Fuck yeah filipino foods!

Disclaimer: We do not own these posts. Most of the pictures are linked to the original picture.

&Of course, special thanks to @iammae for our icon. Much appreciated<3 PERSONAL TUMBLRS: Merryll | Erinne SUBMIT | FAQS | ASK | RECIPES

Leche Flan | The Close-Eye-Factor 

Excerpted from my sometimey food blog Saowsaowface.

that’s a blud-clot rudebwoy leche flan, ya dig?

People tell me my Leche Flan is the shit.  People that don’t really eat Leche Flan when it’s put out, eat mine.  The reason for this is because I give a shit.  Leche Flan is dumb easy to make, but like any food preparation, it’s the giving a shit part that is key.

Leche Flan is a version of custard from The Philippines.  The Portuguese kinda have the same thing, but it’s not quite as good.  Mostly because the Filipino version is rich as fuck and super bad for you.  I guess you can go and make a Leche Flan *Lite*, but that’s not giving a shit.  Well, it’s giving a shit in the wrong places.  It’s fine to care about your health.  But  good food, truly good food, should be a little like love in the way that it kills you a little when you let it.

So why Leche Flan though?  When I decided one day to make Leche Flan it was because my Mother makes it.  Then I figured I was good at it.  So I got better.  But the other reason is what my homey, Polangco would call the “Close-eye-factor.”

I kinda live for the Close-eye-factor.

A good spoonful of Leche Flan is sexual.  The way I like to do it is to take a spoonful and turn the spoon upside-down as I put it in my mouth.  Once I feel the cold of the flan, I tauten my tongue so it’s tip cuts through the velvet texture and grazes the surface of the spoon.  If you’re really good you can peel back the layers, leaving smooth round mounds of flan on the spoon- then hit it again.

When I pull the spoon away slowly and the flan is sitting on the surface of my tongue, I tighten my lips and suck the last bits of air out.  This spreads the flan through the roof of the mouth, the cheeks, and the back of the tongue.  Though it’s cold, you’ll feel a warmth down to your belly, thus creating the proper conditions for the Close-eye-factor.

As much as there’s an art to cooking, there’s an art to eating.  And I’m an aight cook, but I’m mostly primo eater.

Again, Leche Flan is dumb easy to make.

INGREDIENTS:

Some kind of MOLDs.  Those flat round Brazillian corned beef cans, might work well.  But you can grab perfect aluminum molds from TAP PHONG on Spadina ($2.35).  They got everything.  For this recipe, 3 of those molds is good.  All mixed, this recipe will come up to around 6 cups.

A baking pan.  Like the kind you’d make Lasagna in.

Aluminum Foil

• 1 can of Evaporated Milk
• 1 can of Condensed Milk
• 12 egg yolks
• 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

for the caramel:

• 1 cup of Demerara or Muscavado or whatever dark, moist sugar 
• 1 Starbuck’s VIA packet (or whatever instant coffee or actual coffee)
• 3/4 cup water

Preheat your oven to 375.  Segregate your yolks from the whites.  (Keep your whites in a yogurt container and use them for something later.  Tolerance.)

Bring your sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan.  Add the VIA packet and let it simmer out until the sugar caramelizes and the solution thickens.  You don’t have to add the coffee, but the coffee and dark sugar are what make mine different.  Dark is sexy.  Pour the caramel into the bottom of the molds.  It’s a good idea to do this right away to allow the caramel to cool into the mold.  It’ll make all the difference with the presentation (close-eye-factor).

Pour your yolks, the vanilla, the evaporated milk, and the condensed milk into a mixing bowl and beat the shit out of it BY HAND.  I like to beat the yolks out a bit before adding the rest.  Some recipes might say you can use a blender, but I think that makes the Leche Flan runny.  I hold suspect anyone that doesn’t derive pleasure from beating things.  So beat it by hand and think about the Close-eye-factor the whole time.

If you feel fancy, this is a good time to experiment and add flavor.  Traditional Leche Flan doesn’t call for it, there’s already enough flavor there with the vanilla.  But it’s fun to try things.  One time using three molds, I put a shot of Canadian Club Rye Whiskey in one; a shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream in another; and a couple leaves of basil in another.  Sometimes I put dark chocolate chips or shave dark chocolate into it.

When the mixture is proper beat, carefully pour it into the molds and add it to the caramel.  You are pouring too fast when you see too much caramel rising to the top as you pour.  It’ll happen anyway, but it will happen less if you let the caramel cool first.

Boil water and pour it into the baking pan.

Cover the molds with aluminum foil and place them in the water in the baking pan.

Put it all into the oven and let it bake for 45 minutes.  If you’re not sure it’s done take one mold and stab it with a knife and slip it back out.  If the knife is not runny, the Leche Flan is done.

Let the molds cool and when they’re near room temperature place them in the fridge for at least an hour.  This is also optional, but I think it’s better cold.

If you are taking them somewhere it’s best to leave them in the molds.  It’s easier to travel that way.

When you’re ready to serve, use plates with a deep indent and high walls for the flan to sit in the caramel.  Run a knife around the edges of the mold to loosen the flan.  Stick the open end of the mold flush to your plate and turn it over.  Tap it or shake it if it doesn’t slip right out.  Try to not to totally destroy your mold.  You took the extra give a shit to achieve that gleaming dark top surface.

Now do what you wish with that.

-mlv

Paella 

Ingredients.

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 green pepper, finely chopped

½ red pepper, boiled until soft and then cut into long thin strips

2 medium-sized tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

100g peas, cooked

200g prawns (if using cooked prawns substitute fish stock for the water)

200g small clams

200g squid

12 mussels

350g rice (traditionally short grain rice is used but I prefer to use long grain)

2 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped

a pinch of saffron strands (if you can’t get saffron, use yellow food colouring instead and add it once you have added the liquid)

a sprig of parsley, finely chopped

olive oil

about 800ml water

PREPARATION:

MUSSELS: Wash the mussels, removing the beards. Throw away any that don’t shut on contact with water.

FRESH SQUID: Rub off the outer dark skin. Pull out the insides (including the transparent back bone) and pinch the eye away from the tentacles. Save the tentacles. Cut the squid into rings.

CLAMS: Wash in water and then put in a bowl with some salt so that the grit comes out. Throw away any that are open.

PRAWNS: Whether you peel them or not is up to you. If you decide to peel them, save the shells and boil in water for about ten minutes. Save the liquid and add later instead of water.

GARLIC: In a pestle and mortar, grind the garlic, saffron (if using), parsley and a pinch of salt.

RECIPE:

Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion, green pepper and carrot and fry gently for about five minutes. Add the chopped tomato and squid (with the tentacles) and fry on a low heat for another ten minutes.

Add the rice and stir well to make sure that it is thoroughly coated. Add water (or the water from boiling the prawn shells or fish stock if using frozen fish), clams and the garlic/saffron/parsley mixture and bring to the boil. Season with salt. Put a lid on it, turn the heat right down and cook very slowly for about ten minutes. Add the prawns and peas and give it a stir. Arrange the mussels and strips of red pepper artistically on top, put the lid back on and leave for another ten minutes - checking that it has enough water. If you think it is getting too dry, add more water, but shake the handle of the pan rather than stir so as not to upset the pattern. Once the rice is cooked and the mussels have opened, it is ready to eat.

Chicken Arroz Caldo Ingredients
• 4 chicken thighs or drumsticks
• 2 cups of sticky rice (uncooked)
• 1 qt of chicken stock (fat free, sodium free)
• 2 knobs of ginger (peeled, chopped 1/4 inches)
• 4 cloves of garlic (chopped roughly)
• 1 onion or 2 shallots
• green onions
• 2 tablespoons patis or fish sauce
• salt and pepper 

Chicken Arroz Caldo Procedures

• Get a big pot hot and add some olive oil, and brown the chicken. Salt and pepper.
• When you flip over the chicken, add the chopped onion or shallots and let it sautee until the other side of the chicken browns.
• Add garlic, give a quick toss and add uncooked rice.
• Mix around the rice and add the patis or fish sauce. Add ginger. Mix around and add chicken stock.
• Cover and bring to simmer.
• When simmer, bring heat to medium and continue to stir. Making sure rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
• Continue to check the tenderness of the ric. If mixture is getting too thick, loosen with lukewarm water.
• When rice is cooked just right, serve with chicken in a bowl and garnish with green onions and/or deep fried shallots and garlic and a grind of black or white pepper.

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/filipino-lumpia/Detail.aspx

Ingredients 1 lumpia wrappers

1 pound ground beef

1/2 pound ground pork

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

1/3 cup finely chopped carrot

1 quart oil for frying

Directions

1. Make sure the lumpia wrappers are completely thawed. Lay several out on a clean dry surface and cover with a damp towel. The wrappers are very thin and the edges will dry out quickly.

2.In a medium bowl, blend together the ground beef and pork, onion, green pepper and carrot. Place about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture along the center of the wrapper. The filling should be no bigger around than your thumb or the wrapper will burn before the meat is cooked. Fold one edge of the wrapper over to the other. Fold the outer edges in slightly, then continue to roll into a cylinder. Wet your finger, and moisten the edge to seal. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling, keeping finished lumpias covered to prevent drying. This is a good time to recruit a friend or loved one to make the job less repetitive!!

3.Heat oil in a 9 inch skillet at medium to medium high heat until oil is 365 to 375 degrees F (170 to 175 degrees C) Fry 3-4 lumpia at a time. It should only take about 2-3 minutes for each side. The lumpia will be nicely browned when done. Drain on paper towels.

4.You can cut each lumpia into thirds for parties, if you like. In the Philippines, lumpia was eaten with banana ketchup, but I’ve never seen it sold in America.

Chicken bones
Chicken pieces
Onion
Ginger
Garlic
Salt and pepper
Green onion
Fish sauce (patis)
Lime juice

I still have a shitload of those chicken bones I used for Chinese chicken corn soup.  So when I got up this afternoon I tossed a bunch of them a little over 3/4 up a large sauce pan.  I covered that up with cold water, sliced some ginger (though I think it would be better just to drop a chunk in), chopped a shallot (i also think this would be better as thirds), threw that into the water and milled in about 4 turns of pepper and some salt.

I had a couple of de-boned chicken legs in the freezer.  I took those out, covered them in water, and let them thaw.

Then I facebooked my face off for a few hours.  Watched basketball highlights on The Score with my buddy downstairs.  Watched about 6 gags on that Just for Laughs Gags show.  Then I went back upstairs.

It must have been around 5 hours.  The broth had reduced about an inch and a half below the rim of the saucepan. I tasted it.  Closed my eyes and tasted it.  I can’t stress this closing the eyes part enough.  When we close our eyes our other senses prick up and though food can look very good, it says nothing about the taste.  It’s like kissing.  If you want your food to taste delicious you must love the food.  (Closing your eyes is also the best way to decide what exactly you feel like eating.)

It didn’t need anything, so I separated the bones from the broth.  I was again tempted to salvage those chicken shreds, but it looked impossible.  Besides, I had those chicken legs thawing.

To save yourself all the washing, cut the chicken last.  But first toss an onion in the freezer, then start heating up some oil in the saucepan.  Dice a couple of cloves of garlic by smashing them first and cutting them up.  Take an inch of ginger and slice it.  Grab the onion from the freezer.  Dice it quick.  The juice in the onion should be slightly frozen and if you’re quick you’ll save yourself the tears.  Create a mise-en-place and chop up your chicken.

First toast the garlic in the hot oil.  Let them sizzle until they’re brown or crispy or both.  Take a fork and remove them from the oil.  Place them on a piece of paper towel and put that aside.

Now brown your chicken in that garlicky oil.  When it’s close to brown (i like the edges a bit crispy) toss in the onion and ginger.  Don’t put all three in at once.  The water from the onion and ginger will interrupt the browning process.  When it looks good, add a little more than a cup of uncooked rice.  Coat the rice, mix it around.  Now add the broth and bring it all to a boil.

When it’s come to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and cover.  Let the rice cook, it should be around 15 minutes.  When it’s done you can start fucking with the flavour by adding cracked pepper and fish sauce (You can find this in asian groceries.  It fucking stinks so don’t spill it all over the place.  Also, it helps to get the kinda more expensive stuff, it’s still only like $4) in small amounts.  Don’t over do it, you’ll fuck it up completely.  Remember, these things can be added after plating as well.

Ladle the arroz caldo into bowls and garnish with chopped green onion and the toasted garlic.  Serve with lime juice on the side and eat with those big ass chinese soup spoons.

-mlv

Arroz caldo literally means hot rice.  This recipe and method was reference from here:  http://www.nibbledish.com/people/indiemonic/recipes/easy-chicken-arroz-caldo

(excerpted from Saowsaowface)

Ensaymada recipe

Dough
• 1/3 cup refined sugar 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast 
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
• 2 tablespoons water 
• 1/3 cup butter 

Sponge
• 1 egg 
• 1 tablespoon refined sugar 
• 2 tablespoons water 
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 3 egg yolk 
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast 

Topping
• grated cheese 
• melted butter 
• sugar 

METHOD 

1. Mix sponge ingredients in a mixing bowl. Combine until blended and knead until dough is smooth. Shape into ball, cover wit damp cloth and let rise for 2 hours. 
2. Put the dough ingredients except butter in a mixing bowl. Blend until well blended. Add the sponge and the butter. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic. Shape into ball. Put in a bowl, cover with damp cloth and let rise again until double in bulk. 
3. Punch dough and divide equally into 8 pieces. Shape into balls, cover with damp cloth and let rise for 30 minute Roll out each piece thinly into 8 x 5 inch rectangles. Brush surfaces with butter. Roll into long rods and twirl into shape, locking the ends to seal. Place on greased ensaymada molds. Let it rise for 2 hours until doubles in size. 
4. Bake at 325 F for about 10 minute or until light golden brown. Cool slightly and brush with melted butter. Top with grated cheese and sprinkle with sugar. 

http://www.philippinecountry.com/filipino_recipe/merienda_snacks/ensaymada.html

Pancit Palabok Ingredients:

Palabok Noodles / Sauce

• 1/2 kilo miki noodles

• 1/2 kilo small crabs

• 5 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 tablespoons of atchuete seeds or oil

• 2 tablespoons of patis (fish sauce)

• 4 tablespoons of cornstarch, dissolved in water

• 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate (MSG)

• 1 1/2 cups of water

Palabok Toppings

• Tinapa flakes (smoked fish)

• Cooked shrimps, shelled

• Squid adobo, sliced into rings

• Pork chicharon, grounded

• Spring onions, chopped

• Hard boiled eggs, shelled, sliced

• Fried garlic, minced

• Fresh calamansi (lemon), sliced

  Instructions:

• Extract fat and meat from clean crabs, set aside.

• Pound crab and extract juice on 1 1/2 cups of water

• On a pan, sauté garlic and onions until golden brown then add crab fat, crab meat, 1 1/2 cups of crab wash, patis and MSG. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

• Add corn starch and continue to simmer while constantly stirring until thick.

• Put miki noodles in a strainer and dip in boiling water for 5 minutes or until cooked.

• Lay drained noodles on a platter and pour the palabok sauce. Garnish with toppings and serve.

  http://www.filipinofoodrecipes.net/pansit_palabok.htm

Requested*

Leche Flan Ingredients:

• 1 can (390g) evaporated milk

• 1 can (390g) condensed milk

• 10 egg yolks

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or lemon essence

For the caramel:

• 1 cup sugar

• 3/4 cup water

  Leche Flan Cooking Instructions:

• In a saucepan, mix the sugar & water. Bring to a boil for a few minutes until the sugar caramelize.

• Pour the caramelized sugar into aluminum moulds - you can use any shape: oval, round or square. Spread the caramel on the bottom of the moulds.

• Mix well the evaporated milk, condensed milk, egg yolks and vanilla by hand or blender.

• Gently pour the mixture on top of the caramel on the aluminum moulds. Fill the moulds to about 1 to  1 1/4 inch thick.

• Cover moulds individually with aluminum foil.

• Steam for about 20 minutes (the traditional way to make Leche Flan is by open-air steaming on either an open cooking fire or stove top) OR

• Bake for about 45 minutes. Before baking the Leche Flan, place the moulds on a larger baking pan half filled with very hot water. Pre-heat oven to about 370 degrees before baking.

• Let cool then refrigerate.

To serve: run a thin knife around the edges of the mould to loosen the Leche Flan. Place a platter on top of the mould and quickly turn upside down to position the golden brown caramel on top.

http://www.filipinofoodrecipes.net/leche-flan.htm