teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon mirin
1 small clove garlic, minced
Mix all the ingredients together in a small dish. Serve with ukoy.
CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE
Filipinos are terribly clever when it comes to inventing new uses for everyday ingredients. I am particularly fond of the use of liver in sauces and stews. Quite a few Filipino dishes call for liver or liver pâté as an ingredient, which not only imparts rich flavor but also acts as an elegant sauce thickener. Traditionally, canned liverwurst was the product of choice. However, this simple recipe far outweighs the taste and quality of a canned product and can be served in a number of ways. Alone, it is a delicious pâté served with your favorite crusty bread or sliced pears. And finally, if frozen and cut into small bouillon-sized blocks, it can be used as a flavoring or thickener in place of a traditional roux. You will be pleasantly surprised by the sultry depth that a little of this mousse will give your sauces and stews.
Makes 6 to 8 appetizer portions
2 teaspoons butter
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
½ cup (125 ml) sherry
¼ lb (125 g) chicken livers
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1½ cups (375 ml) heavy whipping cream
Cook the livers: Melt the butter in a medium skillet (2 to 3 quarts/liters) over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes until the onion turns golden brown. Add the garlic, dried thyme, and ground red pepper and cook another 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the sherry. Using a wooden spoon, scrape any of the caramelized onion bits off the bottom and sides of the pan into the sauce.
Add the livers, soy sauce, and ½ cup (125 ml) heavy cream. Reduce the heat to a simmer for 7 to 10 minutes until the mixture is almost dry and the livers are tender and fully cooked.
Remove the pan from the heat and place liver mixture in a food processor.
Prepare the mousse: Process the liver well until completely smooth. Spoon into a large bowl and set aside to cool.
Whip the remaining 1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream with an electric mixer until it reaches stiff peaks. Using a large spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cooled duck liver puree. Spoon the mixture into ramekins or a pâté crock. Chill the mousse completely in the refrigerator for at least 4 to 6 hours before serving.
ADOBO-FLAVORED PECANS
Having a drink in the Philippines always goes hand in hand with the taking of pulutan, the term for Filipino bar food. Simple pulutan include a wide range of dishes from grilled sweet potato (kamote-cue) to fried tofu (tokwa) to these easy-to-eat adobo nuts. If the salty tang of these finger-licking snacks isn’t enough to tempt you, the added layer of sweet will ensure that they won’t last long in your kitchen. They are wonderful as a snack, an appetizer, or as a garnish for salads.
Makes 2 cups (200 g)
2 cups (200 g) pecans (substitute peanuts, cashews, almonds, or walnuts)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
4 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons vinegar
1 teaspoon calamansi juice (substitute lime juice)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until the pecans are well coated. Pour the nuts onto a parchment-lined or lightly oiled baking sheet, separating the nuts as much as possible into a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes until the nuts are golden brown.
Cool the nuts before handling, 10 to 15 minutes. They will be crispy with a brown shiny glaze. Store in your cupboard in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
BEEF TURNOVERS EMPANADAS
Empanadas are a global food found in many countries under different monikers. What they all have in common is the same tidy convenience of a half-moon handheld pie. These turnovers are the classic Spanish addition to Filipino cuisine typically made with a sturdy dough that remains tender and golden when fried. This recipe offers you a baked empanada option using puff pastry dough to create a wonderfully light and flaky turnover, easily served as casual finger food or as elegant appetizers. The picadillo filling of ground beef, toasted almonds, and green olives is purposely generous; leftovers can be recycled into one of my comfort-food favorites, Arroz a la Cubana (page 85), served with rice and sweet plantains.
Makes 12 empanadas
Almondine
¼ cup (40 g) green Spanish olives
¼ cup (50 g) toasted almonds
¼ cup (40 g) raisins
Meat Filling
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb (450 g) lean ground beef
3 tablespoons soy sauce
¾ cup (175 ml) Chicken or Beef Stock (see pages 15 and 14)
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
4 oz (125 g) frozen peas
1 small potato, peeled and diced
1 lb (450 g) store-bought puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, beaten
Prepare the almondine: Place the green olives, almonds, and raisins in a food processor. Pulse the blade several times, until the mixture is finely chopped but not a paste. Set the mixture aside.
Cook the filling: Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan (2 to 3 quarts/liters) over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook and stir for 2 minutes until the onion becomes translucent. Add the ground beef and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until well browned. Drain and discard the rendered fat from the pan. Add the soy sauce, stock, oregano, and thyme. Reduce the heat to a simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the peas, potato, and almond mixture. Cover and simmer for another 7 to 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Cool the meat before
