Tag: southeast asian
Sweet and Sour Cuttlefish Balls
Sweet and Sour Cuttlefish Balls
Fish balls are eaten in pretty much all Asian cultures in various forms. They are mostly eaten in noodle or soup based dishes, but can be eaten as an appetizer or as a main course. For this recipe, I used cuttlefish balls. You can use regular fish, shrimp, lobster, or any other variation. I’m partial to the Dodo brand frozen fish balls: more fish, less filler.The most important thing to remember is to make sure the fish balls are completely defrosted before deep frying. If not, your oil will spatter all over and the fish balls won’t reach the desired crispiness. They will end up absorbing the oil, making them mushy. Once submerged in the oil, they only take 5-6 minutes. Drain them on paper towel. Combine all of the sweet and sour sauce ingredients and cook over medium heat just for a minute. Add the cuttlefish balls back in and coat in the sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds.
Ingredients
- 20 cuttlefish balls defrosted
- vegetable oil for frying
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp sriracha
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat up a pot of cooking oil over medium high heat that is deep enough to have the cuttlefish balls completely submerged. Add the cuttlefish balls. Fry for 5-6 minutes until they are crispy.
- Drain on paper towel.
- Heat up 2 tsp of cooking oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add in the ketchup, sugar, sriracha, and oyster sauce. Simmer for just a minute.
- Add the fried cuttlefish balls back into the sauce. Cook for 1 more minute, making sure they are evenly coated in the sauce.
- Garnish with sesame seeds.
Lechon Manok
Lechon Manok
Lechon Manok is a Filipino-style roast chicken. The chicken is marinated in a toyomansi marinade while the cavity is stuffed with lemongrass. Traditionally, the chicken is spit roasted over coals. This recipe is roasted in the oven on a rack for 90 minutes. If you want to create a glaze for the chicken, pour the remaining marinade in a kettle. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 5-7 minutes until the marinade has thickened. Brush the glaze on the chicken every 10 minutes for the last 30 minutes of cooking. Let the chicken rest for 1% minutes before carving.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 lb whole chicken
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 stalk lemongrass
Marinade
- 1 cup calamansi juice
- 1/4 cup soy ssuce
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 head garlic minced
- 4 shallots chopped
Instructions
- Mix all of the marinade ingredients together.
- Season the whole chicken with salt and pepper, especially underneath the skin. Place in a gallon sized ziplock bag. Pour the marinade into the bag. Marinate for 8 hours, preferably overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken on a rack on a pan lined in foil. Peel the outside off of the lemongrass. Cut the stalk in half and pound it flat a few times. Stick inside the cavity of the chicken.
- Roast the chicken for 85-90 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Chicken Bicol Express
Chicken Bicol Express
Bicol Express is named from a passenger train that travels from Manila to the Northern Bicol region of the Philippines, known for its spicy cuisine. Traditionally, this dish uses pork shoulder. This recipe uses chicken thighs; cutting down on the calories and the cooking time. This chicken is sautéed with garlic and onions, then simmered in coconut milk and Thai chilies. Mild finger chilies are added at the last couple of minutes of cooking time. This dish reminds me a lot of chicken ala king, which I grew up on; just with lots of spice. Serve with steamed rice.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp shrimp paste
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 10 thai chilies finely chopped
- 2 cups finger chilies (or shishito peppers) diced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat up cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the onions and garlic for 3 minutes.
- Add in the chicken. Cook for 8 minutes.
- Stir in the shrimp paste, making sure that all of the chicken gets coated in it. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the coconut milk and Thai chilies. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
- Uncover. Stir in the ginger chilies. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
