|
THE more I dig into what keeps the spirit of the Filipino gastronome alive, the deeper my foot gets into my mouth. All because of the silly ignorance I have been harbouring about the heritage of Filipino flavours.
|
| IN THE RUNNING: A hawker in Manila touting what may be a top contender for their national dish, Sisig.
PICTURES: K F SEETOH |
These god-fearing folks have lived under various colonial masters and are influenced by so many world cultures that it is very hard to pinpoint just where their iconic local dishes came from. For one, their Chinese food has a heavy Hokkien influence and just about everything else points to the Spaniards and comes with modified American accents. Yet, there is a familiar hint of something Japanese. And the people speak English. What a confusion. I am not about to enter into a discourse on this very debatable (hence sleepy) topic here because it'll get us nowhere. Working on a project with some chefs here in Manila gave me some opportunity to be a busybody about the food they eat. Favourites
|
| FIERY: The zing and sting of the vinegar chilli soy sauce is what makes this pork and tofu Tokwat Baboy dish so wonderful. |
So I asked, and they whipped up two of their faves which I can so easily relate to - it is a couple of those eat-first-ask-later dishes that I sin for which can also help shorten my life expectancy. One, in particular, called sisig has a very colourful peasant background. The other, tokwat baboy, is just, well, nice, especially when eaten with beer in front of the telly. Sisig is basically boiled-then-deep-fried bits of pig's head tossed in chillies, spices and lime topped with a raw egg. It hails from Pampanga and was created by poorer folks who had to eat what the butchers serving the US Clarke Air Base threw out - pig's heads. Madam Lucita Cunanan whipped up an extremely popular version in her humble eatery in Angeles City in 1974. It was so popular that there is actually a Sisig festival in Pampanga in December. The tourism authority recognised and lionised Madam Cunanan for making Pampanga the Sisig capital of the Philippines. She became a local hero. But earlier this year, she was found stabbed and her husband was charged with her murder. She was 80 years old. So much drama. Come to think of it, maybe Singapore should have a chicken rice festival or curry fish head day. It'll be quite a cool people-bonding exercise. Tokwat baboy has Hokkien Pinoy roots. It made of boiled-then-broiled or fried pork with deep-fried taukua squares (just reading that description shortens my life by five seconds) tossed in vinegar soya sauce with chillies and onions. The whole thing reeks of some Thai accents. I don't know if you can get chefs to whip up these dishes at the little friendly Pinoy cafes at Lucky Plaza, but I'll sock you with the recipes (see report, right). Makansutra, founded by K F Seetoh, is a company that celebrates Asian food culture and lifestyle. It publishes food guides in and around the region, produces a food television series, develops interactive mobile content and services, operates food courts and eateries, organises food tours and events, and consults on culinary concepts.
TRY THESE RECIPES SISIG 1. Boil pork parts (1.2kg of ear, liver, skin, and tongue) in 5l of water with 200g ginger, 100g leeks, 3 whole onions and 3 tbsp salt till soft. 2. Set aside to drip dry and air for 30 minutes. 3. Then deep fry all the parts till crispy outside and set aside. Chop the crispy parts up into 0.5cm bits (they should taste a little salty). 4. Now finely chop some extra onions (1and a half bulbs) and 2 chillies and roughly crush 1 tbsp of black peppercorns and ready it for final frying. 5. Toss all the chopped meat parts and ingredients onto a wok and fry over medium fire for about 2 minutes with some oil. Add salt and soy sauce for taste (ensure it is not wet). 6. Serve topped with a raw egg and garnish with spring onion and 2 Calamansi limes. TOKWAT BABOY 1. Boil 250g of three-layered pork (with skin and fat on) till soft, let it drip dry and air for 30 minutes. 2. Then deep fry the pork and cut into bite-sized bits and set aside. 3. Deep fry 180g taukua (firm tofu) chopped into 2cm squares, till crispy outside and leave on platter. 4. Now create sauce with 3 tbsp white vinegar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 3 pieces of finely cut bird's eye chillies, one stalk of finely cut lemongrass, 20 3-cm ginger strips and 1 tbsp sugar by tossing them together (alter sauce propotions to suit your taste). 5. Now place pork and mix with taukua cubes on platter. Pour sauce over and toss. Garnish with chopped onions or chopped coriander. Add 2 Calamansi limes for extra zing. Note: the lemongrass is an extra ingredient added for fragrance and not found in traditional recipes. 
 Back to Columnists
|
