Salted Duck Egg and Tomato Salad

Itlog na Maalat (salted duck eggs) and kamatis (tomatoes): the quintessential Filipino side dish. Though labeled as a salad, it is not eaten before the main meal customary in Western dining. It's more considered a side dish to be eaten along with your ulam (viand) and of course, steamed rice.

A few months ago in Spring, the egg vendor at my farmers market was selling duck eggs so thought I'd give it a try making my own itlog na maalat. I went to research and found this great pictorial on the photo blog My SariSari Store about the process of making salted duck eggs in the Philippines (there are four parts).

Though chicken eggs may also be used, duck eggs are traditionally used for their bigger size and fatty yolks. Commercially-prepared salted eggs are also brined in mud! Dirt and water mixed along with salt are used to brine the duck eggs for about 3 weeks. Though my sons would gladly approve of any opportunity to "cook" in the mud I think it'll be one messy project!

Thank goodness there is another, less messy, way which is to just soak the eggs in saltwater. It would make sense to use sea salt and not the common table which has iodine. I ended up using two cups of salt dissolved in six cups of water. The porous eggs shells will absorb the salt from the water and flavor the eggs inside. Osmosis at work and my sons got a science lesson out of it. ;)

You also need a little bit of patience for they take about three to four weeks to cure. And since fresh eggs float in the water, you need something heavy on top to keep the eggs totally submerged in the saltwater. A plate or a sealed food-storage bag filled with water placed on top will work fine. Keep the container with your eggs and saltwater in a cool place, I kept mine at the bottom shelf in my pantry. I boiled one egg for ten minutes to test for my preferred saltiness. If you think the eggs achieved the right salty flavor, just boil the rest. If not, just keep soaking them for a few more days, for up to a week.

I was not able to take pictures in-process but I believe it's easy and straightforward. The last three eggs you see here are ones I made all the way back on Easter, enjoyed with the Summer's ripest tomatoes. So you can see, once you cooked them, they keep for a long time in the refrigerator. Now I want to make more.

I've actually been asking my egg vendor for more duck eggs. My egg vendor told me he had been collecting eggs from his ducks but was not comfortable selling them to me due to the summer heat. And now with Autumn's arrival, the ducks have slowed their egg production.

This is my entry for this month's Kulinarya, the challenge: red, white, blue and yellow -- colors of the Philippine flag.  So you thinking where's the blue: the egg shells of course!

Pork BBQ on a stick for Kulinarya Cooking Club

When I found out this month's theme is Pinoy BBQ, I immediately thought of cooking Pork BBQ on a stick - a childhood favorite! Usually considered street food, vendors hawk these (and other cuts of meats on a stick) out on the street corners cooked from their makeshift grills. They are also a very popular party food. When you serve them, they are usually the first thing that gets eaten right away; people look out for and hoard these right off the grill (at least in my family)!

I learned to make Pork BBQ sticks from my Lola (grandma). She had already been in the U.S. for several years before my family came to join her; I was fourteen. She had always been in charge of all the cooking for our family parties. When I arrived, I was not sure how it happened but I ended up as her assistant in the kitchen. I "got stuck" peeling cloves after cloves of garlic and crushing them using a pandikdik (mortar & pestle); never a food processor. The next day, the daunting task of skewering the cold meat that's been marinating in the fridge overnight. Daunting only because when our big family cooks Pork BBQ sticks, we start with at least 20 pounds!

My Lola's recipes were never written and she was quite a bossy lady (I was always a little scared of her) so I just did what she tells me. Along the way, I picked up a few kitchen wisdom from her. The one that stuck in my head with this Pork BBQ stick recipe (besides using 7-up soda) is a 1-to-1 ratio of sugar and soy sauce. Then you can play around with the other seasonings: more crushed black pepper or siling labuyo (bird's eye chili) if you want it spicy, add more garlic to make them extra garlicky (we always do), even a few drops of patis (fish sauce) and/or kalamansi juice if you like a little tang to them.

Another thing I remember from cooking Pork BBQ sticks with my Lola was she never basted with ketchup when they're grilling. It just masked the already flavorful meat, she said once. So I don't but would brush on some of the marinade to keep them moist. It also helps to NOT use a lean cut of meat; pork shoulder is a great choice here.

Pork BBQ sticks are usually served with achara, pickled green papayas. I haven't had luck eyeing green papayas but had some mangoes today so I combined them with cucumbers to make a quick relish. And since the coals were still burning in the grill, I threw in some eggplants to roast. Once cooked, I just slit them open and topped them with tomatoes for a quick side dish to make it a complete meal. I have posted a fire-roasted eggplant salad once before here.

Lola's Pork BBQ on a Stick
makes about 20 skewers

1 head of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 TBSP salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 TBSP freshly-squeezed kalamansi juice (optional)
2 pounds pork butt, cut into 1/4 inch slices
3/4 cup 7-Up soda

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until all the sugar is melted.

Place pork in a shallow glass container. Pour in the marinade and stir in until all the meat is coated. Pour in the soda and stir again. Cover tightly and place in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 8 hours.

Soak skewers 30 minutes before using. Skewer meat and set aside. You may use marinade by placing in small pan and boil for 2 minutes. Set aside.

Prepare grill. Cook Pork BBQ sticks over medium-hot coals about 3-5 minutes on each side, basting every so often. Serve immediately.


Kulinarya was started by a group of Filipino foodies who are passionate about the Filipino culture and its colorful cuisine. Each month we will showcase a new dish along with their family recipes. By sharing these recipes, we hope you find the same passion and love for Filipino Food as we do.



Please visit my fellow Kulinarya members for their Pinoy BBQ creations:

Kath - http://www.acupcakeortwo.com/
Trisha - http://sugarlace.com/
Trissa - http://trissalicious.com/
Olive - http://www.latestrecipes.net/
Ninette - http://bigboldbeautifulfood.blogspot.com/
Peach- http://www.thepeachkitchen.com/
Althea- http://www.busogsarap.com/
Asha - http://forkspoonnknife.blogspot.com/
Malou - http://www.impromptudiva.com/
Cherrie - http://sweetcherriepie.blogspot.com/
Acdee - http://acdee.blogspot.com/
Valerie - http://www.acanadianfoodie.com/
Sheryl - http://crispywaffle.com/
Divina - http://www.sense-serendipity.com/
Anna - http://www.anniesfoodjournal.blogspot.com/
Dahlia - http://www.energychef.blogspot.com/
Joy - http://joyjoycreativeoutlet.blogspot.com/
Maribel - http://www.foodgeek.webs.com/
Tressa
Jen - http://www.jen-at-work.blogspot.com/
Pia - http://bisayajudkaayo.blogspot.com/
Malaka - http://thegrandinternational.com.
Mimi - http://lapinchecocinera.blogspot.com
Erika - http://ivoryhut.com/
Kat - http://www.caterersearch.com/tabletalk/default.aspx

Kulinarya Cooking Club: Empanadas

Empanada is something I have never done before. So when I found out it was our theme for this month, I was lost for ideas. I have no recollection of my family making this at home but we have eaten them plenty of times and always enjoyed them. My mother usually would just buy them from the bakery or order it from a neighbor who makes them from scratch. Growing up, I do remember stashing a few of these from my brothers. Sometimes I would hide them so well, I'd forget where I hid them.



So this month I tackle Empanada with the help of, what is considered by many, a classic Filipino cookbook: The Philippine Cookbook by Reynaldo Alejandro.

The recipe for Empanada is simple enough. Brown some ground beef with garlic and onions. Stir in some chopped potatoes and cook them all until the potatoes are tender. Season with S&P and mix in a few raisins. My husband is not too keen on the raisins so I omitted them :( but when I was filling the empanada pastry, I snuck in a few raisins in one just for me. :) I should have marked this one because it got lost in the fryer and just remembered it when the family sat down to eat them for lunch. So our empanada lunch became a contest for my boys on who can get the lucky empanada. :)



Empanada
as it appears in book
yields 20

1 pound ground beef (I used rib-eye)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
1 cup potato, diced (1 large)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup raisins (omitted)

Brown ground beef. Push meat to one side and saute garlic and onion until brown, then add onion. Mix the meat, garlic and onion, then add potatoes. Stir and cook until potatoes are tender. Season withsalt and pepper and mix in raisins.

Empanada Pastry

3 cups all-purpose flour
4 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup oil
3 egg yolks (plus some egg whites for sealing empanadas)

Mix and knead all ingredients until dough is soft. On a floured board, roll out 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 4- or 5-inch diameter circles (use wide-mouthed jar or cup for cutting circles). Put a spoonful of meat filling in center of each circle. Fold to half-moon shape, wet edges with egg white, press and seal sides. Deep fry until golden brown and drain. Or, instead of deep frying, pies can be baked in preheated 425F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.



My family enjoyed the empanadas and have requested for more. I was not sure why I never made these before but will surely make them more often.

Kulinarya was started by a group of Filipino foodies living in Sydney, Australia who are passionate about the Filipino culture and its colorful cuisine. Each month we will showcase a new dish along with their family recipes. By sharing these recipes, we hope you find the same passion and love for Filipino Food as we do.

Please visit my fellow Kulinarya members for their Empanada creations:
Trish
Kath
Trissa
Olive
Peach
Cusinera
Asha
Malou
Cherrie
Acdee
Valerie
Bel
Divina

If you’re interested in joining our Kulinarya Cooking Club, please feel free to drop by and leave a comment – we would love to hear from you!

Fire-Roasted Eggplant Salad (Ensaladang Talong)

This is one of my favorite ways to eat eggplant. Roasting eggplants gives them a smoky flavor (even more so if done over charcoal) and turns the flesh smooth and creamy. You can serve the eggplant on its own or add tomatoes and onions (like red, sweet white or even green scallions, whatever you prefer or have in hand) to extend the dish and have more to pass around the dinner table.

The long and slender Asian-variety eggplant is preferable. Prick them once with a fork (needed for steam to escape as they cook) and place them over the charcoal grill or the flames of your gas stove top. Turn them every couple of minutes or so to cook evenly. Once the skin turns black all around, take away from heat. Place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for about 5 minutes to cool down a bit. Keeping the eggplants covered also let them loosen their skin which makes for easier peeling.

Use your fingers to carefully peel skin off. Kitchen tip: Have a small bowl of water to rinse your fingers as you peel; the burnt eggplant skin tends to crumble and get all over. Top with tomatoes and onions and serve.

My parents eat them with a sawsawan (dipping sauce) made of vinegar and bagoong (shrimp paste) on the side. This salad is a great accompaniment to grilled meats or fried fish. But I especially like to serve this with adobo. I found the garlicky, vinegary sauce of the adobo provides a nice contrast to the smoky flavor of the eggplant and sweetness of the tomatoes.

Bok Choy with Garlic and Soy Sauce

Here's a very easy vegetarian dish I make when I'm pressed for time. It's also so simple to make and is very tasty.

Heat up 2 tablespoon cooking oil in a wok on high heat. Place 2 finely minced garlic and cook until fragrant and golden brown. You may put more garlic if you like, just like I did :)

Place 5-6 bunches of bok choy that have been cut and cleaned and stir until greens have lightly wilted but still crispy. Put 3-4 tablespoons of soy sauce and about 1/2 cup of water. (You may put more water, depends on how much sauce you like to eat with your rice.) Let it boil and transfer to serving plate. Serve while hot.
If you like it to look fancy or make people think you spent all day cooking , arrange like I did here.

Before & After #2: Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes

Before

I love roasting vegetables. It so simple to prepare and not alot to do once they're popped in the oven. I also like how roasting concentrates all the vegetables' flavors while it mellows out and caramelizes at the same time.

My husband has become quite the green thumb. We've been enjoying our harvest of tomatoes and eggplants all summer. This is one of the things I've made.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut up an eggplant to 1-inch cubes and place in baking sheet. Cut up tomatoes to same size (or you can use cherry or grape tomatoes, whole) and place with eggplant. Slice half a red onion into half-inch wide half-rings. Toss in 4-6 cloves of garlic. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan or the veggies will end up steaming, and they'll end up soggy.

Sprinkle in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and about a teaspoon of salt. Place in middle rack of oven for about 40-50 minutes, turning pan halfway.

Transfer to platter, make sure to peel the skins off the garlic before serving.

This makes a great side dish to any grilled meats. I've also served this on top of pasta with some shavings of parmesan cheese. Yum!

After