Tag Archives: kasag

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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Tambo (Bamboo Shoot Soup)



Tambo is the Ilonggo term for bamboo shoots while labong is the tagalog term. Sometimes the term tambo refers to the dish itself because tambo is the signature ingredient of this classic Ilonggo sud-an or viand. However, for a more detailed description, the dish is oftentimes called utan nga tambo in order to emphasize that what is wanted is tambo with vegetables rather than referring to other dishes such asAtchara nga Tambo or Tambo with Bagongon-telescope shells.

These fresh bamboo shoots come from the farms and mountains of Iloilo. Right after summer, at the end of May, new bamboo shoots sprout from the main bamboo plant especially when the rainy season starts to unfold. This is what rural folks refer to as“tigtarambo or season for bamboo shoots. Thus, tambo can be bought cheapest during this season. Therefore, you could find it in public markets in Iloilo, for only ten pesos per kilo.

However, whenever tambo is already out of season-starting from the months of August and September-its price from ten pesos per kilo doubles.
Utan nga tambo can be cooked in different ways and with varying ingredients. I discovered through my interviews that the choice on whether what ingredients to be used depends on one’s preferences and social status. For instance, the simplest tambo recipe only has the following ingredients: tambo, coconut milk, okra or tugabang (saluyot leaves) and bagoong. Moreover, the regular tambo recipe includes shrimps and does not include bagoong. Finally, the ultimate tambo recipe would consist of tambo, coconut milk, crabs or  even alimango, okra and tugabang (saluyot leaves) or takway.

Serving is good for 4-6 people.

Here are the ingredients

2 cans of Tambo – labong in tagalog; Young bamboo shoots. It is abundant during rainy days. You can use the canned bamboo shoots if you cannot find fresh. 

1 stalk of Tugabang – saluyot in filipino (and in other asian countries); Its english name is jute mallow or jute leaves

1 lbs Okra 

2 Yellow Corn. We Ilonggos would like to use the glutinous variety of corn.

1 can of Coconut milk – set aside the kakang gata.

1 lbs Fresh Shrimps or Crabs or Dried Fish or Visayan Shrimp Paste (Guinamos)

Procedure:

1) Boil your sliced bamboo shoots until its soft to chew. Discard the water. Squeeze out excess water.
Boil this again in 4-5 cups of water.

2.) Add your okra until soup is slimy

3. ) Add your second batch of coconut milk. At this stage I like to add some cloves of garlic. You can add your grated corn here if it’s fresh.

4.) You can now add your shrimps, or blue crabs or dried fish.

*Our Ilonggo secret ingredient: Add one spoon of Visayan Shrimp Paste to flavor (optional if available)

5) Add your tugabang(Jute Leaves)

6) Add your remaining kakang gata(coconut milk), simmer for another minute and serve.

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