in a small saucepan over moderately high heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the saucepan, decrease the heat to low and simmer until the sauce thickens, 3–5 minutes.
Remove the sauce from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature before serving. The sauce will continue to thicken a bit more as it cools.
Serve as a sauce for Mini Spring Rolls with Pork and Shrimp (page 32), Crunchy Crab Lumpia (page 37), Pork and Vegetable Lumpia (page 30), Filipino-Style Fried Chicken (page 98), or Filipino Scotch Eggs (page 111).
TOMATO RELISH WITH FISH SAUCE AND SHALLOTS KAMATIS, BAGOONG AT LASONA
Sweet, tangy, and savory, with a mild onion bite, this simple relish of chopped tomatoes and shallots dressed in fish sauce is the most commonly found condiment on my family’s dinner table. This condiment is so common in the Northern Philippines that it is usually referred to by its Ilocano initials of “KBL” (Kamatis, Bagoong, Lasona /Tomatoes, Fish Sauce, Shallots). Although the term “bagoong” usually only refers to fermented shrimp or fish paste, fish sauce is often used in KBL depending on the preference of the household. Any ripe chopped tomato works well in this recipe, but I love the look of cherry tomatoes cut into quarters.
Makes about 2 cups (500 ml)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
½ lb (250 g) cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1–2 tablespoons fish sauce
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently to combine. Serve KBL alongside Crunchy Pork Belly (page 89), grilled meats and fish, or over steamed white rice.
VARIATIONS: Substitute 1 tablespoon of fresh minced ginger for 1 tablespoon of the minced shallot.
Substitute minced red onion, or sliced green onion (scallion), for the shallot.
FLAKY PASTRY PIE CRUST
This is a simple and basic pastry crust that can be used in multiple recipes throughout this cookbook. You can prepare this dough up to a day in advance before rolling it out for use in other recipes in this book such as Bitter Melon and Bacon Quiche (page 44), Chicken Adobo Pot Pies (page 74), Egg and Vegetable Turnovers (page 34), and Mini Mango Turnovers (page 122). Alternatively, you can substitute store-bought pie crust or puff pastry for this recipe.
Yields one 9-in (23-cm) pie crust
Prep Time: 10 minutes, plus at least 30 minutes rest in the refrigerator
1¼ cups (175 g) all-purpose flour
¹/8 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small cubes
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
¼ cup (60 ml) ice water
In a large bowl, combine the flour and the salt. Using a pastry cutter, or your fingers, mix the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs.
Add the vinegar and mix with your hands, or a rubber spatula, to incorporate. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until the dough just comes together to form a large ball and can hold its shape. You may not need to use all the water.
Alternatively, you can pulse the flour, salt and butter in a food processor until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs. Drizzle in the vinegar and pulse to combine, and then drizzle in the water, little by little, pulsing the food processor until the dough just comes together.
After the dough can hold its shape, form it into a thick disk and cover with plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.
HOMEMADE BANANA KETCHUP
A tomato shortage during World War II did not bode well for the Filipino’s love of American ketchup. Luckily, Filipino food technologist, Maria Y. Orosa, created a sweet facsimile of ketchup using the plentiful local bananas grown all over the Islands. Though naturally a brownish-blonde hue, the newly created banana ketchup was dyed a bright red to resemble the old standard. Filipinos quickly embraced the fruitier condiment and soon, banana ketchup became just as popular in the Philippines as tomato ketchup was in the United States.
Though banana ketchup (or banana sauce) can be easily found at Asian markets, you can just as easily make your own banana ketchup at home—without all the artificial colors and flavors.
The color in my homemade ketchup comes from Annatto Oil (page 26) and tomato paste, so the finished product is a subtle orange hue rather than the familiar crimson red of store-bought ketchup. Despite this difference in color, the tangy-sweet flavor of this homemade ketchup is worlds better than the bottled artificial stuff at the Asian market.
Use this ketchup as you would any store-bought ketchup (tomato or banana), but it’s especially good as a dip for Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries (page 38), atop Grilled Turkey Burgers (page 100), mixed into Filipino Spaghetti (page 64), or as a glaze for Filipino Meatloaf (page 83) and Grilled Lemongrass Chicken (page 84).
Makes about 1½ cups (375 ml)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
2 tablespoons Annatto Oil (page 26), or regular vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 large ripe bananas, about ¾ lb (350 g) total, mashed
½ cup (125 ml) cider vinegar
¼ cup (65 ml) water
2 tablespoons brown sugar, plus more, to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¹/8 teaspoon ground clove
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 bay leaf
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 5–7 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir to combine, cooking for 2–3 minutes until the tomato paste breaks down and melts into the onion and garlic.
Place the mashed banana into the pan and stir until they pick up a reddish-orange hue from the Annatto Oil (if using) and tomato paste. Pour in the vinegar and water, stirring to scrape up
