Form the empanadas: Lay the thawed sheets of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Using a 3 1/6-inch (80-mm) round cookie cutter, cut 5 rounds of dough from each sheet. Puff pastry scraps can be cut and pressed together to form another sheet large enough to cut another 2 dough circles. Use a rolling pin to gently roll each dough circle into a slightly oval shape. Place a heaping tablespoon of meat in the center of an oval. Using a pastry brush, lightly moisten the dough’s edge with water. Fold the top half of dough over the filling, lining up the edges to form a half-moon. Using the back of a fork, press the tines along the edge of the empanada to seal it shut and make a decorative edge. Repeat this process with the remaining dough. Place the finished empanadas on a baking sheet. The empanadas can be frozen at this point. Place the entire tray in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours. Once the empanadas are firm, transfer them from the baking tray to plastic freezer bags for easier storage.
Bake the empanadas: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly brush the tops of the empanadas with beaten egg. Place an herb leaf, such as fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) or flat-leaf parsley, on top of each empanada as a garnish. The egg wash will “glue” the leaves to the dough. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the empanadas have puffed and turned golden brown.
Variation: Mushroom Empanadas. Mushrooms give the empanadas a full flavor and meaty texture without the meat. Follow the same recipe, substituting 1 pound (450 g) assorted fresh mushrooms (such as shiitake, oyster, portobello, crimini, button, chanterelles), stems removed, for the ground beef. For a truly vegetarian empanada, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
FRIED SWEET BANANAS PRITONG SAGING
There’s no bad time to serve ripe pan-fried bananas. An everyday merienda staple, they are a perfect midmorning or midafternoon snack to wash down with coffee or hot chocolate (tsokolate). Easily found in Latino markets and many conventional grocery stores, the plaintain is a good substitute for the saba, the variety of banana used in the Philippines for Pritong Saging. The ripeness of your plantain will certainly make a notable difference in the cooked result. A hard unripe or semiripe plantain has a lot of starch and a ¼-inch (6-mm) slice will cook into a tough rubbery plank. The riper the plantain, the more its starch is replaced by sugar and you can be sure that it will fry into a tender sweet slice. As with all fried foods, serve these while they’re still hot. Leftover saging can be chopped and sautéed with your fried rice for a natural sweetener in Arroz a la Cubana (page 85) or picadillo (page 35).
Serves 6
3 large (approximately 2 lbs/900 g) ripe but firm plantains, peeled
1 cup (250 ml) vegetable oil, for frying
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
Cut the bananas through the center crosswise to make short halves. Next cut the banana halves lengthwise into thirds. Continue with the remaining bananas so that you have 18 slices, roughly 3 to 4 inches (7½ to 10 cm) in length. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, fry the bananas 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden brown. Dry the bananas on paper towels and immediately sprinkle with the sugar while still hot.
Variation: Banana Fritters. These are dipped in a lightly sweetened batter and fried. Cut plantains the same way as when making fried bananas, per the instructions for Fried Sweet Bananas. In a bowl, combine 2 cups (275 g) all-purpose flour, 1 large egg, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon honey or pure maple syrup, ¼ cup (50 ml) milk, and a pinch of salt. Stir the batter until well combined. Dip the plantain slices in the batter until well coated and fry until golden brown on all sides. Dry the fried banana slices on paper towels. Serve hot.
GRILLED CHICKEN WINGS
One of Cebu City’s claims to culinary fame is Carbon Market, Cebu’s largest outdoor market, a claustrophobic maze of open-air and covered stalls selling everything from pristine kangkong (water spinach) to ocean-fresh kuhol (snails) or handwoven banig (pandan mats). Carbon is also home to multiple food stalls, one particularly that sells the most delectable grilled chicken wings with sizzled skin and smoky meat. For this recipe I’ve replicated those flavors with the typical adobo marinade proportionately stretched into a seasoned brine that will plump the wings with flavor and keep them tender as they cook over the hot coals. The kicker for these wings is the barest sprinkle of calamansi juice right at the end that makes each bite an explosion of flavor.
Makes approximately 25 wings
Brine
6 cups (1½ liters) boiling water
1 cup (250 ml) soy sauce
1 cup (200 g) brown sugar
1 head garlic, cut in half horizontally to expose the cloves
1 cup (250 ml) vinegar
½ cup (125 g) salt
2 bay leaves
6 cups (1½ liters) ice water
Wings
5 lbs (2¼ kg) chicken wings, approximately 25 wings
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 to 6 fresh calamansi (substitute 1 lime), halved
Make the brine: Combine the hot water, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, vinegar, salt, and bay leaves in a large stockpot (7 to 8 quarts/liters). Stir to combine. Add the ice water to cool the brine. Set aside.
Prepare the chicken and marinade: Prepare the wings. Chicken wings have three sections: the large drummette, the middle section, and the wing tip. Use a sharp knife to cut between the joints, separating the wing into three parts. Reserve the wing tips for chicken stock. Place the drummette and middle sections into the cooled brine. The wings should be completely covered. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.
Drain the wings and rinse under cold water. Pat the wings dry with paper towels. Toss the wings with sesame oil, paprika, and pepper until well coated.
Cook the wings: To cook the wings on a grill, follow Step 1; to cook them under a broiler, follow Step 2.
Step 1. Preheat the grill and oil grates. Grill the wings 5 to 7 minutes per side until cooked through. The larger drummettes may take 7 to 9 minutes per side. Place the cooked wings on a serving platter and sprinkle with squeezed calamansi or lime juice. Serve hot.
Step 2. You can achieve similar results using your broiler. Of course, your wings will lack that incomparable charcoal flavor, but substituting smoked paprika for hot paprika on the wings will give the chicken a smoky finish. Position your oven rack directly under the broiler. Preheat your broiler. Place the wings in a single layer on a baking sheet and place under the broiler for 6 to 8 minutes per side until the wings are cooked through.
Variation: Tangy Wings. For a tangy barbecue sauce to baste on your wings, combine ¼ cup (50 ml) hoisin sauce, ¼ cup (50 ml) ketchup (banana ketchup works best), 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Mix well and baste on wings as they cook.
STEAMED BUNS FILLED WITH CURRY CHICKEN CURRY CHICKEN SIOPAO
