Tag Archives: Filipino Food

Sisi (Small Oysters)



Sisi are small oysters and it is very rich in flavor compared to the bigger oysters. Although its hard to open these little shells, its worth the effort in every way. The salty full juice of Sisi will nourish you the whole day. You can find these Sisi or small oysters  in the Oyster stalls of Villa and Arevalo. Its great appetizer for Tanduay rhum or whiskey.

How to Boil Sisi (Small Oysters) in the Shell

Step 1
Purchase oysters with closed shells. If you find an oyster with an open shell, tap on the shell a couple times to see whether the shell closes. If the shell remains open, the oyster is dead and shouldn’t be consumed. Throw away dead oysters.

Step 2
Fill a small pot with water or broth until it is about two-thirds full. (It is important to use a smaller pot because a larger pot may prevent all the oysters from cooking properly.)

Step 3
Bring the liquid to a rolling boil, and drop the oysters into the pot. Boil for three to five minutes after the oyster shells open.

Step 4
Drain the oysters in a colander and rinse with cool water to prevent more cooking. Throw away any oysters that did not open during cooking.

Step 5
Serve the oysters plain or with (sinamak) vinegar or melted butter or hot sauce.

How to Boil Shucked Sisi (Small Oysters)

Step 1
Follow Step 1 above to discard dead oysters.

Step 2
Place a fresh oyster in a towel, and grab it with the palm of your hand. With your other hand, pry open the shell with an oyster knife. (See References for more information.)

Step 3
Insert the tip of the knife between the shell halves next to the oyster’s hinge. Wiggle and twist the knife until the oyster breaks open.

Step 4
Cut the oyster from the top shell, and place it in a bowl or on a plate. Then repeat with the bottom shell.

Step 5
Fill a small pot with water or broth until it is two-thirds full. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil, and drop the oysters into the pot. Boil for at least three minutes. The ends of the oysters will curl once the oysters are fully cooked.

Step 6
Remove the pot from heat once the oyster edges have curled. Drain the oysters in a colander, and rinse with cool water to prevent further cooking.

Step 7
Serve the boiled oysters plain or with (sinamak) vinegar or melted butter or hot sauce.

Alternative Steamed Sisi ingredients

* 12 Oysters In Shells
* 1 T Low-Calorie Margarine
* 1?2 t lemon juice, fresh
* Ds Tabasco Sauce

Cooking Steamed oysters

1. Scrub and rinse the oysters under cold running water.
2. Place the oysters around the edge of a large microwave plate (two may go in the middle if necessary).
3. With the microwave on high, cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the shells open; turn the plate every 3 minutes for even cooking.
4. Remove the oysters from their shells with a shucking knife.
5. Place them on heated dish and keep them warm.
6. Meanwhile, combine the margarine, lemon juice and tabasco sauce in a small microwave dish.
7. Cook on high 20 to 25 seconds or until the margarine is melted.
8. Serve with the oysters.
9. One serving: calories: 45 carbohydrates: negligible exchange: ½ medium-fat meat.

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Kasag (Steamed Blue Crabs)



STEAMED CRABS

water
2 1/2 tablespoons OLDBAY seasoning
cider vinegar
3 tablespoons salt

Pot should have raised rack, minimum 2″ high.
Add equal quantities water and vinegar to just below level of rack.
Layer crabs; sprinkle each layer with mixture of OLD BAY SEASONING and salt.
Cover and steam until crabs are red.

BOILED CRABS

3 quarts water
1 OLDBAY Crab Boil
spice bag 1/4 cup
cider vinegar
2 tablespoons salt

Fill a large pot with 3 quarts water, vinegar, spice bag, and 2 tablespoons salt.
Bring to a boil.
Add blue claw crabs.
Bring back to a boil, cover 20 minutes or until crabs turn red.
Remove and drain.
To enhance flavor omit vinegar and add large pieces of celery,
onion, and lemon to boiling water before adding crabs.
If spice bags are not available substitute 3 tablespoons OLDBAY seasoning
and 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper.

SOFT SHELLED CRABS

egg lightly beaten
crushed cracker crumbs

Live soft-shelled crabs are killed at cleaning.
It may seem unpleasant, but the quickest way to do this is by
sticking the point of a knife or an ice pick between the eyes.
If you bought your soft-shell crabs frozen, let them thaw a bit before cleaning.
Lay the soft-shelled crab on its back and remove the apron.
Turn the crab over, lift up the pointed ends (spikes) and
remove the six gills on each side.
Then replace each point to its original position.
With scissors, cut off the mouth, eyes and feelers.
Wash the crab thoroughly, even under the spikes.

Dip the crab in egg and cracker meal and fry, deep-fry or broil for ten minutes
, aprox five minutes on each side and season to taste with salt, pepper,
and a shake of OLDBAY seasoning.

NEW JERSEY CRAB BOIL

3 lemons, quartered
12 new red potatoes
6 small ears fresh corn
6 small yellow onions
6 medium carrots
1/4 Cup OLDBAY seasoning
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
12 live blue crabs
1/2 cup salt
1 cup white wine

Fill a large 10-quart stockpot one-third full with water.
Add wine, OLDBAY seasoning, salt, peppers and the lemons, bring to boil.
Then add potatoes, corn, onions, and carrots, cover and let boil for 10 minutes.
Add the crabs, cover, and return to boil.
Once steam starts to escape from under the cover, lower to medium let cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes more.

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Talaba (Boiled Oysters)



Talaba  or Oysters have a soft flesh that can taste sweet, salty or even melon-like, depending on where they are harvested. These expensive treats can be eaten in various ways: raw, boiled, steamed, baked, fried, stewed, pickled, or roasted. Because raw oysters may contain dangerous bacteria, many people opt to boil their oysters to enjoy this seafood delicacy.

How to Boil Oysters in the Shell

Step 1
Purchase oysters with closed shells. If you find an oyster with an open shell, tap on the shell a couple times to see whether the shell closes. If the shell remains open, the oyster is dead and shouldn’t be consumed. Throw away dead oysters.

Step 2
Fill a small pot with water or broth until it is about two-thirds full. (It is important to use a smaller pot because a larger pot may prevent all the oysters from cooking properly.)

Step 3
Bring the liquid to a rolling boil, and drop the oysters into the pot. Boil for three to five minutes after the oyster shells open.

Step 4
Drain the oysters in a colander and rinse with cool water to prevent more cooking. Throw away any oysters that did not open during cooking.

Step 5
Serve the oysters plain or with (sinamak) vinegar or melted butter or hot sauce.

How to Boil Shucked Oysters

Step 1
Follow Step 1 above to discard dead oysters.

Step 2
Place a fresh oyster in a towel, and grab it with the palm of your hand. With your other hand, pry open the shell with an oyster knife. (See References for more information.)

Step 3
Insert the tip of the knife between the shell halves next to the oyster’s hinge. Wiggle and twist the knife until the oyster breaks open.

Step 4
Cut the oyster from the top shell, and place it in a bowl or on a plate. Then repeat with the bottom shell.

Step 5
Fill a small pot with water or broth until it is two-thirds full. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil, and drop the oysters into the pot. Boil for at least three minutes. The ends of the oysters will curl once the oysters are fully cooked.

Step 6
Remove the pot from heat once the oyster edges have curled. Drain the oysters in a colander, and rinse with cool water to prevent further cooking.

Step 7
Serve the boiled oysters plain or with (sinamak) vinegar or melted butter or hot sauce.

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Chicken Inasal (Chicken BBQ)

Preparation & marinating: 6 hours to overnight
Estimated cooking time: 40 minutes
Chicken Inasal Ingredients:
2 Chickens (free range if available)
3/4 cup Filipino vinegar
1/4 cup Garlic finely minced
2 stalks Lemon grass optional
Salt
Annatto oil (see notes below)
Wooden skewers
Spiced vinegar
Additional Ingredients Instructions:
2 free-range chickens, approx. 3 pounds each, or if you can find smaller chickens, use 3 of them
3/4 cup Filipino vinegar, palm if you can find it, or cane; or if you must, the equivalent in kalamansi juice (available in the frozen aisle of your Asian market if you don’t have access to fresh)
1/4 cup garlic, minced very finely, or better yet, mashed into a paste with 2 teaspoons sea salt
achuete or annatto oil, made by steeping 1/4 cup annatto seeds in 1/2 cup hot oil for half an hour (If not available, you may mix a small amount of paprika and tumeric to achieve the same color.)
thick wooden skewers, soaked for 1 hour in water prior to cooking
Bottled spiced vinegar for serving, or make your own by mixing Filipino vinegar, lots of crushed garlic, a bit of salt, and a handful of Thai peppers or other tiny red hot peppers
Chicken Inasal Cooking Instructions:
Quarter the chickens, or if using the small ones, halve them. Marinate in the vinegar, garlic and salt, several hours or overnight, turning several times.
Preheat grill to 350 degrees. Make sure your grill is cleaned and oiled well. Cook over indirect heat for 20 minutes, basting with the achuete oil.
Turn and cook for 10-15 minutes more, or until thickest parts of chicken exude clear juices when pierced. Can also be made in a grill pan on the stove if no outside barbecue is available.

Serve immediately with the spiced vinegar. Other welcome additions to the vinegar: some soy sauce or fish sauce if you like, or even some minced ginger.

Preparation & marinating: 6 hours to overnight

Estimated cooking time: 40 minutes

Chicken Inasal Ingredients:

2 Chickens (free range if available)

3/4 cup Filipino vinegar

1/4 cup Garlic finely minced

2 stalks Lemon grass optional

Salt

Annatto oil (see notes below)

Wooden skewers

Spiced vinegar

Additional Ingredients Instructions:

2 free-range chickens, approx. 3 pounds each, or if you can find smaller chickens, use 3 of them

3/4 cup Filipino vinegar, palm if you can find it, or cane; or if you must, the equivalent in kalamansi juice (available in the frozen aisle of your Asian market if you don’t have access to fresh)

1/4 cup garlic, minced very finely, or better yet, mashed into a paste with 2 teaspoons sea salt

achuete or annatto oil, made by steeping 1/4 cup annatto seeds in 1/2 cup hot oil for half an hour (If not available, you may mix a small amount of paprika and tumeric to achieve the same color.)

thick wooden skewers, soaked for 1 hour in water prior to cooking

Bottled spiced vinegar for serving, or make your own by mixing Filipino vinegar, lots of crushed garlic, a bit of salt, and a handful of Thai peppers or other tiny red hot peppers

Chicken Inasal Cooking Instructions:

Quarter the chickens, or if using the small ones, halve them. Marinate in the vinegar, garlic and salt, several hours or overnight, turning several times.

Preheat grill to 350 degrees. Make sure your grill is cleaned and oiled well. Cook over indirect heat for 20 minutes, basting with the achuete oil.

Turn and cook for 10-15 minutes more, or until thickest parts of chicken exude clear juices when pierced. Can also be made in a grill pan on the stove if no outside barbecue is available.

Serve immediately with the spiced vinegar. Other welcome additions to the vinegar: some soy sauce or fish sauce if you like, or even some minced ginger.

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Adobo Ilonggo (Chicken and Pork Adobo)

adobo-ilonggo

Ilonggo Adobo is so very popular in the Philippines that every home has the mastery of cooking such a dish. Adobo makes everyone eat so much rice.

It is a dish of chicken or pork marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, crushed garlic, whole black peppercorns (paminta) and some bay leaf. Its savory taste depends on the proportion of the ingredients and the procedure. The color is usually golden or dark brown.

Meat is usually cut into small chunks but there’s one exemption, try checking out Tobeng’s Eatery near Iloilo Doctor’s College and they will give you a large pork chop.

Ingredients

* 1 kg pork  and chicken
* 1 big onion, chopped
* 5 garlic cloves
* 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
* bay leaf
* 1/2 cup atsuete oil
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon fish sauce
* 1/2 cup cane vinegar
* 1 tablespoon muscovado sugar
* 1/2 cup water (or more)
* salt
* 1 long green chili pepper
* 4 hard-boiled eggs (optional)

Directions

1.  In a deep frying pan or casserole mix all the first 10 ingredients. Bring to a boil w/out stirring. After it boils start mixing it to get even color. When the meat is cook and liquid consistency starts to get thicker add boiled egg and mix uniformly. Salt to taste and garnish w/ green long pepperbefore removing from heat. Enjoy!

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Balut (Broiled Duck Egg)

balut2

One of the many well known Filipino food delicacy that can be found here only in the Philippines is called “balut”.

A balut is a fertilized duck (or chicken) egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell. It is commonly sold as streetfood in the Philippines.

Balut is usually served warm and fresh. Some of the pubs in Philippines serves the balut with beers.

The Pinoys usually tap the tip of the Balut to make a small crack on the top and drink up the juices inside the egg shell. After that the Balut shell will be cracked open and a pinch of salt will be springled on the Balut. Then, get ready to ‘wallup’ the whole thing into your mouth. I’m sure it’d taste good with beer.

Filipino Food Delicacy BalutBalut are most often eaten with a pinch of salt, some prefer chili and vinegar to complement their egg. The eggs are savored for their balance of textures and flavors; the broth surrounding the embryo is sipped from the egg before the shell is peeled and the yolk and young chick inside can be eaten. All of the contents of the egg are consumed, although the whites may remain uneaten, due to its toughness depending on the age of the fertilized egg.

Balut is now being served as appetizers in restaurants; cooked adobo style, fried in omelettes or even used as filling in baked pastries.

Ingredients:

> Fresh duck’s egg

> Salt, vinegar or fish sauce

How to cook?

1. Place the fresh duck egg on a boiling water for 5-8 mins till hard boiled. Do not over cook the eggs.

2. Serve with salt, vinegar or fish sauce.

How to eat a Balut?

1. Place the egg in an egg holder so that it is resting vertically. The “long end” of the egg should be standing up.
2.Crack the egg around the top by gently tapping your spoon against the shell. Remove the top of the shell once you have traveled all the way around the egg. Make sure to discard any bits of shell which fell into the Balut.
3.Add a dash of red wine vinegar, a dash of chili sauce and a tiny pinch of sea salt. (Don’t go overboard on the salt because the chili sauce will have sodium in it as well.) The combination of the chili sauce and the vinegar will provide a spicy sweet flavor.
4.Drink the broth from the surrounding duck embryo. It is customary to drink the broth before ingesting the embryo.
5.Throw back the rest of the Balut as if you were taking a shot. Once the duck embryo has been boiled, the bones become soft. So there’s not need to worry about crunching on anything.
6.Drink any residual broth that was in the shell and then discard.

1. Place the egg in an egg holder so that it is resting vertically. The “long end” of the egg should be standing up.

2.Crack the egg around the top by gently tapping your spoon against the shell. Remove the top of the shell once you have traveled all the way around the egg. Make sure to discard any bits of shell which fell into the Balut.

3.Add a dash of red wine vinegar, a dash of chili sauce and a tiny pinch of sea salt. (Don’t go overboard on the salt because the chili sauce will have sodium in it as well.) The combination of the chili sauce and the vinegar will provide a spicy sweet flavor.

4.Drink the broth from the surrounding duck embryo. It is customary to drink the broth before ingesting the embryo.

5.Throw back the rest of the Balut as if you were taking a shot. Once the duck embryo has been boiled, the bones become soft. So there’s not need to worry about crunching on anything.

6.Drink any residual broth that was in the shell and then discard.

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Bopis (Diced Pork Lungs and Heart)

bopis

Bopis is originally a spicy Spanish dish adapted by Filipinos. Its main ingredients include pork lungs and heart  sauteed in herbs and spices. Cooking time is around fifteen minutes so it can be categorized as a thirty minute dish, including prep time. Here’s how:

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo ground/minced/cubed pork lungs and heart

1 whole garlic head, crushed and minced

1 whole onion head, minced

1 red bell pepper, minced

pepper

chili slices (adjust according to taste)

atsuete /annato seed oil

2 tablespoons cooking oil

salt

*you can substitute salt for patis/fish sauce

Procedure:

Heat oil in a pan and saute garlic until you can smell its aroma then mix in the onions. After two minutes, mix the pork heart and lungs. Cook for about five minutes or just until the meat turns brown. Season with salt, pepper and the chili slices. Pour in the annato seed oil and bell pepper. Stir and let cook for around ten more minutes, adjusting the taste as you go along. Serve with plain steamed rice. :)

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