Chicharon nga!

Last Saturday we went to the schlacthof (slaughterhouse). It is the only place in Zürich where I can find meat as I know it. Not the aseptic, museum-type ones that are so nicely packed at the Migros and Coop. I saw the pork skin and immediately asked for it. The butcher, I think, was just happy to get rid of it that he gave it to me for free. I think he gave me enough to make a few leather jackets. =)

I remembered I saw a recipe for chicharon in Reynaldo Alejandro's cookbook. It seemed easy enough. I decided to give it a try without any expectations.

So, I cut the pork skin (the ones I had was already clean---shaved and everything) into 4 cm by 2 cm rectangles. I boiled the skin in water with salt for about 30 minutes. I didn't measure how much salt I added but probably it was about 2 tablespoons. After boiling, I laid the skin on a baking pan and baked for 3 hours at 150C . After baking, the skin looked brown, dry and leather-like. I heated oil in a pan and deep fried the rectangles one by one.

"Wow! Ang galing-galing!" I exclaimed while jumping up and down. My husband was looking at me in amazement wondering I guess if we had won the lotto. "I made chicharon!" I shouted as the pork skin started to expand and pop in my frying pan.
I think I have reached a peak in my quest for Filipino cuisine culinary expertise. Not even in my wildest dreams have I thought I could make chicharon.

After frying, I placed the chicharon on a strainer to allow the oil to drain. Of course, after draining, I immediately tried it. It tasted like "real" chicharon!
Shallow? There is a reason why chicharon is found in every street corner in the Philippines. Filipinos love chicharon. Some dishes are not complete if not laced with this cholesterol-filled wonder. La paz batchoy without chicharon? Incomplete. Palabok without chicharon? Definitely incomplete. Me eating chicharon? Happiness.

Don't forget to dip it in vinegar for best results! =)

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Apple and Sage Stuffing

As soon as I saw the pumpkins at Coop, I knew I have to work on this post. Since Thanksgiving last year, my good friend Mike has been asking me for the recipe of the stuffing that I prepared for our Thanksgiving dinner (the picture below was taken by Mike from this dinner). Today, I willed myself to look for my recipe which my husband seriously hid under some papers.
The first time I tried stuffing was maybe about 7 years ago at a Thanksgiving party thrown by American students in my hometown in the Philippines. It was such a revelation for me. My Japanese friend, Kazumi and I "camped" near the buffet at the party and together we ate all the stuffing. I never forgot the taste of that stuffing. So, years later in Zurich, I tried to recreate that beautiful stuffing recipe. I realized that "the new taste" I was so fascinated about was the combination of apples and sage. So, armed with the memory of that stuffing from 7 years ago, I put together this stuffing recipe.

2 tbsps garlic, chopped
3 onions, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 apples, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup butter
2 tbsps dried sage
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp thyme
2 whole wheat bread loaf, diced
1/2 cups chicken stock
milk

1. Saute garlic and onion in butter;
2. Add apples, celery, raisins and bread;
3. Add chicken stock;
4. Slowly add milk until all the bread is soaked;
5. Add the herbs;
5. Season and taste;
6. Remove from heat;
7. Place inside turkey or bake in a pan at 180 C for 30 minutes.

Note: Adjust the amount of sage to taste.

So, my dearest Mike and Christina, I am sorry for the delay and advanced happy Thanksgiving!

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Puto Cheese Nga!

After 5 long years I made it! My husband was grinning at me this afternoon after tasting it. He had to endure, 5 years of my failed puto attempts after all. He was more surprised than me that I got it right this time.

All these years, all I've been missing is the egg white! That's the secret to the soft and delicate puto.

For more of the drama surrounding this recipe, please proceed to my travel blog "Cat's walks".

Puto Cheese

3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
8 egg whites
1 1/2 cups water + 2 tbsps water or milk
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp cream of tartar
cheese (cut into strips or grated)

1. Mix all ingredients except the egg whites and the cream of tartar until smooth.
2. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks stage at maximum speed. Remember to add the cream of tartar when the bubbles are already even before the whites reach the soft peaks stage.
3. Fold the egg whites into the batter.
4. Spoon into muffin pans lined with paper. Top with cheese.
5. Bake in a baño maria (put the pan inside a pan with about an inch of water inside an oven; make sure your fire is only at the bottom otherwise cover the big pan containing the puto with aluminum foil to protect the puto from being cooked from the top) for 15 minutes at 180 C.

If you want to make puto pao, just put asado or Filling 1 of my siopao recipe in the middle of the puto.

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Siopao

To read about the drama at finding this siopao recipe, please read my travel and adventure blog "Cat's Walks".

Starter Dough:

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
160 ml water

Main Dough:

starter dough
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3 tsp milk
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cup bun flour or cake flour (as long as it is low gluten flour)
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Filling 1:

500 g pork cut into shreds
2 tbsps cooking oil
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsps oyster sauce
2 tbps soy sauce
1/4 cup water
pepper to taste
2 tbps sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
2 hard boiled eggs, cut into 4

Filling 2:

500g ground pork
1 tsp ginger powder
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsps flour
2 hard boiled eggs, cut into 4

Dough:
1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in water water. Wait until frothy (about 10 minutes, if it doesn't then throw it away and start again). Add all purpose flour. Mix. Keep overnight in the refrigerator. It should double in volume. This will be the starter dough.
2. Take the starter dough from the refrigerator then wait until it's in room temperature.
3. Add milk, baking powder, sugar and vegetable oil into the starter dough then mix well.
4. Add flour gradually by kneading. Add flour until dough is not sticky anymore this can be between 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cup of flour. You can also use the hook of your mixer.
5. Shape dough into a log.
6. Let dough rest for about 5-10 minutes.
7. Divide into 6 pieces for big siopao or 8 for small siopao
8. Flatten, then put filling in the middle.
9. Steam immediately (15-20 minutes).

Filling 1:
1. Saute pork in garlic and onion until pork is cooked.
2. In another bowl mix, oyster sauce, soy sauce, pepper, water, sugar, and cornstarch.
3. Add into pork. Cook until sauce is thick.
4. Put in the middle of dough with a slice of egg.

Filling 2:
1. Add all ingredients together except egg, mix well. (Tip: I usually fry a small part of the filling to check if my seasonings are alright).
2. Shape into balls (make sure the size fits your dough).
3. Put in the middle of dough with a slice of egg.

If you prefer the siopao to be really white then just use bun flour. Here in Zurich I buy the bun flour from the Asian store. We don't have cake flour in the supermarket so I have no choice.

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Quick Salmon Pasta

This is really easy to make and! Cooking time is 10 minutes and preparation time is also 10 minutes.

200g pack smoked salmon
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp butter
250 ml full cream
salt to taste
pepper to taste
300 g spaghetti

1. Chop smoke salmon into squares. Set aside.
2. Saute garlic and onion in butter.
3. Add cream. In low fire, simmer until think.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste. Just keep in mind that the smoke salmon you will add later is also a bit salty.
5. Switch off the fire then add chopped smoke salmon. It should be cooked just a little bit.
6. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
7. When pasta is cooked, combine with sauce then serve.

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