the du . I' P
5 C
mp Ings.
rUsh, peel, and mince the garlic.
6 Chop the sp(
.
In9 Onions for garnish.
moloar won

ton wrapper

Beef Bu 10
Boiled Beef Shank
I d beef shark, IS a favollte throuqh0ut the Philippines.
It is called pakdal in Leyte ,
B~or~le
.
the province that IS the center of the cattle
51 In 1101'1 0 an d Bacolod, and bu!vlo
' II' .
k UI.'
an
.,n LUlon The .
Tagalog
word bulo!o literally means bone marrow, wh ich IS the prinCipal
,ndustry
'
mponent of this dish.

Bat~ngas,

flavor co na 18 tangas bulalo uses the beef shin, siloulder, or kneecap without any meat attached
Tradltlo
a
B . d
f'
.
to the bone. It 'IS also served without vegetables. ode bee with vegetables IS called 1III09ang
baka, but t he terms are becoming Interchangeable.
Serves 4

1 kg beef shank (bu/%)

Cooking
Tips

Place the beef shank pieces in a

medium stock pot and cover with
water until it reaches 5 cm I 2 in
above the meat. Bring to a boil and
immediately reduce to a bare simmer,
82C I 180F.

3 pes I 240 g onions

2 pes I 700 g corn cobs
1 stalk spring onion (dohon ng sibuyos)
or leek
enough water to cover meat in pot

1 tbsp I lag black peppercor~

1 tbsp 115 g salt
3

After 30 minutes of simmer, skim off

and discard the fat and impurities
that rise to the surface.

Add the onions, leeks, and peppercorns,

and simmer for 2-3 hours over low
heat or until meat is fork tender.

Add the corn cob pieces and cook for

10 minutes.

Add the salt.

Just before serving, remove the beef

shank and replace the marrow. Bring
the soup to a boil and serve piping
hot.

Preparation

Trim and cut beef shank into four 25

em 11 in-thick pieces (ask the butcher
to do this for you).

Remove the beef from the water.

Pull out the marrow carefully and set
aside. Retu rn the beef to the pot.

2 Peel onions and cut into quarters.

3 Remove corn husks and discard. Slice
each ear of corn into 3 pieces.
4 Trim and cut the spring onions
diagonally into 5 cm I 2 in pieces.

Serving suggestions

Place the beef shank in an individual

bowl. Pour the piping hot broth over
it, and garnish with the spring onions.
sau ce mixture
Ipplng
..
Accompany with a d
..
and chtll
of fish sauce, c%mans!. JUice,
peppers on the side (PAGES 208-209).

Slow Cooking is the key to tenderizing

tough cuts of meat. For better
presentation, more substance and better
access to the marrow, use the easily
available machine-cut beef shank, with
different proportions of meat to bone and
marrow. It is important to remove the
marrow just after the first boil or else it
will melt away. It can be replaced in the
bone cavity later, or served separately.

GUL

LAD
Vegetables and Salads

Filipino vegetables and salads are not courses in t hemselves ,

but side dishes to accompany viands. Salads are based on
plants such as pak6, or fiddlehead fern, sayote, or th e
Mexican chayote, talong, the thin Filipino egg pl ant, okra,
and kangkong, water spinach or "swamp cabba ge", as the
Americans called it.
The usual dressing is a Filipino vinaigrette of vinegar, water,
salt, pepper, and sugar. Pickled vegetables are sometimes
considered salads because they provide the same sou r
counterpoint to rich recipes and grilled dishes. [Michaela
Fenix, "Redefining the Filipino Salad," in "Country Cooking",

Philippine Daily Inquirer.]

Vegetables are rarely served raw. Traditional Fi lipino
vegetable dishes are not truly vegetarian because bits of
meat or seafood are always added, as well as fish sauce,
fish paste, or shrimp paste.

7)

Mongg
Mung Bean Stew
Ir rT'ore p'OuS t me' every Fr,,'a. thmuo"out t~e vor W<l, ddV cf 3bst nence 'rom meat "Friday
bly OJ uchl te the table mvngGIl qu/s.:dc po. ed WI.th p.ak ,IW 110 "do." [Gild,< Cnrdero
leVlra
"0 "Good Hllusekfel'lOq ill P'lgs I JIl, L.1<JlIlld" " PllIlil'llIlIe Fond Ul1d Life.]
Fe' nan" ,

h"

Place mung beans and water in a pot

and boil until tender. Add more water
if needed. As the mung beans cook
the outer skins will shed and floatdiscard these. Set mung beans in its
broth aside.

er

t t t

q .1rK
~

In a deep preheated pan, add oil. Saute

onion and garlic until translucent.
Add diced tomatoes, shrimp paste and
fresh shrimps.

Pour in the cooked mung beans and

its broth and the shrimp stock. :;immer
for 10 minutes. Season with salt and
pepper.

Stir in the smoked fish flakes.

Just before serving,

Monggo guisodo, or mung bean stew,

has an earthy, rustic flavor. It is often
served with paksiw no bong us (PAGE 120),
a classic pairing.

Old, dried out mung beans are

flavorless, and not worth using. The best
shrimp for this dish are small, about 4 cm
I 1.5 in from head to tail, or 60 shrimps
to a kilo. If not using shrimp stock,
substitute chicken stock for the water
for added depth of flavor. Don't use beef
stock as it tends to overpower the flavor
of the beans. The pork cracklings can, of
course, be omitted for a healthier take.
Some prefer the mung beans whole,
others like them mashed to a smooth
consistency. The latter can be achieved by
processing the boiled beans in a blender
or passing them through a ricer.

Add the spinach or young bitter gourd

leaves, stir once then remove from the
heat.

Crush, peel and mince garlic.

2

Peel and chop onion.

Dice tomatoes into small cubes.

Peel and devein shrimps. With the

heads and shell trimmings make a
shrimp stock for added flavor. (SEE PAGE
207)

Debone and flake the smoked fish to

make '12 cup I 120 g.

Serve very hot in a serving dish or

individual bowls. Sprinkle with crushed
pork cracklings if desired.

6 Remove stems of spinach or young

bitter gourd leaves, and discard.

rinoptr (smoked fish)

n aa

Ip na

FilIpino Salad
an
Fnlo/7d

f- ,'Plfl';

ns and

te

I 0
J(k e

omhJn

tlOn v

(,'I0f] r.

n t

" OOlUtl

t'

T1dtoe~

.nd Ie 'y '1ree"

r
t f ' nc
te m d. A few ft
dn(1
<.
Jr ex:amp I~1 ' r .dded <lVI, bu on IV ., ey e ve'y your 9 dnd f'e ,h 1 plrked. Ir
o,or I 'e e"t Y')~ g, " W:1 hilrve ted prcducr T
e "eed <diad v. fldtl Jr Cdn be tappe')
onllThe ve9'ta bl

"entra,
With cr hed por k [( aCkllnq , ,rc.ppe' l.,hew

~Jt

. 't'

!In Ir ds'ed n"e" boby ,hllmps.

Arrange all the ingredients without

dressing on a platter and present like a
salad bar or in individual plates/bowls.
Serve with dressings in separate bowls.

.. C'Q

weet

L50

Ilto ("VI1

q w ter plra

QJ (

I lOa

fkCJ 1/( I~ 1)

a (srnqk

't'en r

'1)(j

For a salty base

qc.

sauteed shrimp paste (guisodong

bogoong a/among) page 208.

'110 ('It)

or

sauteed fish paste (guisodong bogoong

isdo) page 208.

') q a

For a sweet sour base

p

sweet-and-sour vinaigrette (Tagalog

dressing) page 210.

Trim the stems off the okra and

eggplants. Wash both.
2

Malabar spinach (a/ugbati)

Chayote (sayate) tops
Sweet potato (kamate) tops

11 240 q 'orra'o('
I. alted C'qq~ 1/1/ q,
hardboile j (' 5

Water spinach (kangkang)

Pick the leaves of the sweet potato

tops and the water spinach and
discard stems. Wash leaves.

Squash tops and flowers (ka/abasa)

All the leafy tops should be steamed until
tender but green. Immediately coo l in an
ice bath to stop the cooking.
Another steaming process is to pan-steam
leafy vegetables inside a covered pan with
the water that drips from washing the
vegetables until slightly cooked but not
limp and still green. Cool immediately in
ice water. Set aside.

honeyed fish sauce dressing (pu/ot at

potis) page 209.

Vegetable selections that should be

cook d

Fiddlehead fern (pak6) tops

Very young and newly harvested
ampa/aya washed in salt

Peel jicama and cut into matchsticks

5 cm x 1 cm I 2 x 1/2 in pieces.

Peel mango and cut into 1 cm 11/2 in

cubes.

Okra

Heart or pith of coconut (ubad). The

outer layers are used for /umpla and
are cooked (PAGE 84)

5 Wash tomatoes. Slice into wedges.

Winged beans (sigarilyas)

Jicama (singkamas)

Green beans (habichue/as)

Peel the salted

wedges.

eggs.

Slice

into

COOking
1

Heat water in a steamer. As soon as

the water boils, add okra, sweet potato
tops, and water spinach. Sprinkle with
salt. Steam for 3 minutes or until
tender but still green. Cool right away
in an Ice bath. Remove and set aSide.

2 Gnll C'ggplants directly over flame

UntIl the skin IS charred. Peel when

Eggplant (tolong) - Grill on an open

flame and peel with the stem left on.

Yard-long beans (sitaw)

Bitter gourd (ampa/ayo) - Remove the
seeds without breaking the pod ~nd
cut thinly at an angle. Or If u~mg
baby ampalayo, cut lengthWIse Into
two.
Steam for 3 minutes or blanch i~ li9hdtl Y
. t e.
or until. tenbath
er
salted water for 1 mlnu
but green. Immediately coolin an Ice
to stop the cooking.

cool.

79

Fidd lehead Fern Salad

ayo; newly 'Sprouted (t~f"refore {"~1I1 prde r } f" 'liP" ~rh ad t for salads are a Iw
The best local Ingre len S
k' These have become popu n recent ye,H' ann lr aVe lable
those of the fiddlehead fero, or po o.
best In cool mountainous area5 and are abundant dUring
ecialty mar~ets. Ferns grow
sp
d
k
at wee en
the rainy season.

Vinaigrette

Cut off the tips of the ferns, about 4 in

from the top. Discard the tough stems.
Wash and spin dry or wrap in paper
towels.
2

Peel and cut onion into thin wedges.

3 Wash tomatoes and cut into wedges.

4

Peel quail eggs and cut in half.

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for

the vinaigrette.

6 Serve salad in a large bowl or on

individual plates.

nps
Boiled quail eggs can be substituted
IIItn Sd'ted duck. egg, Or the ready-made
bot ed picrled quail eggs.

Fern salad car) be ser'ed wltn peeled

tOiled shr,mps Or topped /11th crushed
ChlChoron.

la

Seaweed Sa lad
FilipinO ~ ads T~erp are m my k nrls 0'
h <eaweed s He ,,00 subst tu es ~r Ie _e
lable esper'ally " ared> '1e,lr tre se . but tt p f vurr'e all over Ihe c('unlry I the
Iodine' C
,eawee~s._ aval
n"ety k 'own as ItJto In t~~ Sl ~'he'r p t of t' p country and ararospr In the n(Jfthern
arape- "
arNS

Prepara

I,asp. sea'reed and discard he roo s

a"d '" ;eO parts.

c; :orr:a oes I r~o

/ledges.

S'ce or. ons.

,"~a'ge sea ..reec ir. a sa ad

e"': garro's'"

'I.

bOl"

~P't tr.e toma~oes and

~ ~,s.

rega", sa . . , a a
ole'

Ensa ladat g rr C long

Eggplant Sa lad
f preparing eggplant salad is to boil or roast the ta/ong, peel it, mash or slice
traditional way 0
.
.
..
The.
nd dress it with Filipino vinaigrette.
it IIlto pieces, a

Roast the eggplants directly over a

flame until charred. Allow to cool.
Peel the eggplants and discard the
stems. Flatten with a fork.

te
31 e

e
fil ~e)De

JrE -

Lay 1 flattened eggplant on a chopping

board. Cut with a 3-in round cookie
cutter.

Qv'"

1<; 'I '

, I ')
q r

Peel and slice onion into thin rings.

Divide into 4 portions.

Top with 1 portion of the onion rings

and the tomatoes.

Sprinkle 1 portion of the chopped red

and green bell peppers.

Top with another round eggplant

piece. Repeat procedure with every
layer of eggplant.

Finish the layers with an eggplant.

Carefully arrange the portions on

individual plates. Drizzle with coconut
vinaigrette (SEE PAGE 210). Garnish with
the remaining portions of the red and
green bell pepper, spring onions, and
green finger chili. Serve immediately
or keep refrigerated until served.

2 Slice tomatoes crosswise into thin

rings. Divide into 4 portions.
3

Cut the red and green bell peppers.

Discard the inside membranes and
seeds. Cut into 1/4-in cubes. Divide
Into 4 portions.
Chop the spring onions.

5 Slice the green finger chili. Discard

the Inside membrane and seeds. Cut
crosswise into thin pieces.

Season with salt and pepper.

eggplant Iralongl

Roast eggplants over an open flame Or

in the oven. Place the eggplant inside a
paper bag for 10 minutes. All types of
roasted vegetables are easier to peel after
following this procedure.

mpia Ubo
Pith Spring Roll

CookIng

1 In a prdIeami saucepan, saute half

the minced garfic. onion, pork, and
shrimps in oil Cook for 10 minutes.
2 Drain thonJughIy the coconut pith
fnIm the waIlr-milk ~ and add
tD the SllIalp. Cook ower modtrate

MIlt for

"'0 minutes.

bad

un1pla
Fresh Vegeta ble Spr ng Roll

<ll"
,nq "II r Inn way of f
l te Y"naked" Spl :,'q r"II, 'umplOnl) h,,>aa IS
lJI I
1
or, ca~ln Q unwr3pped sausage .filll'qs p rpf r er ) the <,m
way, e g, re10emng to fOod served fre
"0 ne Cavlte rec,pe of IU,mplOn g fresco,
'''11 In other
,ngganlSaog
hub a d,
e of It, Wrapper
" d k a, lump,an" or'"
pi_
dces, had seen a bIS hop th ro
Wo copYing. its IngredIent; are' ' diced r,ot H'Jes kamore' monggo sprouts
' ,
ugh
Ipa rth must
' alway' be present, shrrm le. and 'he JlCP of po un ded shrimps Af' green beans . 51go,,1/05
I schaal '
Wni
'a J annatto color At the open end ot tre 1"",plO peer> a nat
I
,ter Sauteing this I
"Ima beans
bfl I
,.','
ve ettuce I f '
.
ump lo h
p"
ea Sprinkled libe II
s auld be a
Il, ntn" [ Gilda Cordero Fernando, Cavlte, Shipbuilders' Legacy'"
sit"aro
,In hlflpplOe Food ao d Life, ] ra Y With pawd ered

P y~

e
Q<

It

Peel and cut carrot into

strips.
julienne

Wash and trim green beans and

Into thin diagonal strips.
cut

Cut.
bean curd into 2.5 x 1 cm I 1 x liJ
.
In stripS. Lightly salt.

Trim mung bean sprouts.

Drain the chickpeas Peel each '

and discard skins. .
piece

Ic

'I tr'~

q fr

II

nlon

JI

r. '
) (h 1/) cl)(' 11<)

pre ed bean c r It

5(" 2

r\o'

10 Wash .fresh lettuce leaves. Spin dry or

wrap In a clean hand towel.
11 Wash and drain salted green papaya
and press to rid of liquid.

.5

If green papaya .
IS not
'I
cabbage, Cut th' ,
aval able, use
IS IOta 1 Cm I '/ .
Lumpio mix ca I
3 In strips,
nasabe II '
wrapper. Excess lum i ,ro ed 10 rice
in lumpio wrap
po mix can be rolled
per, stored in
' .
container and f
an airtight
,
rozen fa f
Deep-fry rolls to
k r uture use.
.
rna e lumplong .
,
(f rred spring roll) , pictured
below, prrto

..

ra'

12 Ground the dry roasted peanuts

13 Peel and mince garlic.

14 Wash cilantro. Discard stems.

15 Prepare the annatto oil. (SEE PAGE 207)

Lumpiang Hubad Garnishings

2-

Cooking
In a heated large pan or a wok, fry
the pressed bean curd in oil until light
brown. Set aside,

Remove the oil from the pan. Pour in

annatto oil.

Saute

garlic,

ground

pork,

and

shrimps.
4

PreparatIon
1 Peel green pa
add rock

barely cooked.
paya, grate coarsely and

,
salt alia t
minutes.
'
w a stand for 30

2 CrllSh
1 p , peel, and mince garlic.
4

eel and chop OOIOOS.

Peel dnd de

Add the carrot, green beans, green

papaya, mung bean sprouts, and
chickpeas, taking care not to overcook
vegetables. Bean sprouts should be

e reads a;: n the shrimps. Discard

s ell trImmings.

Season with salt and pepper to taste,

Assembly
Place some lettuce leaves in a salad bowl. Top
with the lumpia mix, Add the fried wkwa,
Serve the lumpia sauce and garnishings
(PAGE 212), cilantro, ground peanuts. and
minced fresh garlic on the side.

181

Gui

a aa

SquaSh and Yarc

n1

aL

coed

(] t e t
"
e' Ie d

Go'"", In c.oconut Mi lk
c

t t

q e
1"1
n dd - ,

C C

IJ

II hp

law

the
gre pnt<

mil.

H"lf'

Mo 'F P n ve

Co
Just when ready to serve
Heat a pot and pour in oil.

Saute garlic, onion, and to matoes over

medium heat.

Add the shrimp stock and sq uash an d

simmer for five minutes.

Add the coconut milk and let sim me r

for approximately S minutes. Ad d
the beans and continue cooki ng
for another S minutes or until the
vegetables are tender but still firm to
the bite.

Add the shrimps and give the mixture

a qu,c toss.

Season With fish sauce and pepper.

Correct seasonl ng.

Simmer another minute to cook the

shrimps. Serve immediately.

Preparatlo
Peel and devein the shrimps. Set aside
the heads and shell trimmings to
make shnmp stock to add flavor. (SEE
PAGE 207)
2 CruSh, peel, and mince garlic.

Chop the tomatoes.

5 Peel the squash. Cut into 1.S-cm

'12-1 n wedges.

6 Wash yard-long beans and cut into

3-cm 11 '/4-in pieces.
7 If us ng f
ml

r~

COconuts, extract the

t (SU PAC 206)

Ions

Place the vegetables in a shallow bowl.

Pour sauce over and serve hot.

3 Peel and chop the on ion.

4

S rvmg ugg

Cut the squash and the yard-long beans

Into consistent sizes so they cook evenly.
The preferred shrimp variety is the
grea sy back shrimp (suahe).

lnt [ the lrf ,t d,t onally

nc oj
rd t onlf th
h
r dd die" In olon'mlk
F
d I, Y
rfJ c er, In I" (om In' C,L The GJ b1 F te",

r ,

p:

)I

11

Crush, peel, and mince the garlic.

2

Peel and chop ginger finely.

If using fresh mature coconuts, extract

cream and milk.

Chop 2 of the bird's eye chilies. Leave

the others whole for garnish.

Boil the shrimps until cooked. Peel

and discard shells. Set aside.

Cooking
In a preheated pan, saute garlic and
ginger i n oil until fragrant. Add pork
and cook for 10 minutes. Season with
shrimp paste, salt, and pepper. Add
chopped chili peppers and coconut
milk,
2

While fresh gabi leaves are sold in

public markets, packs of dried leaves are
now available, making it convenient to
produce laing anywhere in the world.
Fresh gabi leaves need to be air- or
sun-dried for a day before use. The stems
should be peeled and the leaves shredded
by hand, as the steel of knives in contact
with the leaves alters the flavor.
The sauce is cooked first, so all the
flavors are incorporated-the shrimp
paste, salt, coconut milk, and pepper.
According to folklore, the coconut milk
mixture should never be stirred.
Chopping the chilies makes for a
hotter laing. Leaving the chilies whole
cuts down the "hotness" considerably.

Add taro leaves and simmer over very

low heat for' hour or until coconut
milk has reduced. Do not stir while
cooking. Pour in coconut cream and
heat for another 2 minutes.

Servi 9

5U

9 st on

Transfer to serving dish and garnish with

whole blrd's eye chili and the shrimps.
Serve hot.

taro (gobl) , \ItS

Pinakbet
Vegetable Stew
r

I nr oft

wI'h the
t
e, '0"
OI)Pp

rr
OW

l.. c

(oJ

" r lbly I clud

I 1 PorI
n '1 In t
rCr , e th. Itt-r
e th qgpla,
c
lV~r ~
JU d t e r t, an t~e 'II
p oVe1 h
ayofc~o,
v
F r x pr dov F ~..
T
nq, ~erpl\
, n ~aa nd
PI ndent

Cut off the okra stems then leave

whole.

Remove the eggplant stems and cut

diagonally into 2.5-cm I l-in pieces. If
using the small round eggplant, score
the bottom with a knife.

Cut the squash into'.5 x 2.5 cm

)( 1 in wedges.

I 1/1

10 Chop he por crae hngs or lechon

kOl'loli Into 1 5 em I I in squares.

Ti
The traditional pinokb
baby eggplants b b et U,e, round~d
, a Y okra
ompoloyo left whole F
,and habj
. Or fastel
the eggplants and
. cooklOg,
Ompo/oyo Ihould ,.
cut lengthwise In quart I ' '"
.
ers, eavlng t'
stem Intact.
,,~
To ensure that the veget bl
a elale
cooked but remain firm bl '
, anc" them
ahead of the final cooking Ita
I
.
~
mmedlately cool In an Ice bath to stop
the cooking.

In the recipe. fmh

ead to se e,
o st ('

sp

01

pan, saute
er medium

nd sa

until

9 ggp n
7
2
3

e: 9
op

e: on 0

5(:
as a s de: d s
48) or lee an awoll (

4
c

a 5(:aso
~p~r

tapa (

Place the grilled eggplant Ina a

for 10 mlnutel to mk . PPCI1;\
a e It IWeat ,,~
easier 0 peel.

10 g

stuffed Egg pia nt

Pork torta fl 109 for tuff d eggplant

Tor''Jr4I)obo~ para a relit LlnCj 'a1ar,q

ark

I1d

jat'n, "f qq HI

Place the ground pork .

the water and cal
In. a pot. Add
amansl JUice.

2
3

:~~e~ntil the meat is almost dry, Set

In apreheated pan, add oi l S '
garliC onion
. aute the
,
, potato, carrot and bell
peppe~
,

Add ground pork, raisins and

Stir.
,peas.

Add the tomato sauce and soy sauce

Stir well.
.

Simmer, taste, then adjust seasoning.

For

Peel and cut the

small cubes.
carrots into '/4-in

5 Trim off the bell

half and re
pepper stem. Slice in
.
'/Hn cubesmove seeds. Cut Into
small
6

Slice ca l
JUice. amanSI In half and extract

Crack th e egg and beat.

'
Add salt

Spread the Pork Torta

'
flattened eggplant
evenly on the

In a preheated
. pan, add oil
Sl"d
.
' nonstick
I e In the stuffed eggplant F
.'
done t .
. ry until
side.' urnlng once to cook the other

Pour the beaten egg over the stuffed

eggplant.

Fry untl1 done, turning once to cook

the other side.

The best size to long for this dish, perfect

for an individual serving, is a 100 g
eggplant, about six inches long. Gnll the
eggplants and put in a paper bag for ten
minutes to make them sweat and thus

h stuff d qqpl nt

Pr p a Ion
1 Crush , pee I and chop the
garIIC.
Peel and chop the .
3
onion
Peel the potato and .
small cubes.
cut into 1/4-in

Just when ready to serve

Pr par tlon
Grill the eggplant directly on the stovetop
flame until skin is charred. Allow to cool
and then peel. Place on a plate and slit
down the center lengthwise. Flatten
eggplant with a fork forming an ovalshaped boat. Keep the stem.

easier to peel.
While pork can be purchased already
ground, the traditional Filipino way is to
mince the pork pieces by hand. This allows
one to be more selective with the parts of
the pork to be used. Hand mincing also
gives the ground pork a more interesting
texture when cooked.
The potato, carrot, and bell pepper, on
the other hand, should be cut into cubes
of equal sizes for better presentation.
The ground pork mIX, or torto, can
also be used to stuff whole bell peppers,
omp%yo. emponodo, and eroquetos. It IS
also used as tOPPing for halved pon de sol.
and orroz a 10 Cubono. Shelled crabeneat
can be used as a healthier subStitute for
pori<.

Bistek Tag,
Beef Stea k with On,on<.,
Thlssoundsltkr pidqm fur '.beef<; t~ak n fad It ..
word "blstec' ~,mJlar to The Italian hi r
Spanls h
'.
.
. h Bistek Taoaloq IS one of the fCiv'O rte F IqJHH

at
We

EngI15 .
~
.1 .. as love-salty iCY sauce and sour co/amull 'Iulce

(Jre t

,iI
Whll

Cu

y)

t)

Ihr

h pie

jPd

ook b, eft

p II

Ip

It l
bl

'lg

[It=!

rw( ft

q)1 t ('
n fr m
101,

Lh

FI Ipm

Serves 4

500 9 beef tenderloin (lama) or si rloln

CookinQ

Just before serving

(togil iran )

Heat pan and add oil.

4 cloves I 20 9 garlic

3 I 240 9 white onions

1 tsp I 3 9 black peppercorns

'/2 cup I 120 ml soy sauce

--

1/4 cup juice of c%mans;, lemon or

lime
3 tbsp I 45 ml oil

Preparation

Cut beef into 8 x 5 x 1/2 cm

'/4 in th ick stea ks.

I3x 2 X

Crush, peel and mince the garlic.

Peel and cut the onion into l/2-cm

1/4-in thick rings.

Crack the black peppercorns.

In a bowl, mix the garlic, soy

sauce, pepper, and colamans; juice.
Marinate steaks in the mixture for at
least 1 hour.

Saute onions until translucent. Set

aside.
Remove the steaks from the marinade
and sear each steak over high heat
on both sides according to desired
doneness. Set aside on a serving
platter and keep warm.
Reduce heat and pour the marinade
into the same pan. Add the onion
rings and simmer until liquid is
reduced by half.
Pour the cooked marinade and onions
over the beef. Serve immediately.

Serving suggestion

Serve the beef in its sauce with the onion

rings arranged on top. For individual
serving, place one steak on a plate,
arrange onions on top, pour a bit of the
sauce over the steak.

Tip.
One . way to make thi s dish really
deliCIoUS is to lessen the soy sauce by one
tablespoon and replace with a tablespoon
of salt.
The onion slices are a key element of
this dish. White onions are best, as they
are milder. Cook the onions just until they
start to turn translucent to retain their
crunch and release their sweetness.
Marinating bistek overnight in the
refrigerator before cooking develops a
more intense flavor. It is best to marinate
the meat in a plastic bag.
Marinated beef must be cooked in
small portions, so maintain a hot pan.
After each portion is cooked, remove it
and allow the pan to heat up again before
cooking the next batch. This avoids the
release of too much liquid from the beef,
which would make it tough.
The traditional cut for bistek is the
tapa cut (SEE BEEF TAPA, PAGE 48). The tapa
cut is usually tough, non-prime meat, and
requires pounding and long simmering.
Even selections like top and bottom
round, though less tough, might also
be pounded with a wooden mallet with
diamond teeth, or by having a butcher
pass the meat through a meat tenderizer
machine.
The choice cut for bistek is sirloin. For
luxurious marbling, choose rib eye.

whllt onions (Slbuyas puti)

Chicken lnasa
Grilled Chicken
.tt cuq~ t ( I ' f), h. '>p"n",
"lied . bar'e 'ue dint e v, y.
,ear._
g
f
toe
Pan
y' <In. Negr ," rf]'
,lPd J fihe hc 0 teflst,c
fl S re-clpe IS rom
I
V'l:'
::.ourness
verb .. tul" to rL- c;.t
cOh..:ring
. toat com"s f rem ~nn tt") Jr au,uete It... r.e it '\ie
av r ane rJnye
d t e Jr. of tann/ad or e~ r,r S5
and .oiamunSl, ' '
f,C, t he v, nenar
'I
Th ,. rd

nasal

I..J.

~e v

s4

w~ole
part,

chlc~en,

quarterea, o cf

6cl_ves/30gfJ~r

1 ts,:-

CJ

bs

blaCk r epp('rco'lls

10 pC'> I 150
L vu

c~('r

erro~

ca/amaflsi
(]lass

Make the basting sauce by pounding,

peel ing, and mincing the other 6
garlic cloves. Heat annatto oil and
fry the minced garlic until lightly
toasted .

After
the
required
marinating
t ime, remove the ch icken from the
marinade. Skewer each chicken piece
with a bamboo barbecue stick.

cup I 60 ml cane or cocor ut vlne~~r

1tbsp I 15

q Sd

f C1ves / 30 1 gar c
4

cup /60 ml
E 207J

ar

,tto lachueteJ ')

~k we" or barbecue 5t c~

Preparation

The first six procedures have to be done

an hour or the night before cooking.

Debone the breast leaving the wing

attached. This is called a breast
quarter.

CrUSh, peel, and mince 6 garlic

cloves.

Crush the peppercorns.

Extract calamansi juice to yield

II. cup I 60 ml.

Chop the lemon grass bulbs finely.

~
Tips
Soak the barbecue st'cks
beforehand to prevent b . 'n Wal(,
.
urn'ng. Ch,,~
mosol should be grilled Over I tn

Ow htat
Th
's 's ach,eved by placing th
.
e glill 10
Inches above the hot coals A
.
. mtlhod
used 'n Negros is to Spread the Coall In
a shallow pit, skewer the piecel On Itout
bamboo sticks about 16 inches long,and
stick the sharpened ends in tht ground
diagonally, putting the chicken tht IIghl
distance from the coals, with tht thick
bits nearer the heat.
Chicken breasts should be cooked
for 7 minutes, turned and cooked for 5
minutes more. Thighs should be cook(d
for 6.5 minutes, turned and cooked for
6.5 minutes more. A minute or two lesl
when using a gas grill.
.
The traditional preferred cuts in 110110
and Negros are breast (pecho) and legl
(po-a). Chicken liver and g,zzard (otoy
and batic%n) are also grilled.

Cooking
Just before serving
Bring the excess marinade to a boil
for basti ng.

Quarter the chicken, being careful

not to tear the skin.

Make a marinade in a bowl by

mixing together the garlic, crushed
peppercorns, calamansi juice, lemon
grass, vinegar, and salt. Place the
four chicken pieces in the marinade
for at least an hour or overnight and
keep bowl in the refrigerator.

Grill the chicken, preferably over

hot coals. Grill the presentation side
first. Baste occasionally. The inasal
can also be cooked in a broiler, about
six inches below the fire.

Serving suggestion
r
Serve freshly cooked with inasai dipping
sauce (PAGE 209), papaya atchara (PAGE
205J and sinangag (PAGE 44).

/nosal for th. 9nl/ IS

d.bontd and cub<d ,h,cktn on thinner,

An alt.mall

VlOrttr barbttue sticks..

CrispY a

Frl.ed pork Kn uckles

ddt ex

I pork

ko

'f

ck e qot'

f.

4 P

' lellS w 'ro;.)! 'I"e tre'tf"S

8 cups 4 liter; water

2 '6C 9 white

'In 01S

50 9 carrots
100 9 ce ery sticks
1 tsp

13 9 who e t

~~~ 'leppe rCO r '1S

Cu the leg skin w ith kitchen scissors.

Pierce he sk i n from the top then cut
4-cm I 11/2 - n squares making sure the
cu s on ly about '/2 cm I Ie in deep.

Second try Heat the oil In the

'110
again, h iS me 0 a higher
empera ure, around 200 C 1 400 ' F.
Then pu i n he leg, s In Side down.
Fry, unco ered, for 2 to 3 minutes or
un II the sk n is crisp and brown. Turn
he leg over and fr{ he opposite side
for 1 mi nu e. Remove leg from the
pan and place In a strainer. Allow to

'bSD 15 q sa '
vege'-'l ~ G for deep-fr '1
Preparation
Peel and quarter the onions.

Peel and quarter the carrots.

Wash the celery sticks. Discard the

roots.

Cooking
Pu the pork leg Into a large pot of
wa er Bring to a boil and i mmediate!
reduce 0 simmer. Maintain a very
gentie simmer Over the next few
minutes a~d remove as much of he
scum hat rises to the surface.
Throw he onion, carrots, celery,
peppercorns, bay leaves, and sal Into
he po , Cover partially and simmer
ge Iy for abou 2 hours or until he
mea IS 'ender Remove the leg and
pa Je ' 0 dra; and cool. (The broth
f'1a ( tie S'ra ned and coo ed, and he
a r oved , a~d used as bro for
0" 'rec peS I

To a heated la rge pot or

wok, add the oil, then put in the leg
presentation side up. Cover and cook
over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Turn the leg over carefully, cover
again and cook the other side for
3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and
allow to cool. Reserve the oil in the
pot or wok.

3 bay eaves

_I-'"

2 P 9 s 6'~~ g eac" (poto !Jflo"ar/

appro x
l

Pit EJr pe But hp pro e

h t t
k r 01 e
In hi
ent
u
~'I ,py ,'c a Whole

Iv r p Q ~r ch
3k nq It e
A
of
. 'h s dls~ ru v F p nil.
rel pe, nak
t
l,) the" fr ed t J a \.r
pig ,S heild ' cut Ir \
FP

coo l.
Jus before serving,
Tt!lrd fry For the third and final
frying , heat the 011 again to 200:C
1 400' F. When the oil is hot, put In
m
the leg, presentation Slde u p. Fry for
1 minute on each side. Remove fro

the pan and place in a strainer.

Serving suggestion
.
(205) and a
Accompany With atchara PAGE e er
dip of inegar spiced With red chill.P PP
and garlic, or vinegar miX ed With soy
sauce and chopped onions.

ip
Only the front leg of about 600 g is used
for this recipe, as this is the Ideal size.
The skin of the pota is Scored and
served whole, which keeps it hot and
most presentable. Frying three times
makes the skin very crisp and blistered.
It is critical to cool and dry the pork skin
after each frying stage. It is the shock
effect of cooling and the reexposure to
high heat that makes the skin crisp. One
might debone the pata after the third fry
for best presentation .
Since crispy pata takes so much effort,
restaurants cook it in batches and store
the legs after the second fry. The leg can
be thawed when ready for the third and
final frying, just before serving.

Daing na
Marinated M!Ikflsh
te

o
cut b f"er+'y
," ur-aned.

fTI

r hI"' pI )(
par'

ur

Ie

r
Just before serving,
Preheat the pan with oil over a
medium hot fire.
or (

It!>sp I"

sat

...

Fry the butterflied fish skin side up

for 2 mi nutes or until golden brown,
turn over and fry the skin side for
another 2 minutes. Include the
crushed garlic.

-The ideal size for indo .

IVldual
200 grams. A 600-700_ lervlngl '\
shared by two Or
g. mllkfilh II
more and c
easily be de-boned be
an mOI~
cause the b
more visible. The belly f
on~lal~
.
at at thi I
weight also has the ideal thO k I arg~r
consistency.
IC nell and
Deboned milkfish are readil

Yavallabl~
Other cuts and fish select
.
Ions are

boneless bangus belly tilapla a d

'
n round
scad (galunggang).

Serving suggestion

The day before

Clean and wash the fish. Trim the ta il
and fins.
2

Crush the garlic cloves.

Crush the black peppercorns.

Sprinkle crushed garlic and pepper

over the fish. Season with salt. Drizzle
with the vinegar. Marinate fish for at
least 4 to 6 hours or overnigh . Store
covered in the refrigerator.

Each dOing no Isdo is served i nd ividually

and can be accompanied by otchora (PAGE
205). sinongog [PAGE 44). and fried eggs for
breakfast. It can also be the main course.

The best variety of garlic comes from

1I0cos, which is small in size and tedIOus
to peel, but far more flavorful.

L chon
Deep-fned

Por~

awal
Be Iy
I

1)1

r
5c

gar c

es

k e

0 t

Heat the cooking oil and deep-fry

pork slab with skin down (Make sure
the pork is completely submerged in
oil). Adjust heat to low and fry slowly
for 20-30 minutes on each side.

4x
ay eat
tbsp

15

qs

e ougr wate

'0 co

8 ups 2 ters c

er a k
~g

2
or oee

!lg
Prepa

on

Crush the garlic cloves.

2

Place the pork belly, garlic, bay leaf,

and salt in a stock pot and fill with
the water.

Drain in a strainer and allow to cool

to room temperature. (At this stage,
the fried pork is ready to be refried or
kept In the freezer for future use.)

Just before serving,

Fry the pork again in the same oil.

Option one for a crunchier re

Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer.

Continue to cook for about 1 hour or
until fork-tender. Remove the scum
as it surfaces.

Cut into 2.5-cm I l-in cubes and deepfry over high heat for about 5-10 minutes
or until golden brown. Fish out with a
strainer and place on a platter lined with
paper towels.

Remove pork from liquid (save the

stock for future use) and allow to
dry out inside the oven set at warm
temperature, 93 ' C I 200'F, for one
hour.

Option two for a moist inner meat

Cool.

Fry the whole slab for the second time over

high heat, skin side down, 5-10 minutes
or until golden brown. When done, cut
into 2.5-cm 11 - in cubes.

Serving suggestion
Serve with grilled eggplant salad or
ens%dong t%ng (PAGE 83), or with a
tomato / green mango / shrimp paste
salsa (PAGE 211). Dipping sauces can be
a mixture of vinegar. soy sauce, crushed
garlic, and siling /obuyo. Some prefer
/echon sauce (PAGE 210).

The pork belly slab should have an even

distribution of meat and fat and shou ld
not be thicker than 3.5 cm I 1.5 in. The
pork belly can be cooked in a convection
oven, slowly, in very low heat 130' C I
250 F.

Pork Bin .

. Por k Sauteed
CriSP

~erv

In

Shr imp f

s6

Sauteed Shrimp Paste

n q rr

1 180 gonion

6 500 q medlum-s zed tomatoe

1 tbsp 115 ml all

2 tb pi!

The quality of the pork should bt .

for /echon kawa/i-the pork b II Ideal
.
e Yshould
not be thicker than 3 5 em I 15 .
.
. In. and
the fat and lean meat layers should be
distributed equally.

5 9 Q r'

3 clove,

r, 0

d Jr>l-

rj

or

'j'

rn oe
'T'

cup sauteed (hpmp paste

I'

Tips

te (

gong

2 to 4 green f nger c res

Preparation
Cut the lechan kawali into 2.5-cm
I-in cubes.

Preparation

Crush, peel, and mince the garlic

cloves.

Peel and dice onion.

Chop the tomatoes.

Crush, peel and mince the garlic.

Peel and dice the onion.

Chop the tomatoes.

Cooking
In a preheated pan, sautt garlic,
onion, and tomatoes in oil. Cook
until the oil starts to separate.

Cooking
Just before serving
In a preheated pan, sautt garlic,
onion, and tomatoes in oil. Cook for
about 10 minutes until tomatoes are

soft.
2

Add the sautd shrimp paste and

cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the I~on kowoli and green

dillies. Toss well.

lei .......... IItIcc.

Saw this dish hot With a siding of

chopped grun IIIIngoes.

Add the shrimp paste and water.

Simmer for 30 minutes.

The best quality shrimp paste

(bagoong a/among) is fresh, without
artificial coloring. If the shrimp paste is
too salty, pour it into a bowl of water
and strain. Bottled bagoong is Usually
sweetened, and not ideal for this dish.
If fresh bagaong is not available, sault
the bottled version with onion~ garii~
and tomatoes. There are many variants
of bottled cooked bagoong available in
groceries: salty, sweet, or spicy.
To maintain the crispnessofthe Iedron
kawali, prepare the sauce separately and
mix it with the pork just before serVing.

Guinataang Sugpo
Prawns in Coconut Mil k
oto or coconut milk, and finishmg with coconut cream , suggests a rich dish Th f
"ng .... ,t h 9 ,
. e at
f the prawns, or 5ugpO flavo rs the creamy sauce and adds a slight red-ora nge t
in the heads a
lOge.
C00

Se'ves 6

600 g praw~s of about 50 g each

[20 to a k 10)

Cooking

In a pot. combine garlic, ginger,

coconut milk, peppercorns, and
vinegar. Simmer for about 2 minutes
over medium heat. Remove from
heat.

4-6 cloves I 20 g garlic

1 thumb-sized pc 20 g ginger
1 cup I 240 ml cocorut crearT' (kakang

gata) (lEE

PAGE

206)

Just before serving,

Reheat the sauce. Add the prawns
and season with salt.

2 cups 1480 rr.: coconut milk (gata)

I'J: PAcE 206)
1 ) ts~

11 g black peppercorns

~4 cup 1180 ml v 1ega (cane pal"" or

r

white!
, green fonger chili (siIIr'g pangslgang)
1 tsp I 5 9 salt

chll leaves fdahon Tlg 5111)

Preparation

Wash prawns, peel shell off but keep

heads and tails intact. Trim whiskers.
2

Crush, peel, and mince the garlic.

Peel and slice the ginger into thin 112

eM rounds.

If using mature coconuts, extract

cream and milk.

Crack the black peppercorns.

Tips
The secret to this dish is the last-minute
addition of the coconut cream.
Prawns lose their firmness when
overcooked, so it is important to cook
prawns just before serving.
Peeling the shell off makes the prawns
easier to eat, but leave the head on to
add flavor to the coconut sauce.

When the prawns turn red, add

the finger chili and coconut cream.
Simmer for 1 minute more or until
the sauce has thickened slightly. Add
the chili leaves and remove from
heat immediately.

Serving suggestion

Arrange prawns in a bowl. pour in the

sauce. Garnish with chili leaves. Serve
hot.

/
cocon ut I", yogi

Humba
Braised Pork Belly
T

r'

.f

s~a

cr

e y rec e ,fn,

t e ,-OL "try hurn/)o u~e-

.~

c rK

+, n "

trc fotrr

te

t ) ~r

nu:

, be { The

IT

~ hlne,~

r dn'J I yte In r her

r'

~e,

eVlde

t In

t e ,-e r+ Jlted ~ JCk h~"" 3r d sovbe ' ,Jste

Serves b

4 cups
pork

I 1 liter water, enougr

to cover

Crush, peel and mince garlic.

Tips

In a big bowl, combine the garlic,

ground black pepper, soy sauce,
vinegar, salted black beans, soybean
paste, brown sugar, bay leaves, star
anise, and peanuts. Mix well until
the sugar has dissolved. Place the
pork into the mixture and marinate
overnight in the chiller.

Choose pork belly with

fat and meat, with th:v~::y distributed
than 1.5 in.
not thicker

2 kg who e pork bel 'f (ltempo)

8 cloves I 40 9 garlic
3.

tsp

I . 9 grourd bacK pepper

'. cup 60

I""

soy sauce

cup '80",1 v"egar (white, sugar

or ca1e coconut)
4

An hour before cooking, remove the

bowl with the marinated pork and
the reserved broth from the chiller.

Remove the layer of fat that has

formed on top of the reserved broth.

2 tbsD I 40 9 sa ted biacK bears (tausl)

2 tsp 1 0 g soybear paste (taJlJre)
4

cup I 120 9 tlrowr suqar

2 bay leaves

Humba requires long preparation

the recipe is designed for large quantl;I;~
Leftovers may be frozen for later use.
Store each piece with some sauce In
airtight containers and freeze. Reheat
by placing the pork, whole or sliced, With
sauce, in a bowl, and steam.

Place pork with the marinade in

a pot. Add the reserved broth and
bring to a boil.

cup 1100 9 pea'luts, S~I'l on

This involves overnight marination.

In a pot, bring water to boil. Add pork
and par-boil for 10 minutes. Reserve
the broth and cool before placing in
the chiller.

Adjust the taste of the marinade b f

adding the meat. Marinating overnig:~::
a plastiC bag In the refrigerator allows a
more Intense flavor to develop.

Cooking

:1 star anise

Preparation

Trim the sides of the pork and remove

the portions with thick layers of fat.

Cut the pork into 7.5 x 7.5-cm

3-in squares.

With a sharp knife, carefully score

he sk.in side of each portIon
making CrISSCross slits measuring
apprO~lmately 1 cm 111. in apart and
i2 em I 18 in deep.

I3x

----- ...

Reduce heat to a bare simmer and

cook for 2-3 hours or until forktender. The pork should be very
ender after cooking so that the fat
on top jiggles.

Serving suggestion
When ready to serve, remove pork
the pot. Slice pork Into l-cm I 1/4-in
pieces across the grain. Place these
platter and pour sauce over. Serve
hot with steamed greens.

from
thick
on a
very

sur ,nlSt

Kald r ta
Beef Stew in Tomato Sauce
UP
gh

the go

like , riO VPr brae i:mr

110< "ro's frur)al pock~t
[r]l do (ordero Fern ndo , "II I)C05 Norte,0
t

t ~

s~

kg ee br ket or srortnt s

6 0 ~

0 q garl c

Peel t he ca rrots, Cut and shape into

1.5 x 1.5 cm I '/2 in mini ca rrots.

Slice t he sa usage crosswise into

l - cm I 1/4- in rings,

Seed and slice t he red and green be ll

peppers into 2- cm I 3/4- in st rips,

60 9 wI] te 0:1 ors

4 350'1 t :'1"toes
400 9 baby potatoes

2(lC q ca rots

Clean and wash the potatoes wi th a

brush, leave unpeeled,

< ~

Cooking

pepper

Place beef pieces in a pot Add the

water. Cover pot. Just when the
water beg ins to boi l. immediately
reduce to simmer 82 C I 180F and
cook for 3 hours or until beef is
tende r. Remove beef from stock and
set aside. Reserve beef stock for
making sauce.

e
2

Just before serving. preheat another

pot Pour in oiL Saute garl ic. onion.
and tomatoes. Add beef. tomato
sauce. liver spread. soy sauce.
reserved stock. potatoes. carrots and
sausage, Simmer for 5 minutes. then
add be ll peppers and ol ives. Continue
cooking unti l potatoes are done.

Season w ith salt and pepper.

PreparatIon
Trim the beef. Cut i nto 5-cm I 2-1n
cubes or. If using spare ribs. cu Into
5 em pieces.

Crush. pee l, and mince the garlic,

Peel and chop he on ions.

Pee l a d chop he tomatoes.

Serving suggestions
Ma e sure to serve hot. Add the green
01, es Just before serving. If desired. add
one or two pieces of fine ly chopped bird's
e ie ch I (s lfmg /abuyo).

In many parts of the country. festive

koldereto. tomato sauce-flavored stew
IS always made with mutton, It IS mor~
ex pensive but a healthy alternative
Most wet markets sell goat meat alread '
dressed, The recipe works just the sam:
for beef.
There are many methods to cooking
kolder~to. Some brown the meat before
stewing or braising , This recipe uses a
long tenderizing period of Simmering.
giving the cook the opportunity to adjust
depending on the tenderness of the meat
Simmering also minimizes shrinkage and
keeps the meat mOist The meat and
vegetable ingredients should be cut
evenly to ensure equal cooking time,
This dish can be stored In the freezer for
future use, When ready to serve. thaw
and heat over very low flame,

Kare-kare
Ox Ta;1 Stewed 'n Peanut Sauce
Kare Aore!s o,'e of thj.~e di_he thltit Fil:

In.

wll'

C i!Pl1 ,., W H~: ).!IP

to

The FII

""lay II ve
rei eJt .vord,) f ( er te 're M. dY soul'Y <t ew. Th e ';,duce IS d Ipmo kore-kore Ith e
ices or Chl'ifS. a"d S thlckered WitI' p,~nded oastery ne e In d peanut'" evold
[B of seasonings .
sp
Memo '" of phlllppme K,rchens.j
",a and Doratan.
f

This stew of oxtal In thick

peanut sauce with vegetables". qUite
. exhausting t
.
c.",,,,erCl.' <hor'cut uses Filipino- style peanut butter a< the base f
h
a prepare The
to pur sts.
or t e sauce. but this is hOrrlfymg

kg oxtail, cut nto 5 em 2 if' thick

On the day,
4

p'eces

Bring out the oxtail in the cooking

liqUid from the refrigerator.

enouqh water to cover rreat

Skim the fat and discard. Remove the

oxtail and reserve the broth.

Toast the glutinous rice in a skillet

until golden brown . Allow to cool
Pulse into a fine powder using a food
processor.

Pulse the peanuts in a food processor

until creamy.

Slice the eggplants

leaving the stem intact.

Cut the yard-long beans into 5-cm

I 2-in pieces. Bundle about a pieces
together with the spine of a leaf or
sprig of chive or spring onion.

21160 9 omans
1 tlJsp 115 9 salt
1 tsp I 3 9 w'10le black peppercorns
'. cup I 60 9 glutirous flce (fTlaJagkit)
C JP

1200 g r!'Y roasted peanuts

1 ~~all

b~1z'la

(SltON)

i1eaft

4 cloves 20 9 garlic
'. e , j 60 rnl anratto fachuete) ;:)11
( iN'.

207)

cup 100 9 shrrp paste (bog'long

10

a '~a,.g)
4 cups I 960 rnl wate'

',p

5';l <;alt

Preparation
The day before:
1

Wash oxtail very well. Place in a pot

With enough water to cover. Boil for
10 minutes and discard the water
Pour in enough water to cover.
.
Peel and quarter the onions. Add to
the pot with the salt and whole black
peppercorns.
Bring to a b'l
.
.
01
and Immediately
reduce to a simmer a2'C I 1aO"F.
Cover and cook for 90 minutes or
Iuntil. fork tend er. C001 In the cookJOg
Iquld, cover, and refrigerate to bring
the fa to the surface.

Add the peanut past

Turn off heat and k e. Keep stirring.
eep covered.
In a separate pot, boil th e remaining
. .
water and add salt Add
Ion b
.'
the yardg eans until cooked but sfll f
and g
R
I
Irm
reen. emove from water. Add
the banana heart and eggplants and
ball until cooked. Remove and cool
Immediately.

When ready to serve,

3 ~mall eg9plarts
1 t~ ~dle yard-long beans

11

lengthwise

Prepare a bowl of water with about

a tablespoon of salt. Peel the outer
layers of the banana heart until
you find its tender inner part. Cut
the banana heart lengthwise into 4
pieces. Immediately soak the pieces
in water to prevent discoloration.
Crush, peel and finely chop the
garlic.

Cooking
Heat the annatto oil in another pot
over medium heat.
2

Saute the garlic and shrimp paste.

Add the meat. Saute for a few

minutes then add 4 cups of the
broth. Lower flame and simmer until
the broth has been reduced by half.

Add the toasted ground rice, stirring

continuously until thick and creamy.

Reheat the broth and meat. When

very hot, return the vegetables. Add
the blanched vegetables to heat.

Serving suggestion
Immediately transfer the ox tail with the
sauce into a deep serving platter with the
meat in the center and the vegetables on
the sides. Serve with a siding of sauteed
shrimp paste, page 208.

TIps
The first boiling ensures that the oxtail is very
dean. No salt is added because it can delay the
tenderizlOg process.
The banana heart used here IS the thin
white variety. not the red one.
The yard-long beans can also be left uncut
and tied IOtO a wreath.
Peanut butter can be used as a substitute
instead of the ground peanuts.
The traditional kore-kore uses oxtail, which
can be substituted with other cuts of beef such
as short ribs or brisket cut into 4 cm 11 ~4 in
cubes. and tflpe cut into 2.5 x 5 cm 11 x 2 In
pieces.
1Another option IS an all-seafood or a I
vegetable version. An attractive option IS to
use the very small long or round eggplant With
the stem intact. The round eggplant can ~ cut
Into four from the base to the stem

Paksiw na Bangus
Milkfish Stewed in Vinegar
Cook nG .... Ith vinegar makes FlilplN CUl~lne distinct Althouqh po",..., ;, c "led by ,arrou, names
all over the COl'toy, 'he proces, IS the >.me It IS similar to adoho bu pakslw appile< mainly to
<eafood, especially fish Fres~ness IS a wereqUisite becau<e the vinegar hides nothing and enhances
I.e favor of the ftsh.
Serves I

2 bonelec'i ba"qus f('1ilkfish) bel e;

f'or' a 600-700 q bangus

Slice bitter gourd into thin rings.

Scrape off the white membrane and
discard seeds if any.

8 c (lve~ I 40 g gZf C

thumb-Sized pc. 10 9 g 'lger

Cooking

In a non-reactive cookware (stainless

pan, glazed clay pot) place the
vinegar, garlic, ginger, finger chilies,
and water.

4 60C 9 eggplants

2 1300 g small bitte' gourds (1mpalaya)

'<

cup 1'20 rr v'legar

4 greer f,nge' cr es

(sill"1 pa"slqang/

l' 2 C JPS I 16C..,1 water

2 tsp 110 q sa t
2 tbsp I 30 rr oil
Preparation

Cut the belly just below the head of

the fish to where the belly fat ends.
Cut crosswise into two and lengthwise
in half. Wash and pat dry.
2

Peel and slice the garlic thinly.

Peel and slice the ginger thinly into

rounds.

Remove stem of eggplant, slice

diagonally into I-in pieces.

Add the milkfish, bring to a boil then

lower immediately to simmer while
scooping the sauce over the bangus
be lly repeatedly. After 10 minutes,
add the vegetables. Season with
sa lt

Add oil.

Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and plate.

Serving suggestion

Arrange the milkfish pieces belly side up

and vegetable pieces on a shallow dish
with the sauce. Serve at room temperature
with hot rice.

Tips
Blanch the vegetableS .
then refresh imm d In unsalted Water
.
e lately i .
Instead of boiling th
. n ice watel,
em With tn d
they stay green and'
e Ish, so
CIiSp.
The addition of oil add "
s "avor to th
I
sightly
Sour poksiw and .
e
.
Improves the
consistency of the sauce 01' .
I
.
. Ive 011 Or porI
ard IS suggested. You may garnish with
pork cracklings (chichoron).
Some cooks boil the Vinegar on its
own before adding the fish and other
Ingredients. This tempers the aCidity of
the vinegar.
The meat of the milkfish can be used
to make bong us lumpia and filling for
eggplant and stuffed bell peppers.

Pin ais na Alim asag

Stuf~ed

Crab Stearred 'n Bana na Leaves

m n

5 n 3"
J el'P )e~t f'll

ow
'!(

( ( , e ,.lf1ulS "0 Kahil!''' l n pagp I) J.) Blue :lalt t

...
"'''

wa er u'lbs
p.. bPC H.; ' h.
to:.. e c e mpr than the freshwater variety. live

prefe red, In ' OJ c te q" throL h t e rmprex proc':~ of identrf'ling What the
III 011-" a.' n~ <
Irte o y go{ (h moceXl 11) crabs" These are bigger male
e f m nrne -harac er ct c th!l.k fat ~uildup, and are more flavOrfu l.

"e

ye d 6 Ptees

Je c'abs (~/'mosoq)
, 200-23C c, eact' I

J kq 0

1 C ove~

Clean the banana leaves. Pass

leaves briefly over a hot flame to
make them pliant and suitable for
wrapping. Cut 6 pieces in 21 x 28 cm
I 8 x 11 in sizes. Tear out strips from
the remaining leaves to be used for
tying the packets.

15J!i"If(~

1 hu'11b-slze piece I 2'i 9 qlr Ie'

1 ,80 goniOn
11 15 9 gree~ f ~ger c'Ji)i (silmg

Cooking

pang iq(!"g)
: <;

)un

g sm

In a heated pan, add the oil.

Sized red be peprt'r

roconut (I) IkO} to

~a p

Saute the garlic, ginger, and onion

for 1 minute. Add the finger chili,
bell pepper, and young coconut
strips. Cook for another minute.

Pour in the coconut cream and

simmer until sauce thickens.

Add the crabmeat.

Season to taste with fish sauce and

cup 120 I] COCC ",t meat s'r p'

cup

121')

coconu' c re<:""1

E 2061

,p130m a

r h

sauce (pO" SI to taste

'~h

ground b a~k peppe'

Crush, peel, and mince the garlic,

Peel and finely chop the ginger.

Peel and Chop the onion,

Wash green foger chi' and red

bell pepper. Cu In half lengthwise.
O'scard "e membranes and the
Steds Chop f nel .

Steamed crabs are good as is, but

steaming them in banana leaves
concentrates flavor in the crabmeat and
adds the aromas of garlic, ginger, and
young coconut meat strips. Crabmeat
can also be cooked outside the shell as
relleno, a sweetish, savory mix, which is
stuffed back into the crab's carapace and
fried.
Crab flakes can be kept in the freezer
for future use.

pepper.

Remove the crabmeat mixture from

pan and stuff Into the cleaned crab
shell cover.

Preparation
Wash and clean crabs. Steam. Allow
to cool. Remove crab shell cover
Clean thoroughly, dry, and set aside.
Flake crabmeat and set aside.

Tips

Place one stuffed crab shell in the

middle of banana leaf. Wrap by
foldlng the two sides in. Tie the two
ends securely with the banana leaf
strips.

Just when ready to serve, broil in the

oven or grill for about 2 minutes or
until the leaves are seared.

Serving suggestion
Cut open the packets an d arr
crabs on a platter

ange stuffed

6
bluc crab

la masog)

1123

poch ra

Boiled Meat ard Veqetable~

"The cut "sed for p )chero'

ee ke Chi, ,nn

ith squash. sa/JO banana. [P dotal

1.

KOJrote

could b prepa rc
'ept Jol

,I

j Taq.log
I
9 feen bean poe
dr'rJ Jf'rr) q'/Ie, bt>lled

reo hoy [Chine e

cabbag e] leave' WI h ar al,um~ nVlnq uce f ma'hed boll j egyp I ani Or It could
Pl-.chero gal/eqo style, vVhu.:h was, of ('c UI ~panl':>h (~UPIl(
,. . )fdl Y f rom GaliCia)
dbe prepared
anish chOriZO. potcttoe C , C3btagec;, "dl d :/ofbonzo c /ch ick peas) wltllJ(lppmg(.a
I
:tn contilmed
l

Sp
tOO1ato ." [Gilda Cordero Fernando, Good Housekeerll1g

and Ufe]es

In

P'9;dl1 an La

"
ure of Sauteed
guna, In Philippine Food

Serves 6 to 8

3 r>1edlum - slzed

k~ beef shJnk

(Aeqchl/
1
I

kg bnsket (punta y per"aJ

whole c~lcken, prefera~ y kg

20G 9 slab bacon or pancetta

Quarter the whole cabbage. Wash.

Wash and trim the green beans.

Wash the bok choy but leave wh oIe.

Peel the bananas.

Peel the potatoes and wash.

10

Crush, peel, and mince the

I'
cloves.
gar IC

11

Crush the peppercorns.

'In9

19' os tln

Neatly arrange the meats and

Accompany with tom t
the vegetables.
'
a 0 sauce and
I
(b
erenJena) sauce (pi
d.
eggp ant
SEE PAGE 211J S
ace 111 separate bowls,
.
. erve the broth p"
h
IS or with vermicelli fideo
IPklng . at as
broth.
s coo ed 111 the

200 g salted pork or ham hock

2 100 g Spanish sausage (chanza)

2 stalks I 80 9 leeks

Cooking

3 1120 9 celery ribs

Put all the meats and chicken in a

large casserole with the quartered
onion, leeks, celery stalks, and crushed
peppercorns.

Cover with enough water and bring to

a bal l. Remove the scum as it surfaces.
Immediately lower heat to a bare
simmer.

After about 20 minutes, take out

chicken, sausage and bacon slab first as
these will cook ahead. Set aside.

Continue to simmer gently the

rema ining meats until fork tender. Turn
off the heat.

In another pot, take 3 cups I 720 ml

of the broth and bring to a boil. Put in
the quartered cabbage, sliced carrots,
green beans, pechay, bananas, and
the ch ickpeas. Ensure there is enough
broth to cover the vegetables. Season
broth with salt and pepper. When the
vegetables are tender but still green,
remove from the pot and set aside.
Return the broth to the meat pot. Return
the chicken. sausage, and bacon slab.

3 I 240 g oniors
4

1280 9 carrots

tsp

0 g ~,ack peppercor'ls

1500 9 w~ole cabbage

-.350 g green beans

5 stalks 80 g pechay (bak chay)
250 g cooked chickpeas (garbanzas)

6 COOKI"g bananas (saba)

2 20 9 potatoes

3 cloves 15 9 garlic
enoug~ water to cover meat

3 tbsp I 40 ml a ve

01

2 t,p '0 9 salt

1t

p I 3 9 ground pepper

Preparation

Just when ready to serve:

Bring broth to a boil to heat the chicken

meats.

Remove the chicken and the meats.

Debone the chicken and the other
meats. Arrange on the serving platter.

In a preheated pan, add olive oil, saute

the chopped onion and garliC. Add the
drained vegetables. Saute, then arrange

2
3
4

Clean the I k
.
5-cm 12 . ee s and cut diagonally into
-In pieces.
Cut the cele ry"b'
s Into 2-in pieces.
Peel and quart 1
the oth
er onion. Pee l and chop
er 2 Onions.
Peel he ca
L
Slice the ot~ots. eave 1 piece whole.
2.5-cm [1 er 3 carrots crosswise i nto
-In pieces.

Tips
All the meats are cooked together
so make sure that the chicken is no;
overcooked. Use a gentle simmer never
a boil.
To preserve the meat flavors, bring water
to a boil and add a small portion of meat at
a time. Remove. Bring the water to a boil
again before adding the next portion. The
high temperature is critical to sear the O1eat
and seal in the flavor. This is a different
technique from cooking meat starting in
cold water, which transfers the fiavor of the
meat to the broth.
Sausage, bacon slab, ham hock, or
salted pork are the flavor enhancers.
Make sure these are of top quality. Once
the meal is fork tender, cut the brisket,
salted pork, and bacon slab into equal
pieces. The sausage is cut crosswise.
Carefully debone the chicken (SEE PAGE
227). Cut against the grain into equal
slices. Cooking the vegetables in the beef
broth adds flavor.
Keeping the meat warm in the broth
will prevent it from drying out. If the
dish is to be served O1uch later, re010ve
the meat from the broth, heat the broth,
then remove from the fire. Put the meat
back in. Vegetables can kept war01 In the
same way.
The tomato and eggplant sauces
served on the side add a flavorful.edge
to the essentially boiled ingredients.
Pachero broth can be used as a base for
other soups or as broth for Span4Sh d4Shes
like co/l05.

on the platter.
LlAM [ Main Dishes 1 .25

Relleno ng Manak
Stuffed (h icker
(l wl..rk bl.
n BUl3l1n. f e til ~bk ha t.o have many hnds of relleno for'
"
'
..
-dered qraclouS. The t 1fr nj I' wh elf''' lte' orrhnary chicken to a special dl~h

hl<.:ken s "ar

Stuffing C

hl,..t to be cC"1St

1.2 Kg .... hole ci'leken

1 tsp I <; g So:
\ _tsp 11 9 ground black pepper
1can 1125 9 Vienna sausa~e
.1100 g Spanl,h sausage (chorizo)

Chop the Spanish sausage.

Peel and chop the onions.

Finely chop the pimiento pieces.

Slice the stuffed olives in half.

Grate the Edam or Parmesan cheese.

Serving suggestion

lightly beat 1 egg. Hard boil the

other 3 eggs. Peel and set aside.

10

Preheat oven to 180' C I 350' F.

After the chicken has cooled down, slice

crosswise to reveal the stuffing. Arrange
on a platter.

11

In a mixing bowl, combine the

ground
pork, Vienna sausage,
Spanish sausage , onions, pimiento,
olives, raisins, grated cheese, and the
beaten egg. Mix until well combined.
Pan-fry 1 tbsp of the mixture to
check seasoning. Correct seasoning
if needed.

160 9 onions
1

CUD

1100 g canned pill' ento

" cup 150 9 stuffed olives

J tbsp I 50 9 ralsms
1 wedge 20 9 Edam or Parr'esan
cheese
4 eggs
SOC g grou~d

por~

2 tbsp 13C 9 Dutter

12

Stuff the mixture inside the chicken

and arrange the hardboiled eggs in
the center by pushing the mixtu re
along the sides of the cavity.

13

Do not stuff too tightly or the

chicken will burst during cooking.
Place chicken on a baking dish or

Preparation

Debone chicken. (SEE PAGE 219)

2

Wash then season the chicken with

salt and pepper inside the cavity and
out. Set aside.

Chop the Vienna sausage.

COoking

Bake the chicken for at least 1 h

1 .
oor,or
untl . chicken is cooked through and the
skin IS golden brown.

Tips
Debone the chicken carefully. Make sure
the skin is intact. Follow the stuffing
quantities strictly so that the stuffing
remains intact when the relleno is cut.
The crosswise cut of the rellenD should
be about 1.5 em I '/. in.
Pan-fry a tablespoon of the stuffing to
test whether the seasoning is correct and
mixed properly.

pan.

14

Brush the butter over the chicken.

l,AM I Main Dis hcS

/17

Lech

Roasted Suckl ing Pig

I
'n p a

e r

nOr IS tnt:

11

bl rras (.r dellg~" w.:.r

tn~riH'

"",,
t,mClnn
r .. Dr

de' to spel.31 Que ...

o.

reen u.

'"~""

rrrn.;'1 d rz.

_0 , " ' . , " , ."

The Fe Ive TLlhlf.
I f( ml

.ow ." ,,, 'w, '.

r~H ~

9 t

B I~y n SJ :lnqac:
c;.Up'Jt)~ eol "'J nake the bee t5"n . ilnd.h fl'
'

the pin A, t e urnl,.led lit<on ~'hat He to 10~' I e abIes of the Ji'feren hQu f'( 1. ofr:
"'n r3 re~t' "0,.11 tre Baptist. s alSft the daV the saint Bearer' al d jJlf'i re ret ;par d b,-~ )m hy wattr on t 1(' c:tree t "lGi da Corde F . rp 'fl
rn
p'1t "In II v"r the toW" "'" th
f"rnd!10o, ~ lS,.
para~e j on ,ono POles: n Ph,'IN ..1t F, Jd and vfe]
Bac_varCS 01 Batanoas ,
)r1

fill

t~11

ecnv n, Slurn;;...

11

the

[son IS

S "

~e st3r, 11

e s: "lair mvst exper"'Ive Ite.

hl.maQe

20

1 ead

sp 1S

ck

qJ:'IQ

JC

Grind half of the black peppercorns.

The remaining peppercorns should
stay whole.

Crush, peel, and mince the garlic.

Divide into 2 portions.

Rub the entire cavity of the pig with

salt, crushed peppercorns, and half
the garlic. Let it stand for about 30
minutes.

Preheat oven to 180' C I 350'F.

Chop the basil leaves.

Chop the rosemary.

Tie the lemon grass in a bundle.

Stuff the
remaining

...

b il

'1 q rosemary

';: g

k. emon rass or eo lugh t s:ut+

-9

K t

e threa

fO

Wash the suckling pig inside and out.

Wipe dry with paper towels.

b ac pe pe or

I r g,

2 tbsp

T'ps

P ..
sed whole

tbs

r------

e ~

"j

oa: q

pig's cavity with the

garlic,
whole
black

The making of a good roast suck!"

g
(Iechon and litson are both co t,)n Pig
.
rrec starts
With the selection of the piglet. The best
pIgs for lechon are made from
a natllft
breed that have an evenly Spread fat
content. This makes the meat more tender
than commercially-bred hYbrid pigs, that
are appreciated for their lean meat.
Lechon de Leche means that the piglet
between the ages of 21-30 days is still
suckling. These piglets are often made Into
Cochiniffo, a Spanish-inftuenced dish.
Larger pigs are not as good for lechon as
young ones. Their fiesh is often tough, and
their fat solidifies too quickly when served.
It would therefore be better to have two
ideally sized lechons rather than increasing
the size of the pig for a larger group.
The ideal sizes for lechon de leche are:

Age 30 days; Live Weight: approx.

7-7.5 k, Dressed weight: 4.5-5 kg;
Serves 8-10

Sew cavity opening with kitchen

Age 45 days; Live Weight: approx.

8-8.5 k, Dressed weight: 5-5.5 kg;

thread using overlapping stitches.

Serves 12-15

peppercorns, basil leaves, rosemary,

and lemon grass.
10

11

Brush the skin with oil.

Cooking
1

Roast in the preheated oven for 45

minutes, brushing with oil every 15
minutes for a crisp result. If any part
of the pig starts to burn (feet, ears,
etc.) COver that part with foil.

Increase heat to 200'C I 400'F and

continue to roast for a further 30
minutes or until the skin is golden
and crisp.

Serving suggestion
Serve whole or Individually with ilver
sauce on the side. (SeE PAGE 210)

1281 I<UllNARYA

I AG

.
uldebook to P.hil'

--

Age 60 days; Live Weight: approx.

10.5- I I k, Dressed weight: 78 kg:
Serves 18-20

The traditional stu ffiIng nor lechon are

tanglad or lemon grass, tamannd lea'es.
,
per Vinegar
shallots garlic, leeks. and pep
.
,
lamanSI JUice
with cut shallots and salt, or ca
ood
th sour-based, are 9
and coarse sa It, bo
.
I sauce
substitutes for the traditIOnal Iver
an
.. na Ily cooked ,n
Lechan IS tradltlO
.
ver is
d etlan howe
open pit. The mOisture re u .
oven
. cooked ,n an
. for good
greater than when II IS
The best way [0 cut [ ~e iecnon Sta~
'h kltcren SCISSOrs.
presentatIon IS WI.,
'OP of the
II hole at the.
by punchlrg a SI'la
. 1 _ the sp ne
a'ght I nea.. ,.
spine then C"ut a str
crOSSW'lt
tWO InchO
to the ta.,. Cut every
bO'" ~deS
('om the spine to the be'Y on ., "
Vl'l" tI1(,.
carefully t.ft.ng the meat

Pina put

I da

Fried Fish Packets

T e tOry es'
0 h e r d

hi'

ew 'l'w'ute

dee

In

pd. bl 'h
h lJanan

)Ok "
['kf"t

'mi' dl
ntJI mq

tt e

fish

ed

Slice the large tomato crosswise into

'/2- cm I '/s-in pieces.

Peel and slice the white onions

crosswise into .5- cm I'/s-in pieces.

Cut the banana leaf into a 26 x 31

cm 110 x 12 in piece.

10

Score both sides of the fish with a

sharp knife.

n
c

nqer

11

Rub both sides of the fish with salt

and oil.

12

Insert the stuffing mixture into the

belly port ion of the fish .

13

Lay the fish on the banana leaf. Top

With the sl ices of tomato and onion.
Fold the sides of the leaf and secure
wi th string.

14

Repeat w ith the remain ing fish.

Cooking

Just when ready to serve

Pour the oil into a wok (kawalij.
When hot, slide fish packet gently
into the oil and fry for about 3
minutes.

Preparation

Turn the wrapped fish carefully

and cook on the other side for 2
minutes.

Repeat with the remaining packets.

Clean the fish.

Chop the tomato.

Chop the celery stalk finely.
Peel and chop the onion finely.

Serving suggestion

Peel and cut the ginger into thin

strips.

Place fish packet on a platter. Cut the

strings and open the banana leaf Garnish
with cilantro leaves. Best taken With
pinakbet (PAGE 92) or ensaladang talang
(PAGE 83) Serve with sliced salted egg.

In a bowl, mix together chopped

tomato, celery, onion, ginger strips,
salt. ground blac pepper, and oil.
ThiS m x Will be used as stuffing for
the fish. 0 Vide mto 4 portions.

Bring the oil to 190'C I 37S' F to prevent

the fish from absorbing too much grease.
The banana leaf adds aroma and flavor
to the fish. It also protects the fish from
burning in the oil. Aluminum foil or
parchment paper may be substituted for
banana leaves.
For a healthier option. charcoal-broil
or steam the fish instead of frying.
This recipe can use bongus (milkfish).
opohop (seabassl or kitong (spadefish).

Relleno
Stuffed Milkfisr
m rrOI P daur I q t Jr the p
h
ee
n
11'10 ed r ryr the,
d
keIeto .
ntll
e
. ar 10'"
oth r ,vcr
nG eGle
rookee
,ep
,
'le flS, look whole q. n.Nhl e t I
k
skiP rT'3 "
"lol

111g

cf h

n(JIl

I 1~

ncltl :lm:J tL. e

dpbl npd, flaked,

cilreful yen till el In thp 0 '11 J'i
r m r >/\ r, t .l" c;:tdl t:-~ r Jun( In
pI flC <;:'}J

e'liefYOdY r."enuS.
~e l

the other 2 in case the skin being

used tears.

4 whole r kf,sr I bonolJ I 2 kg.

app'oxir>1a t ely ';OG 9 eacl]
Ij (J/OfT'ansl

or 2 tbsp 30

Remove celery leaves. wash and set

aside. Clean celery stalks and chop.
Set aside.

In a saucepan, combine bay leaves.

half an onion. celery leaves and
water. Bring to a boil. then reduce
heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add
the milkfish meat with bones and
simmer 5 more minutes. Remove
the milkfish from the water. and
let dra in. The main spine should be
separating now. Carefu lly remove
spines and discard. Stra in the stock
and reserve 3 cups I 750 ml for the
accompanying sauce.

leme 1

JUice
2 tb. P IJO"" 5,lY sauce
~reshly rou

tsp I.>

black pepper

2 stalks I 8(, 9 ce ery

2 bay

eav~s

110G q on.~
6 cl.~S 11/5 water
L clove~

10

lie

Co

< medi ~-slzed

240 g to."atoe~

2 eqqs
'21j q Eaam c"eese
2 tbsp

1(1

2 tbsp

lG 1"'1 oil

Flake the milkfish meat, taking care

to remove all the bones. Set flaked
meat aside, and discard bones.

Crush. peel and mince the garlic.

Pee l and
fine ly.

g butte

cup 1200 g frozen peas

cup 112'; Q ral<lrS
,a~d peppe , te tacte
(

(lr

b'urh n9

Peel and chop the tomatoes.

10

Beat the eggs lightly in a bowl.

11

Grate the cheese to yield '11 cup

125 g.

'2

Soften butter to grease a 36 x

46.5-cm I '4 x , 6- in baking pan or
tray.

Cooking

Ext rac t"JUice from c%mans; to yield

Preheat oven to 180C I 350F.

In a preheated pan with 3 tbsp

oil, saute garlic, onion, celery and
tomatoes. Cook for 5-8 minutes.

Add the milkfish meat. peas and

raisins. and continue to saute for
another 2 minutes. Season with salt

In a bawl co mine
b'
ca/omans; J'uice
soy sa

. uce and ground pepper. In the

mixture. marinate the milkfish skinS
for 20
minutes. Only 2 skins are
needed for this recipe, but reserve

Stir eggs and cheese into the

mllkflsh
. mixture . Divide m',xture .Into
2 portions.

Remove milkfish skins from the

marinade. Carefully stuff the milkfish
mixture into 2 skins.

Brush the skins of the stuffed fish

with oil and transfer onto the greased
baking pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. until skins are

golden.

gges

10

Starting from the base of the back of the

head, slice each rel/eno diagonally into 6
pieces, each piece 1 in thick. Place on a
serving platter. and serve with sauce (SEE
PAGE 211) on the side or spread on the
platter.

onion

Carefully remove the meat from the

4 milkfish, leaving the skins intact
(SEE PAGE 221). The process separates
the mllkfish skins from the flesh with
the bones.
2 tbsp 130 ml.
3

remaining

Preparation

chop

and pepper. Allow to cool.

4

Tips
The ideal size of bongus for rel/eno is
500 g.

Be careful not to tear the skin.

The eggs in the recipe act as a binder
for the flaked fish meat and helps keep
the stuffing moist.
.
In Filipino markets and. increasingly.
In supermarkets. the debonlng can be
done by the vendors. Just Indicate that
you want the fish for rel/ena. The added
service also includes cleaning the fish of
its gills {hosongj and removing the guts.
Because mlIkfish
I have many fine bones.
It is important to check that they are all
removed. Stray bones in rel/enong bongus
are most unpleasant.
.. n
Milkfish can also be cut for Sin/go 9
(PAGE 63). poksiw (PAGE 120). and dOing
(PArE I 06).

Adobong Monok at Boboy I St w d Pork and Chic en in Vinegar and Soy Sauce

DOHO
Vinegar Braised

"Adobo, considered by many a Philippine national dish, is

cooked, pickled meat. Its etymology is the French adouber,
which originally meant 'to dress a knight in armor' and
then proceeded to mean: to arrange, to construct, to
tan leather, and to dress foods. Spaniards introduced

adobar with its marinade, but using island vinegar in the

Philippines rather than grape wine as in the home country.
Vinegar not only flavors, but tenderizes. By packing adobo
(which, in Spanish, means "pickle sauce") in lard, the viand
keeps for several days unrefrigerated." [Felice P. Santa
Maria, "One Pot Orch stra ion," in The Governor General's

Kitchen.]
"... the Spanish and
were alread

eXlcans sa\' the dish the Filipinos

coo mg, recognized its similarity tc theirs,

and called it 'adabo de los naturales' which are the words

used by dictionary rna er Pedro de San Buenaventura

(1613) ..."
"eer ainly both

exican and Filipino adobos are 'pickled'-

one in spices and lemon juice, the other in spices and

vinegar, and one can thus

eep (or travel with) both

Ithout refrigera ion: [Doreen G. Fernandez, "The Flavors

of

eXlco in Philippme Food and Cui ure-, in Tikim.J

Ad obo sa Gata
Stewea enl'"' (r

~egar and Coconut Cream

d
C.

e T

)f

ur A

l'y

op JI
hf' n l

B Cll, wher. the use

)f

co

con!,.t

regIon indiA' e., fo~" rna 1nl an

c;.
crt gon. an~ "wo . Iclnd provlrcps_
')

Serves 4 to 6

Cooking

1 kg chicken parts (thighs and breasts)

In a mixing bowl, comb ine the peeled

garlic and white pepper with the
vinegar and bay leaves.

as preferred

6 cloves 1 30 g garlic
1f4 tsp 11 g white pepper

Add the chicken and let sit in the

marinade for at least 30 minutes.

In a deep heated pan, saute the

chicken pieces in oil until brown
on all sides. Save the remaining
marinade.

Remove the excess fat from the pan

w,th a spoon.

Add the coconut milk and the

marinade and s.mn>er for 20 minutes
over mediJm heat until chicken
pieces are tender or the liquid has

'/2 cup 1120 ml vinegar (cane, palm, or

white)

2 bay leaves
1 tbsp 115 ml cooking oil

2 cups 1 480 m~ wa~

1 tbsp 1 15 g salt

2 cups 1 480 ml fresh coconut mil (SEE PAGE 206 )

---

1 cup coconut cream (SEE PAGE 20~)

almos evaporated,

2 to 5 green finger chi ies (slling

pangsigang)

Preparation

creamy sauce is formed.

Debone the CPIC en parts. ellt

duc er ,,,to 2.5-cm
Leave S In on.

Add the coconu cream and green

chil es and allow to Simmer over low
hea for another 2 rrlnutes or until a

he

1- n cubes.

CrJsr, peel, and rrlflce t e garlic

Extrac the cream and mil fro

ma ure coconu (SH PAGE 206)

he

Jus before serving

Repeat the adobo a"d serve hot.

Tips
Saute and brown the Chicken pieces first
to seal In the juices.
Because chicken with skin is used
some of the fat from the skin will b~
rendered in the cooking. It is important
to remove the excess fat because oil
will also form when coconut cream is
cooked.

Adobong Baka
Braised Bee f ir Vinegar
,.. , be

)( kE"u

t
d of mea
Ail ,n S
b
t" c' co'n,
theY "lake ado a w

Co

"OrK

l/

CJ.

but bf"e on

It)

iN"

b the eaSl commof'. In Batangas,

d b ef 01 tOljr+nrr

Serves 6

Cooking

1 kg beef short ribs

In a mixing bowl, combine the peeled

garlic and cracked peppercorns with
the vinegar, soy sauce, and bay
leaves.

'/. cup I 60 ml oil

6 cloves I 30 g garlic
1/2 tbsp 1 5 g black peppercorns

Add beef short ribs and marinate for

at least 1 hour.

In a deep heated pan, brown the beef

in oil in two batches over high heat.
Add the rema ining marinade.

Add the water to the pan. Bring to

a boil and immed iately reduce to
a simmer, 82 "C I 180"F, and cook
fo r 1'/2 hours or until meat pieces
are fork tender. Season with sa lt
accord,ng to taste before the liquid
has almost evaporated .

1/2 cup 1120 ml vinegar (cane, palm, or

white)
2 tbsp 130 ml soy sauce
2 bay leaves
4 cups 1960 ml water
1 tsp 1 5 g salt
Preparation

Have butcher cut the beef short ribs

Into 4 cm 11 '/2-in cubes.
2

Crush, peel, and mince the garlic.

Crack black peppercorns.

Tips

Just before serving,

Reheat the adaba and serve hot.

bunch~ of g3rhc (/)lJ",an<Jl

Short ribs work well because beef cuts

with some fat result in moist and flavorful
stews. Briskets and the neck (botok) are
also alternative meat choices.
Do not add salt until after the cooking
process is complete so the sauce does not
become too salty when reduced.

aboy

Adobong Manak a
5:eweO P.."

a.1C:'

(Ke'l In

"t f'n3 :III eve t e ( LJnt V

J( kn wn n

'>JuC'e

v'lYlega r ( (
CtA"

,md cllty f lvor Th E' at m4

lie 1)1 lrl
e CW lete ,1,,"]11 ~ '1 I. P e mlxe.

drk c 101

C
X Trool ;

nally,

"

I..

ve It d

be<t. en

tI

VtlOl'O

Serves 6

Remove chicken from mixture. Set

aside.

Continue simmering until the pork is

tender. Oil will be rendered from the
pork fat. Remove about liJ of the fat
from the sauce. Reserve the sauce.

In another heated pan, add oil or

some of the rendered pork fat. Add
3-4 cloves of crushed garlic, fry the
pork until golden brown. Remove the
pork and set aside.

500 9 pork belly (Iiempo)

500 9 chicken parts as preferred (legs
and thighs)

6 cloves 1 30 9 garlic
1/2

tbsp 15 g black peppercorns

1/2 cup 1120 ml vinegar (cane, palm, or

white)
1/4

cup 1 60 ml soy sauce

2 bay leaves

Add the chicken pieces and fry until

golden brown. Remove excess oil
and fat rendered .

Return the pork to the pot. With a

I ttle water deglaze the pan and add
the sauce that has been reserved.

enough water to cover meat

Preparation
Slice pork into 2 x 4 cm I 3/4 X 1112 in
pieces. Leave skin on.

Crush and peel th e garlic.

Crack the black peppercorns.

Cooking
1

In a wok, combine the crushed garlic

and cracked peppercorns with the
vinegar, soy sauce, and bay leaves.

Add pork, chicken, and water.

Simmer ~or 2.0 minutes over medium

heat until chicken is cooked.

Just when ready to serve,

Reheat adobo mixture. Gently toss

cooked meats. Serve hot.

Serving suggestion
Arrange adobo on a plate and wrap some
cooked nee in a banana leaf. Add atchara
(pickled vegetables) as siding. For atchara
recipe, see page 205.

Tips
There is no agreement
among Fl' .
coo ks on how m h
I Iprno
uc water to
odobo. A rule of th
. put 10
umb IS "
water to COver the meat." Th:nough
says to cook until the I" d
reCipe
Iqui has aim
evaporated, reSUlting in ad'
ost
f
fler adobo S
or those who want sauce d
. 0,
the liquid to dry up.
, 0 not allow
The . different cooking times of ~~
ingredient means this dish requires I
of tt .
a ot
a entlon. Remove the chicken from
the heat as soon as it is done; the pork
takes a while longer.
ThiS recipe uses a combination
cooki ng method. The chicken and pork
are simmered In water until tender, and
then browned. It is Important never to
bring the chicken to a boil so it does not
become tough and dry.
Another adobo method is to marinate
the chicken and pork, then brown them
before braising.
In the Batangas tradition, to reduce
the saltiness of the dish and for added
color. achuete (annatto) water may be
substituted for the soy sauce Adding
achuete oil to the liquid adds navor,
texture, and color Add 1 tbsp of It to'
cup of water Strain, then add at the end
of the cooking process. The last 5tep In
the recipe scraping and collecting tne
,
d nd bottom
meat that clings to the 51 es a
d u51ng It to
of the pot (deglazlng,) an
f ry
cret 0 ,e
enrich the sauce, IS the se

good adobo.
chicle"
Healthier adobo uses onlY ,",d'
h fk, but usta
One could keep t e po
stage ",1,
m
leaner cut. l ikeWise, the f'y 9
be sipped entlely.
Me /"tat
can ~3vt
Th S adobo vCrllon
adO/1O
d s cr 5PV
fla ed and tlle~ fr e

flol'es on page 149

(da

nq lOurr 1

Adobong Puti
Stewed Pork and Chicken in White Vinegar
Wh te odobogets 'ts name from the "white" [,.e., clear) v'"egar It uses-the appearance of the dish
is actually brown , due to the fryJng. PUrists JnSlst that "white adobo' ,s the c'asslc verslon ' b ecause
it highlights the trio of basic odobo flavors: vinegar, garlic and peppercorns, and eliminates soy
sauce, which tends to drown out th e otner f lavors.

SeMS4 to 6

Cooking

500 g pork belly (liempo)

In a mixing bowl, combine the crushed

garlic and cracked peppercorns with
the vinegar and bay leaves,

6 cloves I 30 g garlic
'/2 tbsp I 5 g black peppercorns

1f2 cup I 120 ml vinegar

(cane, palm, or white)

2 bay leaves

Add pork and chicken pieces. Let sit

in the marinade for at least 1 hour,

Using a heated pan, pour in the

cooking oil. Fry the pork pieces until
brown. Add the chicken pieces and
fry until brown. (Save the remaining
marinade.) Remove some of the
rendered fat

Add the water and the marinade

to the pan. Simmer for 20 minutes
over medium heat until the meat
pieces are tender or liquid has
almost evaporated. Taste and correct

500 g chicken parts as preferred

(leg quarter, breast. wings)
1 tbsp cooking oil

2 cups I 480 ml water

1 tbsp salt

".p.8IIon
1

SIitt port belly into 2.5 x 5 em I 1 x 2

in slice along the rib. Leave skin on.

Crush and pm the gartic.

CrId black peppatOmS.

seasoning.
Just bdore serving,

Reheat the odobo and serve hot

Tips
Some may point out that th
of adobo spices sold. e Packtts
In the
br
markets include lou I
pU Ie
..
re, or bay leaf
.
ThIS recIpe Insists that th b
e aSle odobo.
.
need not Include laurel as w"11
..
"asthe
other ingredIents
that add co Ior and
.
complexIty-soy sauce, achuete, and
coconut milk.

Adobong Pusit
stewed SqJ d
~ L -

c t"e ....

in IK

s t- ett r Ie:

>Nr vel sion.

Serves 4 to 6

Cooking
18-20 pcs 11 kg squid

Heat the pan until very hot, add the

oil and saute the garlic until brown.

2 cloves 110 g garlic

3 tbsp I 45 ml oil

Add the squid, paprika, bay leaves,

salt and pepper, and saute for 2
mnutes.

Pour In the vinegar and soy sauce

and add the fish stock. Bring to a
bOI then immediately reduce heat to
a bare simmer 82 ' C I l80' F. Cover.

Cook for 45 minutes or until the

squ ld is fork tender.

1 tsp 12 g paprika
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp 115 g salt
lh tsp 11 g freshly ground pepper

10 tbsp \150 ml vinegar

2 tbsp \30 ml soy sauce

1 cup fish stock
6160 9 green finger chilies
Preparation

Detach the head of the squ .d from

the body. Remove the Ink sacs and
reserve for future use.

Discard the beak inside the head.

Discard the st ff membrane from the
body Clean the squid thoroughly
under runnmg water. Set aSide.
CrUSh, peel and ml'lce the gark

Just before serving,

Add the green finger chilies and
simmer for anotrer 5 minutes. Serve

not.

Tips
Since squid can sometimes be tough, boil
the cleaned squid in water (without the
ink sacs) with a little ginger, until tender.
Then proceed with the cooking process.
To cook this dish with the ink, break
the ink sacs onto the squid and cook for
one minute before pouring in the vinegar,
soy sauce and fish stock.

Adob ong Kangkong

Braised Water Spinach
~e or go 'pan opon a.1obori", wde- <Pi" 3C C'lr ked '- .dob, Tultipo IS
Pus is a verslor 0 f t
,
b t< ~f park fat th~t "Jve bee~ re~ ere' of [II. Tre 'ulopc IS ~olr by bo"e"e, or
spr nkled on p, I .
panadena. beca use they still use porI< lard t1 n-ake their coo',r,. Some of these are 'he hojaldres'
nadas COOkie recipes mhe" .ed from tre Spanish.
kinamonci I an d bo
,

Serves 4

Cooking
1 kg water spinach (kangkongj
Just before serving , in a heated frying
pan, add oil, saute garlic and onion
until on ion is translucent.

1 cup I 240 ml water

1 tsp I 5 9 salt

2 cloves I 10 9 garlic
21160 9 onions

Add the water spinach bundles into

the pan.

Add immediately the vinegar, salt,

sugar, and pepper.

Simmer for 5 to 8 minutes or until

li qu id has almost evaporated, stirring
often but carefu ll y so that the
bundles do not come undone.

Add th e pork and cont inue cooking

for an oth er minute.

Se rve very ho t.

200 9 cooked lechan kawali (PAGE 109)

2 tbsp I 30 ml oil
1/4

cup I 60 ml white vinegar

1 tsp I 5 g salt

I 15 g brown sug ar
1/2 tsp I 1 g ground pepper
1 tbsp

Preparation
Wash and trim water sp inach,
discard ing roots and th ick stems. Cut
into 10 cm strips starting from the
t ips of the leaves. Bund le about 8
stems of spinach and t ie with a stem
of chive.
2

Boil the water then add t he sa lt.

Blanch the water sp inach bund les
for 15 seconds. Remove t he water
sp inach, dra in and immed iate ly coo l
to stop the cooki ng.

CruSh, pee l, and mince the garli c.

Pee l and chop on ions.

Cu t lechon kawali into 1-cm

CUbes.

I 1f.-in

Serving suggestion
Wi thou t t he meat, thi s can be served as
a vegeta bl e accompan iment to any grilled
or f ried meat e.g., crispy pata (PAGE 105),
ch icken masal (PAGE 102), lechon ka wali
(PAGE 109) or fish (pinaputok na isda, PAGE
131 ).

Tip
Besides water spinach (k
and long beans (sito) onglong), 01"
w , can be Cook d
the adobo style. Blanch vegetablesf~r In
seconds, remove, drain and cool b f 15
k
C .
e ore
coo Ing . ooklng the water s h
plnac In
bundies makes a neater
.
presentation
.
Tie the uncooked wa ter spinach
In smail
bundles with a stem or a sprig of chIVe.

C1T
Noodl es

"Paneit comes from the Hokkien pian+e+sit, which means

'something that is conveniently cooked' and originally did
not necessarily mean noodles. The noodle dish became
ind igen ized-accu Itu rated, ada pted to loca I ingredients,
tastes, occasions." [Doreen G. Fernandez, "The Noodles of
Our [Long] Lives", In Tikim.]
Go anywhere in the Ph ilippines and you can get paneit.
Each town, province or reg ion has a version that differs by
noodle, by sauce, by garn ish ing, by cooki ng procedure.
Noodles can b

otorlyhon, bihon, can ton or mikl. The

names of the noodl dishes are descriptive in that they can

indicate color {pula}, the place where it is sold (istasyon),
how it is eaten (habhab), the supposed inventor (Henoy), its
provenance ( 1ufobon).
There are two methods for cooking poneit: sauteing for
a dry version, or a soupy version that includes broth in
wh ich to boil the noodles. The pan cit mayor need not
have sohog, the term for the bits of meat or seafood and!
or

getabl s mix d in with the noodles. [Michaela Fenix,

"Coun ry Coo ing", Philippine Doily Inquirer.]

Pan

Ulsado

sauteed R ce Nood e
te Cp

quP

B,hor>

IS

vne

of the ba '

Sf e

4 cups 1 t P co d water

tsp 2qsa+
4

ts

1 9 wlJole b a:::K oepperwrns

2'iC g pork be y !tempo

200 9 sl" rrps

Peel and devein the shrimps. Reserve

the heads and shell trimmi ngs to
make the shrimp stock (SEE PAGE 207).
Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms
until soft. Drain and discard t he
hard stems. Cut the caps into '/2 cm
strips.

When ready to serve:

,

Add the d

ry nce noodles and toss with

the rest of the cooked ingredients.

Cook unhl all the liquid and the

cooked Ingredients have been
absorbed and incorporated into the
noodles.

30 g dr ed ~hlltaKe '111.1 hroorrs

Crush, peel, and mince the garlic.

water for soak nq 'Tll.lshroorrs

Peel and chop the onion.

Serving suggestion

Cut the cabbage in long narrow

stri ps of '/2 cm I 114 in .

Place the cooked noodles on a platter or

indivi dual bowls. Garnish with thin slices
of kamias. Serve with halved colomons;
and ad ditional fi sh sauce as needed on
the si de.

c oves 10 9 gdr c

80 9 on on
tsp lqsa
SD 2

7
t

q qrourd b olC pe per

4 tbsp 60 m soy

60 gsa car

StriP beans of ribs and cut diagonally

Into lh -cm 11/4- in long strips.

Slice the kam ias crossw ise thinly.

10

Ha lve the calomonsi.

Jce

2 bsp 30 m f h '>aUU'

00 9 caboagf'

Peel and cut carrot into julienne

5 rips.

Cooking

60g ee

In a wok, add the fat portion that

was set aside and render oil until
crispy. Set aside the crispy fat. Using
the same oil, saute the garlic, onion,
shrimps, and sliced pork. Add the
shrimp stock.
2

Season with salt, pepper, soy, and

fish sauces.

Add the carrots and green beans.

Sir-fry for 1 minute.

Add he cabbage and mushrooms

and continue coolong for another
m nute

Add the par broth and let bOIl.

Tips
Unlike other noodles, bihon does not
need to be soaked beforeh and. This keeps
the noodles intact and allows them to
absorb the flavors from the broth.
The shrimp juice is an important fl avor
of this dish.
Cutting the vegetables into equal Sized strips allows for even cooking. Set
aside some of the vegetables to ladle on
top of the finished dish for presentation.
Bihon is available in all f ilipino markets
and groceries. There are va rieties that are
first rate and some Imported ones that
carry the term "rice sticks"

Sota

GUisado

f\fiu ng Bea n Noodl Saute

e of their tra nslucen t

.
Kong nr Ch"Ina and th us quality when

rte
n

Spf"C

11 Dec "'''''ons.

Peel
. an d slice the carrot into th O
In
strips.

1 1250 g cf\lcke n breast, bone-ir

20 9 blac~ fungus (tengang aaga)

we re ex pe n ~i ve:.

Slice green beans or snow peas into

diagonal thin pi eces.

When the black fun gus has hydrated

and increased in size, strain. Cut into
thin strips.

2 '00 g small o~io r s

10

Strain the soaked noodles.

16 180 9 garl c cloves

11

Chop the spring onions finely.

12

Slice each colamansi in two.

13

Make the annatto oil.

w2'er to soa Mushroo!Tl

250 9 mung bean noodies (sotangno n)

4 cups 1 ter water

100 9 fresh sf't"I"'PS

2 '00 9 carrots
100 9 green beans (hablchue/os) or
snow peas (chichDro)

Cooking
Place ch icken bones, blended shrimp
heads and trimmings, and water into
a pot. Boil for 30 minutes. Strain the
broth and reserve. Discard the soli d
pieces.

6 ..... ,amansl

2 sprigs I 20 g spr '1g onions

6 tbsD 90 rnl anratto 01 (E PA E 207)

4 cups 960 ml water

Just before serving,

r.sh sauce (patls), salt and pepper to

aste

Preparation

Saute the onion and the other half

of the minced garlic until both are
translucent in color.

Add the sliced chicken, shrimps, and

Debone chicken breast. Slice into

stnps. Reserve the bones for the
stOCk.

2
3
4

In a preheated pan, pour in the

annatto oil.

black fungus,
Soak the black fungus in water.

Pour in the broth and immediately

add the presoaked noodles. Bring ~o
a simmer and cook until the liqUid
has been absorbed by the noodles.

Add the carrots and green bea ns.

Toss well by using 2 ladles.

Season with fish sauce, salt, and

Soak the noodles In water for at least

30 minutes.
Peel and slice he onion thinly,
Cr

peel, and mince the garlic.

Use a qor COOKing
"
and the other
a f for ga'nlsn
<; ,

pepper accordingly.

Pee and d

n he S rll1'Ips. Rese ve
t
ad a d shell r ml g5 Blend
a fOOd roceSsor Se aSide '

'I f ry the
In a small pan With 01,
remaining minced garbc. Se t aSi de

Serving suggestion
Serve on a platter with the fried
.
spring onions sprinkled liberall9arlic and
Have the halved ca/omonsi, fi~ho~a~:'
and a black pepper mill ready on the side:
Tips
Noodlescome in grades and for this dish
the sotonghon must be first clals. 1hi;
means the noodles will remain whole and
intact when cooked.
All noodle dishes derive their flavor
from the broth and ingredients like shrimp
juice. Black fungusaddstexture and color
to the dear sotanghon. 1he chicken
and vegetables should be cut in equalsize stri ps for even cooking and better
presentation. Simply adding more chicken
and shrimp broth to the cooked noodles
makes a soup version of this dish.

Pancit Lu gJo

Rice Noodles witr Topping') an(.

to d,nk In wate I T~
I to
e H tern, e f

L qlC I n e~,

e of t
",c din

~auce
unkmc ..

caked

m dle'i n "'ot WJte

dies ~re tJS~ ~

Thll

\i

"tte rIce nlD

pam Il, e 'If e "th t f h nl 'o",n..,f

f:. M, I,bor In the
rnosllv '\ie'll od c dmq hw k r1 Q'y t r,. unlit M'llab(ln I~

In this

.. nt::Jln

Jce '
f 'vlanda . The $c
llrho
f
ddho'vert-h Cluntr
If' ndary and IS row I, un
~erves

k r I~
r,oc'e~
panClt /'JO/og
500 g' hIC
"
. ,
water 'or soak 19 noodles

2 cloves I '09 garlrc

200 q shr

Peel and devein the shrimps. Set aside

in the chiller for later use as topping
for the paneit. Strain and reserve the
broth, as well as the heads and shell
trimmings and make a stock (1 cup I
240 mIl to flavor the sauce (SEE PAGE
207).

r
-Tips

pmch c/ salt
a~'1atto (aehuetp ) 011

4 tbsp I 60
( E

Cu .

t 2071

In a pot, heat the annatto oil and

saute garlic for 1 minute.

4 tbsp I 609 g -purpose flot.

4 Cu~; 960 rT'1 chiC er sUck
1 tbsp I 20

Add the flour, whisking continuously.

Cook for another minute.

Add the shrimp stock and chicken

stock and cook for about 15 minutes,
stirring continuously.

Season the resulting sauce with fish

sauce and pepper. Set aside and keep
warm.

Borl the noodles for 2-3 minutes,

then drain. Cooked noodles will
expand to approximately 1.2 kg .

Prepare the toppings (see following

spread).

f 5 sauce (pot 5,

tep .75 9 white pepper

Preparat ion

Soak the rice noodles in water for 4

hours.
2

Crush, peel and mince the garlic.

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add

the shrimps and a pinch of salt.
Remove from the heat as soon as
shrrmps turn pink.

Thin rice noodles Or b'h

'
I on are So
.
substituted for the thOk'
metlm
. es
Ie er luglo 8
noodles do not need to b
g. Ihon
b T'
e soaked before
01 109. Simply simmer until tend
Th
er.
e sauce and toppings for p
L I
onm
ug og are traditionally POured Or
arranged over the noodles. An alternative
IS to mix the noodles gently into the
sauce until evenly distributed before
toppings are scattered On top.

ooodkS o.
noodfts Of
Ih n rl

Th

.1

and

Toppings
bilimbi (kamias)

2
1

pork crackling (chlch.ron)

smoked ftsh flakes (Mapa)

hard.bOlltd egg

fuglOQ

~ud

sauce

,ng'

'" rl:mt3

8
'J

spr"9 "
I",

l'

Pancit Luglog Toppings

5 clovesl2S 9 gar/lc

Slice pork into strips.

Wash squid and remove tentacles.

Peel off skin from the body and slice
into rings. Remove beak and ink sac
from tentacles. Wash to clean.

1 180 gonion

250 g pork meat

250 9 squid

Flake the smoked fish and wrap in

aluminum foil.

Remove
the steamed shrimps
from the chiller (see ingredients in
preceding sauce recipe).

Coarsely chop the pork cracklings.

Chop the coriander leaves.

Chop the spring onions.

10

Divide annatto oil into 2 portions of

2 tbsp I 30 ml each.

100 g smoked fish (tinapa)

~pork cracklings (chicharonL

2 sprigs I 10 g coriander eaves

(wansuy)

2 spr~s 109 spnng oniors

4 tbsp I 60 ml annatto oil (PAGE 207)
_3 eggs
2 bay leaves

sa t and pepper

Cook'ng
"'1/amans I,

a~

accorT'pa mert
n

Hard boil the eggs. When done, peel

and slice into wedges and set aside.
While the eggs are cooking do the
next procedures.

'I~ sauce, as ~"companlf"\e.,;

Preparation

C'Jsh peel - d .
DV d '
dn mince the garrc.
t equally nto 3 portions.
Pe_1 and h
C op the onion . D, Jlde
eqJa { oto 2 POrtions.

To make the pork topping: In a

preheated pan with 1 portion of the
annatto oil, saute 1 portion of the
garlic, 1 portion of the onion, and:
bay leaf. Add the pork and cook until

tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Set aside.
3

To make squid topping: Preheat

the same pan once more with the
remaining portion of the annatto
oil. Saute 1 portion of the garlic and
the remaining portion of the onion
and 1 bay leaf. Add the squid rings
and tentacles and cook until tender.
Season with salt and pepper. Set
aside.

In the same pan, fry the remaining

chopped garlic. Set aside.

Roast wrapped flaked smoked fish on

the stove.

Assembly
Whether for family-size serving or for
single-size serving, place cooked noodles
on a plate then pour sauce over. the
noodles. Arrange the following toppings
over the sauce: pork, squid, shrimps, and
eggs. Sprinkle on top the flaked sm~ked
fish and the chopped pork cracklings.
coriander leaves, spring onions. and fned
gar/ic. Serve with sliced ca/amans l and
fish sauce.

Cassava Bibin gka

"'
Ca550 v ~ ,-,a
l

c ena,1..o e ,..

In

sugal, or grated I.'h ~n cooked

lnr )

c; LJS

Serves 6 to 8

2 kg cassava (kamateng kahoy)

Cooking

~ cups 1330 ml coconut milk

--

(SEE PAGE.~2::0:::
6):..-_ _ _ _ _ _ __

3 whole eggs

Tips

Bake the cassava mixture in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until
almost set with the center still soft.
Meanwh ile, make the topping.

r IJ cups 13~9 white _su---,g:-a_r _ _

~ 3 ml~~illa

essence

__

13 cup 1 75 ml evaporated _m Ik
1 tbsp 1 15 g butter

banana leaves

Cassava Cake Topping

1 /1 cups I 330 ml coconut cream
206)

(SEE PAGE

3 egg yolks
1/1 cup I 163 m condersed Milk

12 3-Jn tartlet Molds or 1 round '2 - n

nonstick pa'1

2 bsp I 33 9 butter
1 tsp I 3 r'll vam a essence

Preparation
Preheat oven to 180' C 1 350' F

Preparation

Peel cassava . Grate to yield 4 cups.

Prepare tre extracted coconut cream.

If USing mature cocorut, extrac

rJ1 1,k, Reserve coconut cream fror'l
the Irst pressing for he topping.

Cooking

Crack the eggs Into a bowl. Add t e

grated cassava, coconut ml , sugar,
va~' a essence, and e aporated mi.
I.

Comb :oe he egg yolks, condensed

mil. butter. ard vanilla essence
In a saucepan. Cook over low heat,
stlfring contlfluously, until mixture
becomes sticky. Add the coconut
cream and continue to cook until

well,

Cut the banafla 'eaves In 0 4 1h - in

round Ii ers to I,ne the bottom and
SIdes of e mold. Grease the banana
lea es w.
e softened bu er l.lfle
e a Ie r'lO ds 50 g
e cassa a IT! x ure No h'led
o ds atlOJ three-qua I."rs of

thiCk.

Spread he mixture In a thin, layer on

op of the baked cassava caKes.

Re urn the cassava ca es to the oven

(180' C I 350' F) and ba e for another
10 minutes, or ntil golden brown.

Serving Suggestions

~ e nd dual cassa a ca es
banana leaf

0 ds

0 from

In their
e a en. or

Instead of small tartlet molds, a 12-in

round non-stick pan may also be used.
Another option to cassava is grated
sweet potatoes, or komote.

Buko Fru
....

qC (

Sc... ( (

a ad
P

ety )r

lr

un ~"t
!o
r

II

ld"

e
fr It

II

e )
t Tnr

"trelj~(I,
I

) dlw V

Serves 6

'2

cup I 125 g ch eddar ch eese

In a preheated double boiler, place the

egg yolks, fresh milk, and sugar and
mix thoroughly. Whisk continuously
for 10 minutes, or until a creamy
custard is formed. Set aside and
allow to cool to room temperature.

I 850 g fn,lIt cocl<tail

car
2

Cooking

cup I 125

'11

a -purpose crearr

2 eggs

Meat f' orr 1 young cocor.ut {bukoj

206)

(SEE PA
1

cup I 120 ml fres'1

'T'

In a large m:xing bowl, put all

the drained fruit cocktail, raisins,
coconut S ripS, and whipped cream.
Add tre custard and mix well. Add
the cheddar cheese.

Transfer t e fru salad to a covered

conla ner and chili for 2 hours before
serJlng.

tbsp I 12 g white sugar

1 cup I 250 g ra sms

frUit scraper
Preparation
(Two hours before serving)
Grate the c eddar cheese.
2

Drain t e can of fruit coc a I.

hip teall-purpose cream,

5epara e the eggs, and discard the

w
5

es.

It scra~r, scrape e meat

rom e oung coconut mto long
hln S r ps.

Tips
Chilling cheese in the freezer for
minutes will make it easie t
30
,.
r 0 grate
Traditionally, only th' k
'
Ie, whipped
aII -purpose cream is used Th'
' .
'
IS may be
enriched With
a Custard ,asIinS
th' rfCIpe.
,
.
Some recipes call for mayonnaise as well
as cream,
Set aside some sliced peaches and
cherries to decorate the salad for
serving .

Guinomis

pandan and Molass~s-flavor~d Gelatin

ary ced f1'Ie Jl t ndL cone c .... n> th
.. (.h(.'ved Ice trfat bt. w t feIN
I
- . .-110-

T~ e ar

'11

I)ffe

reI

e~

II"

th,.

I clirr -,t

t
G
e~. 1UJm m's I1ke
d f
'
,
..)l a
0 (1W<;. l'ulk
Neo"ten< ut unJq I fl
'

t"')OII

co

r I gre l Ie.'

(OCOl"lJ+ milk tn~ e

);>.

'u
parttCU ar nchnelis. Pam.cha, or nlOlas:. S cake.
gIVe
J
l' df''isert.

ot mlv

U"" Y

c- 'Iors

Serves 4

4 cups I 960 ml water

Cut gulaman or gelatin into cubes.

Tips

~100 g uncooked sago (tapioca

In a saucepan, boil 3 cups of water

with 4 pandan leaves, molasses cake
and brown sugar. Let it simmer,
stirring until the sugar and molasses
have dissolved. Reduce until mixture
thickens into a syrup. Set aside and
let cool. Remove the leaves and
discard.

It is possible to substitute the pondon

leaves with 'il tsp I 2 ml pondon flavoring
added to a little water.
White agar-agar and white syrup
can be combined to make an all -white
variation of guinomis.

In another pan, dry-toast the pinipig.

Set aside.

If using a mature coconut, extract

the cream.

pearls)
'/2 bar

15 g red agar-agar (gulaman)

3 cups I 720 ml water

'/J cup 140 g wh ite sugar

3 cups I 720 ml water

4 screwpine (pandan) leaves

-----

'/2 pc I 350 g molasses cake (panacha)

1 cup I 240 g brown sugar
16 tbsp 1120 g pinipig (pounded young
rice grains)
1'/2 cups I 360 ml freshly squeezed
coconut cream (SEE PAGE 206)

4'/2 cups 11 liter shaved ice

Preparation and Cooking

1

In a saucepan, boil the 4 cups of

wate r and add the tapioca. Cook,
stlrnng continuously, until the
tapioca is transparent. Drain and
nnse under running water. Put in a
bOWl and set aside.

Assembly
Just before serving :
Into four tall glasses, portion and layer
the
ingredients-tapioca,
agar-agar
(gulaman), pinipig and pandan syrup. Top
generously with shaved ice and pour in
coconut cream. Serve immediately.

In another saucepan, soak the agarag .

ar 'n 3 cups water for 10 minutes
then add the sugar. Bring to a boil'
CoOkmg
un
t'I h
i t e agar-agar has'
.
dissolved
I
.
camp etely. Strain and
pOI ur Into a flat-bottomed shallow
g assc t'
on amer. Refrigerate to set.

molasses ca ke (panocha)

Halo-halo
Mixed Fruits and Beans in Shaved Ice
10 the tradiWnal '311 ,Iutee qla, , 'an ed: r ,no le<s baroque 5 I
d
'Se rvee J P
.
' p en or On
soar ng Sight lifts the Spirit an( ha' 'he pllwe r to ban"h the heat
A
sapping
day I " e .
.
separate 01
I' halo-halo especial. It IS the hu,..,ble regul.r but knlgh"ed by Ih
b'I'
a's
aIWget.,el ' .
e no I Ity of Phil! I
che f,on [egg yolk custald) and makopuno [a rare vdriety of COCon t)
pp ne
,weets - le
.
.
u -surmounted b a
'th
. Y
f ce cream, topped by a towering mound of shaved ice, sprinkled ove
scoop 0 I .
".,
.
r WI toasted p'nipi
'Ice Cflsp,es) and sugar [Luning Sonlfaclc Ira, "Halo-Halo" In The Cul,n
C I
9

~ ~I

~u~of~

Ph IIlPpme'.]

Macapuno (Cocon ut Sport)

YI~ld'

Yield: cup

1 cup /185 g meat from 1 young

coconut (buko)
_ __
7

Kondol (Wintermelon)

cup /100 g sugar

P/. cups

'/2 / 200 g wintermelon (kondol)

2 cups / 480 ml water

1 cup / 200 g sugar

White Beans
Yield: 3 cu ps

1 cup 1180 g white beans

8 cups I 2 liters water
3/4

cup 1150 g sugar

1'/2 cups / 180 ml water

Soak beans in water overnight.

Crack open coconut sport and grate meat
into strips.

Peel wintermelon. Remove seeds and core.

Cut into l-cm cubes.

Combine coconut strips, water and sugar

in a pot. Boil for 20 minutes, or until
coconut strips are cooked. Transfer to a
bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Combine wintermelon, water and sugar

in a pot. Boil for 15 minutes or until
wintermelon is cooked. Transfer to a bowl.
Refrigerate until ready to use.

Kamote (Sweet Potato)

Saga (Ta pioca Pearl s)

Veld 1 ,~p~

Yield 1 tops

2 244 g sweet potato (kamote)

1 cup

2 cups /480 ml water

8 cups I 2 liters water

1 cup 200 g sugar

112 cup

170 g tapioca pearls

Langka (Jackfruit)
v,eld 1 cup

1 cup

I 165 g jackfruit

11/2 cups 1180 ml water

'2

cup 1100 g suga r

I 100 g sugar

Prepar
Peel sweet

Transfer the white beans with the water

to a pot, add sugar and bring to a boil.
Simmer for 45 minutes until beans are
tender. Drain and transfer to a bowl.
Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cut jackfruit crosswise into strips.

t
po atoes. Cut into l-cm cubes.

aratlc
Soak tapioca pearls in water overnight.

Cookll~

Combine SWeet
in a pot B '1 potatoes, water and sugar
. 01 for 15 m
t
potatoes a
InU es or until
Refrlgerater~nCtOloked. Transfer to a bowl.
, ready to use.

Transfer tapioca pearls and water to a pot

and add sugar. Boil for 35 minutes or until
pearls are tender and translucent. When
done, drain and put in a bowl. Refrigerate
until ready to use.

Combine jackfruit, water, and sugar in a

pot. Boil for 20 minutes or until jackfrUit IS
cooked. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate
until ready to use.

Haleyang Ube (Purple Yam)

'yelt

11

1(1

Tips

y,

There are no st .
E
net rules f

1 cup 1120 r, slIq'

1 kg purple yam lube)

1 /'
'

Koong (Sugar Palm

cup I 250 g sugar

1 cup

I 240 ml

1 cup

I 200 q sugar

r <lIm

w~ter

3 cups I 750 ml coconut milk

1/,

can I 150 ml condensed milk

1/, bar

Wash suga r palm .

I 125 g butter

ve:ryone IS f ree to
Or halO-halo
preference: for the m" express theIr ow

IX of 109 d"
n
A flOe ice sha
.
re lents

ve r

II

"

'12 cup I 50 g roasted young rice

1

Red Monggo Beans

Roast pounded young rice in wok for 7- 10

minutes or until toasted. Set aside.

I cup I 180 g red mung beans

Gulaman (Red Agar-Agar)

8 cups I 2 liters water

cup 1150 g sugar

I

Soak beans in water overnight.

I 6 g red

1/4

cups

4
5
6
7

agar-agar bar

5 cups I 1.2 liters water

I 50 g sugar

10
11

12
13

14
In a pot. place the red mung beans with
the water and sugar and bring to a boil.
Simmer for 45 minutes until beans are
tender. Drain and transfer to a bowl.
Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a saucepan, soak the agar-agar bar in 3

cups water for 10 minutes, then add sugar.
Bring to a boil, stirring continuously to
keep lumps from forming, until the agaragar has dissolved completely.

Saba (Plantain)

Strain and pour into a shallow, f latbottomed glass container. Refrigerate to

set. Cut into cubes.

p'

4\ 450 g plantains
I cup \ 240 ml water
I cup \ 200 g sugar

J.

Peel plantains and cut into cubes.

u .ung
Combine plantains, water, and sugar in a
pot. Bod for 12 minutes or unt',1PIantainS
.
are . cooked. Transfer to a bowl and
refrigerate until ready to use.

I KULtNARYA I A Guidebook to

Scratch.

Pinipig (Pounded Young Rice)

174

and bottled. White d eadYcOoked

an colored b
re d mung beans. sugar palm (' " ns'
coconut gel (nota de coco) sw ,Oong).
bananas
and jackfruit (Iongko)
'
.
areetened
.
available in bottles in th
e eaSily
e superma,k t
. .
rna k109 It almost effortl e55 to quick!e ,
assemble a ho/o-ho/o bUffet.
Y

Combine sugar palm, water and sugar

in a pot. Boil for 12-15 minutes or until
syrup thickens. Transfer to a bowl and
refrigerate until ready to use.

Transfer to a heavy pan, add the condensed

milk and butter and cook on low . heat,
stirring continuously, until the mixture
holds together and starts separating from
the pan. Transfer to a shallow pan lined
with plastic film and allow to cool.

ow ever, an are available. r

Boil the ya m until tender. Peel and cut

into cubes, then grind in a food processor
with the sugar and coconut milk.

3/4

IS

excellent halo-ha lo. Evapor

nee ted for an
traditional. but fresh '1 a ed milk 1\
half works fine.
ml k Or halfand.
The reci pes show how to
each of the ingredi
prepare
H
ents from

t.:~

It is fun to make a selection from a variety

of ingredients. Make halo-halo layered in
a tall glass, and cover with shaved ice up
to the rim. Add sugar, if desired. Pour in
a little milk, and top with a spoonful of
leche flon (SEE PAGE 197) and haleyong ube
(purple yam jam). If you wish, add a scoop
of ice cream .

Phili

15

sweet potato (komote)

sugar palm (kaong)
coconut sport (macopuno)
pounded dry ,ice (pinipig)
coconut gel (nata de coco), bottled
wintermelon (kondol)
caramel custard (/eche flon , SEE PAGE 197)
purple yam jam (haleyong ube)
white beans
corn kernels, canned
plantain (saba)
red manggo beans
red agar-agar (gulaman)
tapioca pearls (sago)
jackfruit (langka)

14

puto
Rice Cakes
t very own day on [ece bt"l
r.
n
en has I 5
house: anyone C;;!" go UI ~n -I
t
an open
"8
hOUse is kec; the bes t" [Grlda Cordero" nan, o. I
I
'PutO e.v

town ma
alld [Ife.]

'e

C If

nat Ire

On

r I

t~nq

PUT) da

)k 1nd
I 'f ~very
FDC . II <l F:um Ife" Ir PhJlIfI lje who In
I 'PIJlTlc Food
C'e

Yields 30 pieces

Pandan Flavored Rice Cake

I cup 1185 9 rice

- I 225 ml water
-

Pandan Puto

]Cup

Use the puto recipe, and add

1 tbsp 113 9 cooked__

ric_e - - - - -

6 leaves mature screwpine (pondan), or

its equivalent flavoring

'h cup 195 9 white sugar _ _ __

1tb;l9 9 baking powder

Preparation

Trim the bottom part of the pandan

leaves and discard. Cut the rest of
the leaves into 5-cm pieces then mix
with water. In a blender, puree the
mixture. Strain, discard leaves.

oil for brushing plastiC wra p

Preparation

Wash rice and soak in water for at

2

Add the cooked rice.

Pour in the soaked rice into the

blender. Add some of the water used
for soaking unti l it reaches the level
of the rice. Blend for 11/2 minutes
only. Repeat with the remaining
rice.

Pour the blended rice into a bowl.

Add the rest of the water, sugar,
and baking powder. Mix to a smooth
mixture.

Usi ng cheesecloth or a very fine

sieve, stra in the mixture into another
bowl.

Brush the plastic wrap with oil, then

line each well of a muffin pan. Trim
the wrap so that each one fits snugly
Into each wel l.

Pour 2 tbsp of mixture into each

muffin wel l.

It

i~

important not to Open the steamer

dU"ng COoking ti me as this affects the \

"sing of the puto.
\
Apart from muffin pans, small, round \
containers of porcelain

sawsowan

plastic wrap

least 5 hours.

Tips

Wash rice and soak in the pandan

water for at least 5 hours. Follow the
puto recipe.

Serving suggestion

Serve puto alongside noodle dishes (PAGES

157-159).

or pla stic can be used. 13/4 diameter \

containers were used for this recipe.

Soaking the rice for the right length of \

time is critical.

In the old days. a stone grinder was

used to grind the soaked rice. Today. a
blender approxi mates stone-gro und rice
better than a food processor.
Use a fine cheesecloth to strain the \
mixture, rocking the cloth from side to
side; it is more effiCIent than squeezing
\
the cloth.
Puto may be stored in the freezer, but
separate the pieces with wax paper. Thaw
and steam before serving.
Pandan puto is not only colorful, it has
that distinct flavor and aroma.

COoking

Place the muffin pan inSide a steamer.

Steam for 15 minutes over high heat
~nd i sturbed .

When COOled, pul. up each puto using

tre plastic map. RemoJe the wrap
and dl5(:ard.

s<:rewp,ne (pandan)
L
I 111
A I Sn ac~5
lERIE\ D

1<utsinta
I"

A
'pi
d 10 01. ( pot with d I
tp. te- T ,Lh c rccnt te fit
' Ight cr,rk
I pred dovin dro b
Ir.l la' r owl un p, e h TI" w t~e e, e' fa, rna k n9 nee
. cak P. V rlrop
[C.d Corde OF rr rdC) 'I' tlnq ',A.hlOtheWoodS
. P such"
tove , 10 Philippine

Yields 10 piece,

5
1 12 cups 302 g rice
3 2 cups 800 ml water
'
~ tbsp lye water (fihwo)

Brush the plast ic wrap with oil, then

line each well of a muffi n pan. Trim
the wrap so that ea ch one fits snugl y
Into each well.

Pour 2 tbsp of mixture into ea ch

muffin well.

112 cups I 258 g brown sugar

,a~c

wrap

oil for brushing plastic wrap

Preparation

Cooking

Wash rice and soak in water for at

least 5 hours.
2

Put half the soaked rice in the blender.

Add soaking water up to the level of
the rice. Blend for 1'12 minutes only.
Repeat with the remaining rice.

Pour the blended rice into a bowl.

Add th e remaining water, lye water,

and sugar. Mix well until smooth
and all the sugar has dissolved.
'

Using
a cheesecl oth or a very f'me
"
Sieve, stra,n t he mixtu re into another
bowl.

Place the muffin pan in a steam er.

Steam for 45 minutes to an hour
over medium heat.
2

When cooled, pull up each piece

using the plastic wrap. Remove the
wrap and discard.

Serving suggestion
Serve the kutslnto with grated coconut.

Tips
Lye water, which gives kutsinto its
broWnish
color ' 15 available commerCIally
.
d
to a Ye Always check the date of expiration
as It has a relatively short shelf life
'
Apart fro m muffin pans, small, 'round
SOwsowo n containers of porcelain or
plastic can be used.
Use a fine cheesecloth to strain the
mixture, rocki ng the cloth from side to
side; it is more efficient than squeezing
the cloth.

Palitaw
Rice Paste Ro ll ed in Sesame

Yields 12 pieces

1 cup 1185 g glutinous nee (malagktt)

Toast the peanuts. Chop coarsely.

2 cups 1 450 ml water
cups 1375 g peanuts

14

cup 1 60 g sesame seeds

12

cup I 95 g white sugar

Toast the sesame seeds.

Combine he sugar, toasted sesame

seeds, and peanuts on a plate.

Crac the coconut and grate the

mea (SEE PAGE 206). Set aside.

Cooking

Preparation
Palttaw

WI

Wash rice then soa in the wa er or

at least 3 hours.

Drain the wa er from he flce.

In a blender, gnnd
smooth paste.

cakes.

1 mature coconut

h water,

one a a [me.
e surface, he

he nee In 0 a

Wrap the nce paste In cheeseclo

and let i Sit until all he I qUid as
drained. A heavy weigh se on op
will help squeeze ou
e excess
water.
Roll he rice pas e In 0 small balls
approximately 50 grams each and 2 5
cm 11 In in diame er. USing he palms
of your hands, flatten each ball un II
1 cm thlC With your thumb ma e a
dent by pressing the cen er of each
ea e. Arrange flattened ea es s de by
!>Ide on a ba ng ray.

ey do not

Serving suggestion
J s be ore se
ca e and s re c
p eee Dredge eac
peanu mix ure

Tips
Politow is traditionally

e eac f1a ened

0 a ribbon-ii e
e sugar-sesame-

Co I he p eees and arrange on a platter.

Spfln Ie w
he gra ed coconu ,

sel'led as ftat oval

The soaking p
rocess of at least 3 h
.
IS an Important st .
' . Ours
ep In achleVin
right reSUlts.
g th~
In the old days, a stone grinder w
used to grind the soaked rice T d as
bl
. a ay a
ender approximates stone-ground r:ce
better than a food processor.
The sesame seeds and ground peanuts \
can be served separately.

sapin -sapin
Layered Sticky R'ce Cake
ed ;ve e the flce
e A k m
E IJ par" ularly sopin-so
t
t
Pill. which 1- d
en milky, eml tran
e
e
e v pI onful "" d creamy d I h
- I,e to
,X r c;e"
E n h
<
d
e
'g t as the mU III
oe
d
the mouth. ve w en re nq nte . 5 pln- aplIl Woe Just
melte 111
as dehclou" ta r
aye r
f e credm. IAII Centrdl LULon pr lVIrce hoast they make the be t
.
'.
log On
le,ture 0 IC
S sapln-saprn)" [G 1_'
do
"Nueva
Ec
Ja.
Cook
09
In the Prr vince" In Philippme Food
dL
I Ud
corderO Ferna n
on rfe. ]
ud

,e'

yrelds one

a x a-in square rice cake

3 cups I 555 g r~e

Cooking

2 cups 1480 ml~te~ _ __

Pour 4 cups coconut cream into a

warm pot. Cook over low heat. stirring
carefully until the oil rises and some
solid bits remain. This is the lotikor coco
bits. Set aside the lotik and expressed
oil, separately, for later use.

.- 1-950 ml coconut cream for the

)
4 cups
coco bits (Iotik) (SEE PAGE 206
6 ~ups 11440 ml coconut milk
(SEE PAGE 206)

--

2'/2 cups 1 500 g sugar _ __

Line the square pan with the cloth. and

a plastic film over it, large enough to
line the sides of the pan. Make sure
there are no holes. Brush the wrap with
coconut oil. Pour one portion of the rice
mixture into the pan. Steam this first
layer until set, about 5 minutes.

Brush the top of the first layer with

coconut oil. Pour the next portion
over the first layer. Steam again for
5 minutes. Repeat for the rest of the
portions.

After the eight layer has set. pour in

the 1 cup coconut cream. Steam for
10 minutes. Remove the pan from the
steamer and allow to cool.

When the sapin-sapin has cooled

sufficiently. remove it from the pan by
lifting the cloth, and set on a platter.
Remove the cloth and plastiC film
carefully by rolling them under the

32-cm 1 12-in round very fine

cheesecloth

8 x 8 x 3-tn pan
plastic wrap
1 large steamer big enough to
accommodate the pan
1 cup 240 ml coconut cream for
topping
1

Preparation

Wash rice then soak in water for at

least 5 hours.

Prepare the coconut cream and

coconut milk. Apportion according to
the measurements above.

*1.

Begin cooking procedure

In a blender, grind the soaked rice

a cup at a time with some of the
soaking water. Do th is for 11/2
minutes. Transfer the blended rice
to a ,large bowl. Repeat with the
rema ining rice.

6
1

Add the cocon ut milk and sugar to

the blended rice and mix until the
sugar has dissolved .

a cheesecloth strain the

mixture

UStn9

Into another bowl.

D'de In
po

e r ce mil ure into B equal

ons, abo\; 1 h cu ps each.

sapin-sapin.
6

Scatter the latik decoratively on top of

the sapin-sapin.

Serving suggestion

Slice into diamond cuts for individual

servings.

Tips
Th e soakin g process of at least 5 h
.
an importa t
.
ours IS
n step In achieving the right
re sults.
Pay close attention to the t' .
d
Imlng
nee ed for each layer to fi rm up. If don,
properly. every layer can be separa ted.
When making the lotik. stir sl owly and
sparrngly so that the larger pieces rema in
whole.

TUTTon
Crisp Ba nana Roils
cr ut nt ~t Ip:
The softo or c00klng plantaIn IS IOlleL wall"
ce. t "fr
" fr ~
Adl
101 JI ~ qe.
I~
and encased with Jackfrult and sugar
d IU"lpl
wr JppN.
d t
caramelized on the wrapper It IS both street tood" d f ne <II"n ae ert f'>l en l'y 1Nt'I n S .Ned
with ce cream.

Yields 24 pieces

Cooking

4_ri _
pe_pla n
- t-a-in_ba nana s_-'{s_
-- a_
ba...:.J_ _ __

Just before serving

'12 cup /120 9 fresh or bailed jackfruit

{Iangka}. option~ _ _ _ _ _ __

Heat a wide skillet and pour in

oil. making sure that oil is not too
deep or the wrapper will open when
frying.

620 x 20-cm I 8 x 8-in square spring

roll {Iumpia} wrapper
2 cups /480 ml oil for deep- frying

Fry rolls over medium heat around

3-5 minutes. turning occasionally.
When pale golden in color. sprinkle
with sugar and continue to toss to
allow sugar to caramelize.

Remove turron to a tray rack to drain

excess oil. Let cool , allowing some
space between the rolls.

1 cup / 20 g white sugar

Preparation

Peel the bananas. Slice each piece in

ha lf lengthwise. then each half into
three strips lengthwise. making sure
each piece is about lO-cm I 4-in
long.

Slice jackfruit into strips.

Cut each spring roll wrapper into 4

sma ll square pieces.

On each square of wrapper. put one

banana strip on one edge. then 1 or
2 strips of jackfruit beside it. Roll
towards the opposite side to create
a small cylinder. Seal the end with a
little paste made with equal parts of
flour and water.

Serving Suggestions

Arrange the cooled turron on a plate and

serve warm.
Can be served "a la mode", with ice
cream.

Tips
Turron is best rolled as thick

thumb.

as the

If fresh jackfruit is not availab

sweetened Jackfruit
Ie. bottled
can be subs!,
Make sure to drain th
,tuted.
e syrup
Sprinkling the sugar
.
while it cooks is a bett on the turron
er technlq et h
rolling the turron in sugar bef u an
ore flYing.

pan de Sal
Salted Bread
C

" as nu ~
e s not SpJr s"
the' t ce ry, T drt en I

In

t Ink ~ut P rt"qr'

d
"
.'
" Introduced to
bre k'. bur DOn <Ie sal f run~ rt

elto'pendO

Yr' Id

s 45 buns

5
10 9 Instant yeast
2 tsp 1
2tbSp 130 ml tepid water - - cup +

4 tsp 1100 g sugar

I kg bread flour
,1/2 cups 1360 ml warm wate_r _ _

Knead the mixture into a smooth

elastic dough. Dust with the reserved
flour as needed.
Rest the dough in a greased bowl.
Cover and let rise until doubled in
bulk (about 25-30 minutes).

Punch dough and knead again. Form

into a rectangular sheet.

Roll dough into a 2-in thick baton.

Cover with breadcrumbs. Rest for
about 15 minutes.

Using a dough cutter, cut and divide

the baton into I-in \30-g pieces.

Dissolve yeast in tepid water.

10

Use' tsp \ 5 g of the sugar and add

to the dissolved yeast. Set remaining
sugar aside.

Place the dough, cut side up, on

a baking tray. Make sure there is
enough space between the pieces.

11

Measure' cup 1 240 g of the flour.

Set aside to be used for dusting.

Proof or allow the dough to rise for

about 20 minutes.

12

Preheat oven to 175C \ 350F.

I tspl5g salt
1 cup

+ 2 tsp_1 90 9 shortening

, cup 1240 9 breadcrumbs

Preparation

4 In a bowl. combine the remaining

fiour, sugar, warm water, salt, and
shortening. Add the dissolved yeast
and mix well.

Tips
Traditional pan de sol has light-colored
breadcrumbs covering its smooth brow
crust.
n
To reheat pon de sol. put the bread
buns in a paper bag. sprinkle the bag with
water then warm in a preheated oven at
130' C I 2S0 F.

Cooking
Bake in a preheated oven for 15-18
minutes or until the pon de sol develop a
light brown crust.

NDA 1 Snacks

187

M1NATAM1S
Desserts

Filipino desserts are clearly Spanish in influence, and most

of the sweets have Spanish names.
Egg whites

Nt'rt:

a e ingr dient in the mortar used to

build church's and oth r

period; th
inspiring h

unus d '01
n

In

ructures during th Spanish

found th

n of man

g(

If

way into kitchens,

01 -rich desserts and

pa tri s.

Fllipin

01

o 10 al ingredients,

hr

for cr am and milk,

lU

su h
and ca 1

nu

-) In

Sam im th Spanish
Iman
ng d. ",.,.". bl n a IS all d tibokP mpanga b
n

rno

OIh
fa u h

n
banan

aus It qui rs when

hart baing. On the

d or

urron.

at ar obviously

Brazo de Mercedes
Ro/,ec ~ ~erl ng ue with Crea my Filii rq

T/l'_ er c

rec

e ~r

I'
01

ed mer ngl e Wit

c1 rre

elegant d _ ert

Serves 6 to 8

7
lf4

cup 1 60 g butter

1 cup 1120 g flour

8 eggs
lf4

tsp 11 g cream of tartar

'/2 cup 1100 g sugar

1/2

tsp

se .

I 115 ml conden sed

2

Invert baked meringue on the cloth

dusted w ith powdered sugar.

Roll up the meringue into a cylinder.

I 1 ml vani l a essence

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 130'C I 250 F.
2

Grease, line, and grease again a 23.5

x 33.5 cm I 9 x 13 in pan. Dust with
flour making sure the whole surface
is covered. Discard extra flour.

Separate the eggs.

Beat the egg whites with the cream

of tartar unti l fine bubbles form.

Add the sugar gradually to the egg

whites until the resulting meringue
is stiff but not dry.

Spread the menngue on the prepared

pan making sure the ends slightly
overlap he edges of he pan because
he meringue will shnnk a Ii tie
during he coofing. Bake (see cooking
procedure /I 1 nex column).

Bake the meri ngue in the preheated

oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until

1 lemon

lf4

Grate the lemon rind to yield '12 tsp

2 g zest Set aside.

Cooking

cup 1 60 g powdered sugar

'/2 can (225 mil

milk

Meanwhile, dust a clean cloth

measuring approximately 30 x 30
cm I 12 x 12 in with ha lf of the
powdered sugar. Set aside.

Set aSide.
4

In a double bolier, combine the egg

yolks, condensed mli~ lemon zest,
and anilla essence Over med ium
heat stir continuousl { until the
mixture thickens and is of piping
consis ency.

Unrol' he meringue

With a pastr{ bag fitted With a plain,

round piplPg tube 2.5 cm I 1-1n in
diameter, pipe the filling along center
of the meringue. Roll the meringue.

Serving suggestion
Dus the top ilghtly with he remaining
powdered sugar. Slice crosswise into l-cm
I "4-1n thic pieces.

Tips
The meringue is made
.
ast
uSing a baSIC
P ry procedure. Sugar is add d '

e While
bea t Ing egg whites stabil' .
,
IZlng them into
a creamy foam .
When beating the egg wh'tI es. make
sure the bowl is squeaky clean , f ree of
any fat or oil, which prevent egg Whites
from becoming fluffy and aerated,
,It is possible to roll the meringue aft u
it IS baked, when the filling is already
piped in.

uko-Pandan
Gelatin
13

YOurg

coco nut-Pandan Gel atin

r ere fT es

Serves 6

Cooking
uko) or substitute
coconu ts (b
. .
2young 00 ml young coconut JUice
prepared 7
InpacKS _ _
.-:-'ne (pandan) 'eaves
5fresh scretWeP~ tsp 1 2 ml pandan
(orsubstltu
~a~orlng)

2pacKs 175 glpack unflavored or

sweetened green powdered gelatin

Add

to

~;s 1500 g coconut sport

(macapuno) ce c ear!'
(or 250 9 wh pped crea rr)

Tips

BOil pondon leaves in th e coconut

j uice for about 10 minutes or until
pandon flavor has been extracted.
Remove leaves. (If using pandan
flavorr ng , mix this wi th the coconut
juice,)

dlssol

e gree n powdered gelatin

e coco u ju'ce mix ure and

e.

Preparation
Crack open he yOJ 9 coconu s, If
uSing. Reserve
e cocon
JU ce
rapp'o1 l'1a tely J c ps 1 720 mI).
Scrape mea (rom . e coco ,uts I
a spoon ' I) e d 1 c I 4 I S r ps
Se' as de. 0 5Ca' d coconu sells.

e coconut

Vanill a ice cream, Or better yet the

rrch ice cream called montecod~
f h
, are
re res In9 variations on the predictable
mocopuno ice cream.
Use bi g martini glasses for attractive
individu al servi ngs.

Canonigo
Floating Meringue
.
h t towering meringue s beautiful and almost weightless when
d canon go. w t i S
.
.
I
f
The carame -coate
d
tard sauce t is the Span.sh eqUlva ent 0 the French lie
d b caramel an CUS
cut R ch fla ore . Y .
d f I.ght meringue floating In a vanilla custard sea.
t - ( f1oat'ng .sland I. a moun 0

Rattan,

Serves 6

caramel and Meringue

Cooking
In the preheated oven, bake the
meringue in a bain-marie for 30 to
45 minutes, or until golden. Remove
from the oven.

11k cups I 350 g white sugar

8 egg whites
2

Allow the meringue to cool for 15 to

20 minutes, then invert onto a serving

pIatm'.1etting the caramdimJ sugar

syrup coat the menngue.

Tips
If the caramel has harden-d '
aft er the meringue has ".' .nthe .....
""'"
""en lranlfel!!d
onto the serving platter add
,
lOme hot
water 10 the bowl, arOund III cup lu
cool: then drizzle the syrup
meringue.
the

!Nt;

The meringue can also be . .

smatlerstainlas stu! bowls
setlrings.

far":

Leche Flan
Milk custard
b
nation sa sta 'dare des>ert ,n Filipino homes and re' tauran t, It
me coramf'I va
..,
. can e heavy
d' " on whether whole egg' "'ere u,ed, or yolks alone, or If condensed 'Ik
ht depen In"
,
m, was
or Ilg,
tne lighter milk
chosen over
Th'S, ,

-e

Serves 8

Cooking
1fz CUP 1100 g white sugar

6 eggs

~can

1300 ml condensed milk

1can 370 ml evaporated milk

1

lime (do yap) for garnish

Preparation

In a preheated pan, caramelize the

sugar over medium heat. Pour into a
9-in flonera (oval tin pan) or small
round molds. Set aside to cool.
2

In a bowl, beat eggs. Add condensed

milk and evaporated milk until well
blended. Using a fine strainer or
cheesecloth, strain the mixture and
pour into the caramelized container.
Cover tightly with foil.

Slice lime thinly crosswise.

Tips

Place the covered flan in a pot and

add water till it reaches half-way up
the sides of the flan tin (boin-morie),
or cook in a steamer. Cook for 1 hour
until flan is firm .
2

Cool before removing from

container.

the

Run a knife or metal spatula around

the flan. Turn it upside down on to a
serving platter.

Serving suggestion

Serve chilled. Garnish with sliced doyop.

Using egg whites makes leche flon lighter

while using only yolks makes the flan a~
rich as tocino del cielo, another classic
dessert. Doyop zest added to the custard
mixture gives it a pleasant citrus aroma.
Flans are traditionally made in a
/lonero, an oval tin pan, but any shape
pan can be used. It's handy to make flan
in individual servings.
Leche flan topping on halo-halo (PAGE
173) makes it "espesyal".

Maja Blanca
White Coconut Custa rd
"a rotonu' (Jst rd. A, her ve ~I
I terallv 'whlte IadY
Ma a hfanc I
.ernels and c e"m-style corn
A simpler ve s.or skips the corn

)1

m de

Serves 20 (2 x 2- in se rv ing pieces]

2
Juice from 1 young coconut (bukoj (SEE
PAGE

206)

1 can 1425 g cream -style corn

1 can 1 425 g corn kernels
1 cup 1 240 ml coconut cream

When the mixture thickens, remove

casserole from heat.

Pour into a glass or stoneware

serving dish (approximately 20 x 26
x 5 cm I 8 x 10 x 2 in) . Allow to cool
and set.

Heat the thick coconut cream over

med ium heat. When it starts to boil,
lower the heat and continue cooking
for about 30 minutes. The milk
shou ld separate into oil and solid
curd. Remove the curd bits {lotikJ.

(SEE PAGE

206)

2 cups 1 480 ml coconut milk

(SEE PAGE

206)
'/2 cup 1120 g powdered mil k
3/4

Simmer over low fire for about 15

minutes, stirring constantly and
scraping the bottom to avoid burning
the mixture.

cup /150 g sugar

112 cup I 65 g cornstarch

'/2 cup I 120 ml water

Preparation
If using young coconut, crack open
and reserve the juice (about 350

mil.
2

Use '/2 can cream-style corn.

Use '/2 can whole corn kernels.

If using mature coconuts. extract

coconut cream and milk.

Cooking
1

!n. a large casserole, put the coconut

JUice, coconut milk, powdered milk
suga r, cornstarch, water, cream-style
corn, and corn kernels. Bring to a boil
then lower heat

Serving suggestion
Sprinkle the curd bits over the maja
blanca . Cut into 5 )( 5-cm I 2 x 2-in serving
pieces.
For ind i idua l serving, place one piece on
a sma ll plate and garnish with the curd
bits and about 1 tbsp of the rema ining
whole kerne l corn.

Tip
When making t he lafk
.
I stir slowl
spanngly so that larg
.
V and
remain.
er pieces of Curd

Sans Rival
va l .vas oelng m de dur nq t~e "lOs with almond, pili Or caShew d
~ San RI
.
,ependlng
e 'ce nd like y, the nut s "~I lbl I v. [Felice Sta. Mana The G
e baker reler
'
.
Ollernor_

It <~e", t

r,:ne'al,~/tchenl
Daza In A Culinary LIte, a cookbo()k by the L'Ecole du Cordon Bleu publish ed
rd to Nora
rQ

L'

AccO I I. des Sars Rival

n 1895 Inc j

Serves 8 (2 x

3-in serving pieces)

Cooking
Tips

1 3/, cups I 395 9 butter

Bake the trays of egg white mixture

until lightly brown. This will take
about 25 to 30 minutes.

---'"~~3~6~0.2~c~as~h~e~w-n-u-ts--------2 cUEs
11 eggs

1 cup I 200 g sugar

When each meringue is done, remove

immediately from the tray. Coolon
wire racks.

Meanwhi le, in a pot, dissolve '13 cup

70 g sugar in 1/. cup water and
coo k until a threadl ike consistency
is achieved. Make sure the sides of
the pot are clean and free from any
sugar to aVOid crystall ization.

1/2 tsp I 3 ml vanilla

1/3

cup I 70 g sugar

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 180' C I 350 F.

Soften 1/. cup butter for greasing.

Cut the rema ining 1"2 cups Into
cubes at room temperature. Set the
butter cubes aside.
With the softened butter, grease
three 23.5 x 33.5-cm I 9 x 13-in
baking trays. Line the trays with wax
paper. Grease and then flour the
paper.
Divide the cashews into two portions.
Chop half fine ly. Chop the other ha lf
coarse ly. Divide the coarse ly chopped
cashews Into 6 portions.
Separate the yolks and wh ites of 8
eggs. Use only the whites. Reserve
the yolks for another recipe such as
bUko fru it salad.

Whil e the sugar is cooking, beat the

rema ining 3 eggs until frothy.

When the sugar is done, pour

gradua lly into the eggs and beat
until smooth.

Add the butter cubes and beat until

creamy and smooth.

Divide the butter cream mixture into

6 equa l portions.

Serving Suggestion

Beat egg wh ites until fine bubbles

form. Add 1 cup I 200 g sugar
gradually. Beat until stiff Fold in the
fne y chopped nuts. Add the vanilla .
0" de he egg ",h,te mixture among
e hree tra (So. Spread the mixture
r I

.
.In 2 to make a
Cut each meringue
tota l of 6 meringue wafers.
.
on a
Place 1 layer of meringue .
f
n ' h
latter
Spread
with
one
portlo
P
.
d sprinkle WI t
the butter cream an
d
of
the
coarsely
choppe

1 po rt Ion
. h th next 4
cashew nuts. Do this Wit
e
meringue wafers.
then cover
PI ace the last.,layerbutter cream,
with the rem~'nlng rinkle the top
Including the Sides. Sp Iy chopped
With the rest of the coarse
cashew nuts.

To make 18 layers as in the Sans Rival

In the photograph. multiply the recipe by
three.
Store San, Rival in the freezer. Thaw
slightly before cutting, so that the
meringue layers do not crack. The butter
cream can be fortified with flavors such
as coffee.
When cooking the sugar, clean the
sides of the pan with a wet brush to
make sure that all the sugar grains are
removed.

to 9 ad a

omo

gra and

ma

APPEND1X
sundries, Sauces, Condiments and Relishes

Atchara
the wor j pre efVe f d t
I' r Ine 3r P rkllnq. In A',d. Cures
J YVregar, '
r eot b
~ ac d ,S
of
'e
r p P d t bl
D j n
Ickle or r.IL "ld e
e~e a e,. al pre e'<ed '" and
Acna q ~ 9 Peorut v,"eqar ,alt an pice It I 1 Prlf11
en Jf11 for this [foo('J art. b.cause
~avored bWitt-f,,'"
c
, r~s lend '~~ms Ive, t') CdfV'
to W r_. tar,. eaves. word,. and even
tex u
'0
<:
"
he sol f U
JO'.
crpe
.ernandez. A Town Bejewelled
rren and wo men mpa hut' d
Igure< 0
d Art" in TIKlm.]
Ph pp,ne Foo
eOP e all

DVe

Papaya Atchara

Blanch the rest of the vegetables

separately in the pickling solution
and set aside.

Pickled Papaya
200 g green papaya

1-t~sP 120 g rock salt

10 ~;;;sllO gJjarlic
1~humb-sized pci.20 9 glng~
1 medium I 20 9 carrot

---

61 20 g shallots
1 small 120 g red ~II pepper
1 small 120 g green bell pepper

Pickling solution
2 cups 1500 ml vinegar
1 cup I 220 g white sugar

Preparation

Arrange grated papaya and the blanched

vegetables in a sterilized bottle and pour in
the pickling solution. Seal bottle and store in
chiller. Cure for 5- 7 days before usi ng.
Serve the papaya atchara as a relish, not
side dish, to grilled or fried dishes such
as pinaputok no isdo (PAGE 131), beef tapa
(PAGE 109), crispy pata (PAGE 105) or lechon
kawoli (PAGE 109).

9 carrots

Peel the garlic cloves.

'12 I 30 9 green bell pepper

Peel the ginger and cut into strips.

Peel the carrot and cut into strips.

Peel the shallots.

COOking
1

Cumbme the "negar and sugar in a

hedry saucepan and Ie bOIl. Remove
~ '" (O"t,nue bOil n9 for another
L m n" ~ or until the sugar has
COmp ete y d SSO ltd. let cool.

Slice the red and green bell peppers

in half. Seed and cut into julienne
strips.

Scoop out the seeds from the core

of the bitter gourd and discard. Slice
bitter gourd crosswise into '/2 cm i'/8
in pieces.

Cooking
Boil vinegar and white sugar in a
heavy sau cepan until sugar dissolves.
Set asi de this pickling solution and
let cool.

In a pot, boil the water with the salt.

Blan ch coconut pith, bitter gourd,
red and green bell peppers, and
carrots. Strain.

Pour pickling solution into a clean and

' d J' ar. Arrange vegetables.
sterr'1 Ize

Add the black peppercorns. Seal and

store in a cool dry place.

Cu re f or 5- 7 days before using.

750 g coconut pith tubod)

When the papaya is ready. squeeze

out all the liquid and set papaya
aSide. Discard the liquid.

4 cups 11000 rr water

5110 q shallots (slbuyasTagalog)

Pee l the shallots. Set aside.

P,C led Coconut Pitt]

Combine salt and grated papaya in a

bowl and let stand for about 1 hour.

Cut the red and green bell peppers

into strips.

Ubod Atchara

1f21 75

Peel the carrot and cut into julienne

stri ps. Set aside.

Storage and Serving suggestion

Pare off papaya rind. Grate papaya.

2

'12 I 30 9 red bell pepper

't. I 100 9 bitter gourd (ampaloya)

2 cups

I 500 ml sugarcane vinegar

'12 cup 1100 g sugar

1 cups I 240 ml water

I 5 9 salt
1f2 tsp I 2 5 g black peppercorns

1 tsp

Preparation

Place the water in a bowl.

. .
'ulienne strips.
Cut coconut .plt~ Into Jbowl of wate r
Place the stnps In th e
to prevent discoloration.

Tips
the vegetables thin ly and
Cutting
.
strips allowS
.
I into Julienne
uniform Y
the strips even ly.
vinegar to bathe .
In flavor the
Ubod atchara Improves
. g period.
longer the CUrln

Ways with Co

Mature coconut (magulang)

Crack open the mature coconut. Discard
the liquid
Grate the meat with a coconut grater:

Coconut cream (kakang gatii)

Kokong gota is the first extraction of

the grated meat of the mature coconut

{myog}.

take one half of the shell and grate using

Place the grated meat in a cheesecloth

a semi-circular motion to the right or left.

or bowl and squeeze to extract coconut

Be careful not to scrape the inner part of

cream Strain with a fine mesh strainer.

the shell, to keep the meat white.

One whole coconut yields about 4 cups

290 g of grated coconut. Extracted cream

Young coconut (buko)

Coconut juice and strips are obtained

from an average-size coconut

IS

112 cup

120 mi.

Alternatives to fresh coconut milk

and cream

Coconut milk (gaM)

Coconut cream and coconut milk are

Gala IS the second extraction of the grated

available in cans of either 1 cup to 15

meat of the mature coconut.

cups I 237 ml or 375 ml. Canned coconut

from young coconut {buko}.

Crack the coconut, and have a bowl
ready to catch the juice.
With a coconut scraper, scrape the soft
meat into long strands.
A spoon can also be used to scrape the
meat, although the pieces will be bigger
and irregular.

Put cream-extracted
In

a bowl, add 1 cup

coconut meat

I 240

ml water to

produce an equal amount of milk. If no

cream has been extrac ed, add l 1/l cup

360 ml water to extract an equal amount

of coconut mi k
O"e medium-sized coconut Yields '/2
cup coconut cream wi thout water being
added. Adding 1 cup Nater yields 1 cup
coconut mLk.

cream can be diluted to make coconut

milk by adding a half can of water.
Young coconut juice

IS

available in cans

or tetrapaks. Young coconut stnps are

available in cans.
Powdered coconut comes in 17.6

01

I 50 g packs. To make coconut cream,

dilute powder in 11, cup I 60 ml water. T~
'l
owder In 1 ,
make coconut milk, dI ute p
cups I 300 ml water

flavor and Color

Annatto (Achuete) oil

Tamarind extract
1/2 cup 1120 ml hot water

1 cup 1 240 ml vegetable oil

100 g green tamarind fruit

1f2 cup 1 85 g annatto (ochuete) seeds

Shrimp stock
one part shrimp heads and shell
trimmings
enough water to cover

Place the hot wat er in a small pot.

Add the youn g tam arin d.

Mash the tam arind.

Strain to yield 4 tbsp

tamarind extract.

Discard the solids.

Hea t a pan over medium heat. Add

oil. Add th e an natto seeds. Stir
constantly until th e oil picks up the
color of th e seeds. Turn off the heat
and let the mixt ure cool down.

60 ml of

Stra in and discard the seeds.

Store ch il ed.

Boil the shrimp heads and shell

trimmings then reduce to simmer for
15-20 minutes.
2

Blend in a food processor and strain,

or crush through a strainer.

Discard the solids.

Tips
Another practice is to first process the
sh rimp parts in a blender without water
for one minute, and with the water for
another minute before cooking and
..
Another trad itional practice IS
straining.
to pound the uncooked shnmp parts In
a mortar and pestle before cooking. but
this tends to leaye some jUice behind.
These two processes also leaye a fishy
smell on the kitchen equipment.
.
One technique to remove the fishy
mell IS to clean the blender by running
S
the machine WI.th instant coffee and
wa ter for a few minutes.

 g SaUces
Dippln

and
condiments
'n Filipino cooking are
'c sauces I
b
The aSI
.). gar (sukaJ and soy
(patlS vine
fish sauce
'
d by themselves
oJ These are use
sauce (toy .
mple' using
or in combination, for exa .' .
base combine with either
vinegar as t he ,
.
with soy sauce. Singly or
fish sauce or
d the sauces are used to flavor
com bine ,
grilled fish or roasted meat. Peeled and
pounded garlic, chopped onions or shallots
are also mixed into vinegar.
Condiments also contribute to the
flavoring of food. Some of these are

Bagoong lsda
Sauteed Fish Paste
2 cloves \10 9 9ar_'i_c_ __
1/2 \

40 g white 0:...n_i_o_n_ _ _ __

1 \ 40 9 tomato

c%monsi and komlOs are mixed with

Sauteed Shrimp Paste

4 cloves \ 20 9 garlic
1 \ 80 9 white onion
4 I 320 9 tomatoes

5 \ 150 9 ca/amonsi, or lime or lemon

120 9 pork with fat

3 tbsp I 45 ml oil

1'/2 cups \ 600 9 fermented shrimp

paste (bagoong a/among)

3 1209 blrd's eye chiles (slling

/obuyO). opt oral

3 tbsp \ 45 ml oil

2 cups 440 ml fermented fish paste

(bagoong isda or bogoong aa/ayon)

3 \ 20 9 blfd's eye chilies (si/ing

/abuyo), optional

shrimp paste (bagoong a/among) and fish

paste (bogoong).
Fruits such as tomatoes, mangoes,

Bagoong Alamang GUisado

---

1 tsp I 5 g white sugar, optional

Preparation
Crush and peel garl ic.

Preparation
Crush and peel garlic.

Peel and chop onion.

Bird's eye chili (siting /obuyo) is added

Wash and chop tomato.

Peel and chop onion.

whole to infuse bottled vinegar. The chill

Extract juice from the lime or lemon

or 5 ca/amansl.

Wash and chop tomatoes.

Slice pork into small cubes.

Wash fermented shrimp paste to

condiments, sauces and salt.

may be chopped to make the vinegar dip

hotter.
The green finger pepper is not used raw,
but is fished out of sinigong or poksiw,
chopped in a sauce plate and mixed with
fish sauce.

Hea a pan and pour in oil.

2

Saute garlic. onion and tomatoes over

medium heat. Add chilies, if deSired.
Add he fermented fish paste and
simmer for about 5 minutes.

Jus before serving. add juice from

hme, lemon or c%~~mans; to sauteed
mixture. Stir.

5inomak is nlpa palm vinegar With

ginger, garlic, peppercorns, blue ginger
(Iangkawas) and chilies.

remove impurities.

Cooking

Cooking
Heat a pan and pour in oil.
.
nd tomatoes
2
Saute garliC. onion. ~
Add
over medium heat. until mushy
chilies, if desired.
3

. f untl go deO
Add the por and stIr- ry
str
Add the fermented shnmp paste.
t 5 m nutes.
and simmer for abO u
If needed. tone do.....n sa
sugar.

ness '"

pul ot at Patis

Calamansi Dipping Sauce

Fish Sauce Dressl ng

Honeyed
2to 3 lemons or limes (dayap)

4 tbsp I 60 ml fish sauce (patisr

~ 60 ml fish sauce (patis)

4 tbsp 60 ml fresh ca/amansi juice

~p 1120 ml honey (pu/at)

1 to 2 chilies (optional)

1f2

tsp 12 9 ground white pepper

Preparation
Wash the lemons or limes. Peel thinly
to obtain 1 tbsp 115 9 lime or lemon
zest. Cut the lemons or limes and
squeeze out jUice to obtain 1f2 cup I
120 ml.
Combine the lime or lemon juice, fish
sauce, and honey. Add zest of I me or
lemon. Season with pepper.

Substitute soy sauce (to yo) for a

different kind of c%m onsi dipping
sauce.

Preparation
In a sma'i dipping container, mix all
he ingredients together. For a hotter
dip, cut tne chili.

Ina sal Dipping Sauce

3 c%~~mans;

1 small onion
2 tbsp 1 30 ml s;namak' vinegar
.
1/2 cup 1120 ml soy sauce

2-~ bird's eye chilies (s;!ing fabuyo)

optional
'
Sinamok is a dipping sauce in the lIonggo
region that contains n;pa palm vinegar
to which chili, garlic, ginger, and
g%ngo/ (blue ginger or fangkawas)
have been added. Substitute other
native vinegars.

Preparation
Serving suggestion

Extract c%mans; juice to yield 2

tbsp 1 30 ml ca/omons; juice.

Chill before serving.

2

Chop the onion.

Mix together all ingredients.

Sweet and Sour Vinaigrette

Coconut Vinaigrette

Tagalog Dressing
1/2 cup

1 cup I 240 ml vinegar (cane, palm or

white)

coconut cream

206)

1 em I 2 g ginger

1 cup I 200 g white sugar

1 green finger chili

1 tsp I 5 g sa It
'2

I 120 ml

(SEE PAGE

3 tbsp I 45 ml cane vinegar

tsp I 2 g black peppercorns

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Liver Sauce for L

Makes 4'12 cups
echon
250 g pork liver
1/2 cup

Crack the peppercorns and add to

mixture. Stir well.

1 1 40 g small onion

2 tbsp 1 30 ml oil

4 cups

11

1 tbsp

Serving suggestion

If using mature coconut, extract

coconut cream

Pee ginger and mince.

5 Ice green finger ch ili, seed and

Combine coconut cream, ginger,

green finger ch il i, and vinegar in a
bowl. Stir wei.
Season with salt and pepper. Stir
wei!. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir
again.

15 ml soy sauce

1 tbsp 115 g salt

1 tsp 1 2 g ground pepper

1 bay leaf

II? cup 1 50 g breadcrumbs

Assembly

liter chicken stock

5 tbsp 1 60 g brown sugar

deve ln, and chop.

Chill before serving.

120 ml vinegar

2 cloves 1 10 g garlic

Preparation
Combine vinegar, sugar, and salt.

Preparation
1

Slice liver into 'l3-in fillets.

Briefly broil the liver, then pass the

liver through a food processor while
pouring in the vinegar in a slow,
steady stream.

Crush, peel and mince the garlic

Peel the onion and chop.

Cooking
1
In a preheated pan, add the oil and
saute the garlic and Onion for 2-3
minutes.
2
Add the processed liver, stock. SOt
sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, and bay lea.

8nng mixture to a boil, then fredU~~

heat and aI/ow 10 simmer or

Add
the breadcru(!'bS, adJUst
seasoning, ard stir until the sauct
th ickens.

Berenjena I Eggplant Sauce

poch ero Tomato Sauce

I small I 50 gonion 2c1oveslloggarliC

4 tbsp 160 ml

2 1200 g eggplants

1-~oves

2 cloves \ 109 garlic

1 small \ 60 gonion

2 tbsp vinegar

101500 9 tom!.t=o:es=--_ _-

o~liv:.:e~o~il-----

Ibayl~
I sprig p~a:.::rs:::.
'e~y_ - - - - - -

salt

pepper

1 tsp 13 g pepper

2 tbsp \ 30 9 tomato paste

Preparation and Cooking

Crush, peel and mi nce th e garlic.

Mash broiled eggpla nts an d add

minced garlic and vineg ar.

Add salt and pe pper. Ta ste an d adjust

seasoning.

Preparation
Peel the onion and mince.
Crush, peel and mince the garlic.
Blanch tomatoes first for 30 seconds.
Peel, seed, and chop.
Cooking
In a preheated pan, add the olive oil,
saute onions and garlic, then add
tomatoes. Add bay leaf and sprig of
parsley and broth. Cover and simm er
10 minutes.

and

pepper.

Adjust

3 cups 1750 ml fish stock

'I, cup \ 60 g green peas

----

salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation
Crush, peel and mince garlic.

Peel and chop the onion.

Peel and chop the tomatoes.

Cooking

Tomato, Green Mango,

Shrimp Paste Salsa

Add oil to a preheated pan and saute

garlic, onion and tomatoes.

1 green mango

---

2 tbsp sauteed shrimp paste

(or substitute fish paste or fish sauce)

Preparation
Chop th e tom atoes.
2

Pare the green mango. Slice len gthwise along the seed to separate th e
two cheeks. Chop into small pieces.

Combine the chopped tomatoes and

chopped mangoes with the shrimp
paste.

Add the tomato paste and cook for

2-3 minutes.

3 tomatoes

Discard bay leaf and parsley sprig.

Add salt
seasoning.

~ 200 9 tomatoes

1 tbsp \ 30 ml oil

Broil the eggplan ts. Peel and discard

skins.

I 5 9 garlic

2tsp\10gsalt

'12 cup 1120 ml broth

Relleno Tomato Sauce

Add the 3 cups reserved fish stock.

Season to taste with salt and pepper,
and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add the peas, and remove from the
heat.

Lumpia and Noo

Lumpia Sauce

Lumpia Wrapper

3/. cup

3/. cup 190 gall purpose flour

150 g white sugar

1 3/. cups

420 ml water

2 tbsp 115 g co:.-r_n::..st.:...

ar-c-h - - - 2 tbsp 130 ml soy sauce
'/. tsp 11 g salt
2 tbsp 1 16 g cornstarch
1 egg
1 tbsp 1 15 ml water

'/2 tbsp 1 8 g oil

~---------

1'/' cups 1 300 ml water

In a saucepan . caramelize sugar until

slightly browned. Add water and soy

Preparation

sauce and let boi l.

Sift flour. cornstarch. and salt In a

bowl.
2

Add egg. oil. and water and mix well

until batter is smooth. Strain.

Dissolve cornstarch in the water

a~d .gradually add to the saucepan
stirring continuously. Simmer until
the mixture thickens.

Cooking
1

In a nonstick. 25 cm 110 in pan over

moderate heat. pour in '/. cup 1 60
ml of batter and tilt pan in a circular
motion to cover surface completely.
Cook until set. Carefully remove
wrapper to a plate.

Repeat above procedure

remaining batter.

with

Noodl

and Wrapper~

medium-sized egg noodle

fine egg noodle for mami

thick egg noodle (miki)

dry wheat flour (canton) noodle

lumpio wrapper

dry mung bean vermicelli

(sotunghon). also called cellophane

7

or glass noodl~
n
dry nce noodles (blho n or bllO )

hydrated net noodles

fIne wheat noodl~ (mls wa or

mlsuo)
10

onton (molo)

rappcr

Square cut; short rib, roast ; shoulder clod,

roast. tird, chuck rib, bri sket

braise , sl'mmer b 'I

01, cooked in I' ,
Iquld

Can be made in to cubes, stew, ground; te nder

chuck, bbq steak

paypay

Blade clod

kalitiron

Shin front, cross cut foreshank,bone ma rrow

kenchi
bulalo

short ribs; short ribs trimmed; rib roast / back

ribs
rib eye steaks; prime rib steaks; standing ribroast; rib eye roast (tied)

braise, cooked in liquid

Tagiliran,ribs
kadero

ribs

braise , cookod
' I' ,
' I n Iquld
braise, Simmer, broth and

soup stock

braise, broil, grill

roast, broil, panbroil, panfry

roast
spare rib

braise, broil

brisket; brisket, boneless, deckle-off; plate,

short plate

pun to y pecha

plate, skirt steak, outer; plate, skirt steak, inner

roast

bone-in or boneless for stews

roast
saute, panfry, broil, panbroil

Short loin, full loin, sirloin butt

soIomilyo

Tenderloin

braise, cooked in liquid (ni/aga), pot

roast, panbroil, panfry

t-bone steak;porter house steak(tender loin

attached);strip loin(bone less)

gri ll, roast, broil, panfry

saute, panfry, panbroil, roast

sirloin steak, roast beef tied

Rump

tapad~ra

broil, panbroil, panfry

flank steak

comta

braise, saute, grill, panfry

flank steak

bra ise, saute, cooked in liquid, simmer

boneless shank-off. rump shank-off;knuclde

braise, cooked in liquid
~e

round, top round

panfry, panbroi l, cooked in liquid

bottom round, breakfast steak, minute steak

age of an mal, Its fat

he ;; Imal'
. ..
ff~ ' .
5 actl l ies can al
fa " O',er-a na ura tenderness of
s s the re
c's of
ason VI less ender
I" a' co
. ' 1 ~eav
m ng fro older a'w'1als
art SUa eJt' sed "luscles ( leg. nee )
Y pr pared us g mo 5t ea

cooking method s (braiSi ng. simmering,

stewing, etc.) And th ose cuts haviOg
higher fa content in the fo rm of ma rbling
(fat found within the muscl e or mea t)
are more en der and thus are prepared
using dry heat coo Ing methods such as
lOas '1g. brol ng , grilling, rylng.

PPE 01 Ill'>

Basic Butchery lnformation

pork

neck bones, mask, ears

rnaskara, tenga, batok

pata (pata front)

pata back (pata hind)

picnic shoulder, Boston butt I

shoulder butt
short shank, rib shoulder, pork steak,
rolled boneless picnic shoulder

kasirn
paypay

braise, Simmer, panf

.
ry, saute
e.g. sisig cris
, py ufo, toklNot boboy
brais .
e, Simmer, cooked in Ii .
e.g. crispy pata
qUid
paksiw no pato
nifoga
roast, braise, broil , cook-d
'In I'IqUid
.
c
g
e adobo, sinigong, menudo,opritodo
'
toem a

spare ribs

liempo
tadyang

saute, panfry, simmer, grill

adobo, sinigong, inihow, fechon kowofi

par lOin (cen er loin)

tagtllfan, pork loin

roast , broil, fry

e.g. canadian style bacon

par chop-bu erfl cuts, boneless

kost,lIas, pork chop

panfry, broil , roast, braise,

cook in liquid

lomo

panfry, broil, roast, braise,

cook in liquid

nbs

panfry, broil, roast, braise,

cook in liquid

nbS,rlb c op

Ie chops,c Ie s
am , short shan ,boneless a

roast, braise, panfry, broil

roll,ha

roast, shan less ha

hind foot,ham oc , nuc les, ro ers

para back (whold

chops)

simmer, cured, roast,cook in liquid

e.g. sinigang, adobe, paksiw,
crispy pata

Chicken Preparatio
'ng the anatomy of the chicken and
Understan dl

the location of its j oints makes the

cutting process easier.

Cutting a chicken into quarters and

eighths
Step 1
The chicken should not have giblets in its
cavity. Wash the ch icken well.

Step 2
Locate the backbone and cut alongside. Split
the chicken.

Step 5
Bend the chicken
bone.

In

half to reveal the keel

Step 3
Cut the other side of the backbone and
remove.

Step 4

Step 6
Remove the membrane and pull out the keel
bone.

Step 7
Split the chicken completely in half. Cut
through the wishbone and skin.

Step 9

Step 10
d tnlcken shaulj loOk
ThiS IS what a qUJrtere
I J:e.

Place the chicken halves skiP side up Cut the

leg and thigh towards the brea~t and wing.

Cut through the white cartilage between the

wings. Split the chicken.

. k portion of the leg from the

Step 11 drumstlc
.
Cut eac h .' L cate the fat line between
..
t the JOint. a
thigh a
hi h to find the JOint.
the leg and t 9

Steps 12 & 13
Cut the wing from breast at th '.
wing tips.
e JOint. Cut the

Step 14
This is what a chicken cut into eighth h
look like.
s s auld

Deboning a whole chicken

Place the chicken on its back and from the

open cavity, ease a small, thin paring knife
between the flesh and bone structure.

Detach the breast meat from the bone

and continue to work on the leg joints,
turning the bird around as you proceed.

Final product The bones can be used to

make chicken broth.

~par,;!e

the

I~ from

the bone structure

and C\; '''e m 0" at the JOints- Detach leg

bones :rom th e esh up to the base and cut.

bone p to

Separate wmgs from the bone structure,

cutt'ng at the jOIPts, but lea~ing bones
Intac

at t"e base
nec bOne
',..... ct:Jrt
out tilt w"O e be ne s

clasp

me

219

Milkfish Prepa

For various milkfish (bangus) recipes

Deboning milkfish for re/lenong
Different sizes of milkfi h
s (banguS)

bang us

600-700 g is the recommended

for dishes where only the b II Weight
( pa kSI.W no Bongus PAGE 120e y IS .used
.'
PAGE

With the side of a kitchen knife,

gently pound the fish to loosen the
meat from the skin.

Break the spine at the back of the

neck.

63)

Or 51nl90n9

At this weight. the belly fat h

'd I .
as the
I ea thickness and consistency Wh
b II .
. en the
e y IS cut out. ' the rest of the fiISh meat
can be made Into fish fillets.
2

500 9 is the recommended weight for

rellenong bangus on page 135. At this
Size, the rellenong bangus slice is visuall
attractive on th e plate.
Y
3

200 9 is the recommended weight for

individual servings. (Doing no Bongus PAGE
106) At this si ze, it is still possible to debone the fish.
4

Insert the handle of a tab lespoon

through the neck and carefully
loosen the meat from the skin,
push ing toward the tail.

Break the bone at the tail end and

pull out the bone and meat. Set fish
sk ins and meat aside .

Butterfly cut (doing)

Start the cut at the base near the
tail.
Slip the knife through the back side
cutting through just to the edge of
the other s d C
head.
I e. ut all the way to the
Spread the two sides of the fish flat.

Butterfly cut (domg!. rrannatrd stag

Butterly cut (Doing no Bongus PAGE 106) I

its raw state.

Glossary
achiote, the muskyflavored, red-orange colored
seed of the annatto tree; used to
color or as spice; also otsuete
cooking fowl, meat, or
vegetables by braising in
vinegar, garlic, peppercorns, salt,
and sometimes bay leaves to
which may be added soy sauce,
annatto water, or coconut milk
blue crab found in
Philippine seas; lIonggo kosog or

also mOIl/OC, yuco; a Ii.lrgt'

tuber with a CriSp, white flesh
and tough brow n skin; also

bitter gourd or bitter

tomatoes
bilimbi , a green a 'd'
used to SOur d' h CI IC frUit
IS es

porridge made from

glutinous rice cooked with cocoa
powder or chocolate and sugar,
and topped with milk; considered
both breakfast and snack fare. Also

champurrado.

water spinach I
swamp cabbage
' a so
cooked rice
Kd

pork cracklings; also

chicharran,sitsaran
(Spanish) sausage
with a sharp flavor

spinach; a leafy vegetable with

red stalks

komoteng kohoy

Visayan mosog
Malabar nightshade, or vine

squash

roasted suckling pig,

seeds of the sugar palm

a soft brown rice cake
made with lye water; also

cuChtnta
residuum of coconut milk
after extracting
oil by b01'I''"g; SWeet
,
preparation made from

daing. general term for dried fish

'
"onut milk
used as a sauce for sumon and other
nce cakes

gabi. taro, a starchy. potato-like

lechon. spit-roasted pig, often

usually less than four weeks old

CO"

melon
pickle mix of fruits (like
papaya) or vegetables; also

achara, atsara

tuber

stuffed with lemongrass or tamarind

gata. coconut milk

baboy. pork

gulay. vegetables

bagoong alamang. shrimp paste

habichuelas. green bean. alsO called

bagoong isda. fish paste

baka. beef

bigas. uncooked rice

bihon. thin rice noodles
buko. young coconut
bulalo. beef shank soup

lechon de leche. roasted suckling

pig, generally around six weeks-old
lihiya. lye water (sodium hydroxide)

string bean
lugaw rice porridge or gruel; also
halo-halo. iced concoction of
sweetened fruits. root crops.

bangus. milkfish

leaves or other aromatics; also litson

gelatin. tapioca, and beans

lugaa
lug log. thin rice noodles

hipon. shrimp

lumpia. general term for spring roll

inasal. spit-roasted or grilled; the

m.lcapu 0 coconut sport

1I0nggo barbecue. tart from a

ma agklt glutinous or sticky rice

vinegar marinade and tinged

yellow-orange by annatto

citrus fruit native to the

Philippines' also kol omans I.
. I

general term for mushroom

coconut cream
"I

rice cakes

rra'lok chicken
qgCl

rrer nd

green mango

snack

o mung bean

ture coconut from which

.
og
m
a
nlY
nd milk are extracted
cream a
.
from the meat; the pith, called
is also used as food
ubo d,
pako. fern
de sal. small, oval buns that are
pan the traditional F'II Iplno
"
brea kfast
bread; literally "bread of salt"

pusit. squ id
puso ng saging . banana flow er
puti. white
puto. generic te rm fo r t
cakes
sea med rice
relleno. term for stuffed f oodchicken, beef, fish, crab or
vegetables
sabaw soup

pandt Molo. soup of pork-filled

wantons, shrimps and chicken
named for Molo, in the province

sago starchy pith of the sago palm

formed into pearl - like globes
and boiled till tender

of Iloilo

sampaloc. tamarind; also somp% k

siling labuy, bird 's eye chili

panocha. raw, unrefined sugar that

siling pangSlgar ~ green finger chili

tha t is mil dly hot; usually used
for sinigang or paksiw

molasses cake
sinamak. vi negar infused with chili ,
papaya. best eaten raw when ri pe,
while the green fruit can be
cooked as a vegetable
patis. fish sauce
piiia. pineapple
pinais . to wrap f ood .In leaves and
steam in I't 5 own JUice
..
pinaputok

.
. cooking by wrapping in
Coconut
. or banana leaves then
steam ing

pinipig youn .
g nce pounded and
toasted
PUla honer
rn I ' can also refer to
a asses

pUluta

n. appetizer

tang lad. lemon grass

tan .
gUlgue. Spanish mackerel
tapa. a means of

.
preserving meat

tausi. salted black beans

tengang daga. dried black fun
also known as wood ear gus,
mushroom

pandan. screwpine

in molded cakes ; also ca ll ed

tahure so
ybean Curd f
yellow or bl
rom fermented

ack soyb
taJure
eans; also
talong eggplant

it general term for noodle

pane .
.
dishes; also ponslt

comes in granulated form or

SUka. vinegar

1'1I apia.
. a low fat, white-fleshed fish
that originated in Africa and has
been introduced to many parts
of the world; also called St.
Peter's fi sh
tinapa. genera l term for smoked fish

garlic, langkawas (blue ginger)

torta. local term for omelet

and ginger; particular to the

I,bl ": heart or pith of the palm; see

provinces of Iloilo and Negros

Occidental

also niyog
wansuy. cilantro, or coriander leaves

slnangag . cooked rice that has been

fried, usually with garlic
singkamas. jicama, also yam bean,
sweet turnip
sinigang. a stew of fish, shellfish,
pork or beef with vegetables in
a broth soured by tamarind, or

kamias, or tomatoes, etc.

sitaw. yard-long bean
sotanghon. mung bean noodles
suahe greasy back shrimp
sugpo. prawn
Glossary I ZZJ