POULTRY
For many Filipinos living on the islands, food comes from the bounty of one’s own backyard. Gardens planted with eggplant, tomatoes, corn, green beans, and squash provide year-round crops that supply the family with sustenance at every meal. But a backyard bounty is not limited to what grows in the garden. It often includes what grazes in the yard. Chickens, called manok, are a common household flock often found roaming the grounds and noisily rousing the neighbors. In addition to homegrown birds, the commercial chicken industry is a thriving business providing Filipinos with an inexpensive alternative to more costly proteins such as beef or certain seafoods. Filipino cuisine firmly embraces chicken with a delicious array of soups, stews, barbecues, and roasts featuring this venerable bird.
Because commercially produced chicken is generally neutral in taste, Filipinos are partial to cooking chicken on the bone, which keeps the meat tender, moist, and ultimately more flavorful. While the ease and convenience of boneless chicken breast is the preferred standard in the United States, Filipinos favor the dark meat of thighs, wings, and legs which are more suited to the longer cooking times required for many Filipino dishes like Adobo, Paksiw, Apritada, or even a simple Inasal barbecue. Breast meat is typically sliced into small pieces and reserved for stir-fries or as a meat element in noodle and rice dishes.
Inasal Manok features the simplicity of roasted (or grilled) chicken made special with a tangy marinade of citrus and fish sauce. Pritong Manok, or fried chicken, is another example of how a pungent marinade can elevate the versatile flavor of chicken. Though typically made with legs wings or thighs, I’ve opted to use boneless chicken breast for a quick dish that can be served as a main course, as a kids meal sliced into chicken fingers, or as a hearty sandwich perfect for lunch or a picnic. Pastel nga Manok is your basic chicken potpie with a uniquely Filipino filling bubbling underneath flaky puff pastry. Pipían, which refers to the sauce more than the dish, is one of the Mexican treasures brought to the islands by the Spaniards. Although very different in flavor than the Mexican original, which uses pumpkin or sesame seeds to flavor the stew, the Filipino version is traditionally made with peanuts and thickened with toasted rice flour.
Because Filipino cuisine bursts with vibrant flavors, game birds, with their darker meat, integrate beautifully into our recipes. The signature adobo manok, or chicken adobo, is given a new twist with the use of duck that, with the simple addition of tomatoes and pineapple, recalls the traditional style of the nuns, or Adobong Pato a la Monja. Another signature dish, rellenong manok, an elaborately stuffed whole chicken, is replaced by the more manageable and more flavorful semiboneless quail, perfect for individual servings. Turkey, one of my favorite game birds, has always taken center stage at our Thanksgiving table. But the turkey leftover tradition was an equally anticipated event that filled our house with the mouthwatering aroma of paksiw, a bright stew of turkey, vinegar, and bay leaves. The recipe I’ve included here is not just reserved for the holidays but allows you to enjoy paksiw’s complex flavors all year round.
CHICKEN POTPIE PASTEL NGA MANOK
Pastel looks just like a potpie on the outside. The main difference is a filling that is distinctly Filipino. Flavored with dried shiitake mushrooms, chorizo de Bilbao, and Edam cheese, this potpie is rich and complex like no other potpie. Filipino chorizo de Bilbao is slightly milder than Spanish chorizo and a little more difficult to find. So feel free to substitute a Spanish brand. The pastel, or pastry cover, can range in texture from a basic piecrust to a sturdy empanada dough or a delicate puff pastry, which I prefer for convenience sake.
Serves 4
2 to 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 cup (250 ml) hot water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small leek, finely chopped
1 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ lb (225 g) chicken breast, diced
¼ lb (125 g) chorizo de Bilbao, sliced
1 cup (125 g) green peas
1 small carrot, diced
2 cups (500 ml) Chicken Stock (see page 15)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (150 g) grated Edam cheese (substitute Gouda)
1 lb (450 g) store-bought puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, beaten
Make the filling: Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water for 15 minutes until they soften. Remove the mushrooms from the water. Cut off and discard the woody stems. Slice the mushroom caps thinly and reserve with the soaking water.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leek and ginger. Cook and stir for 2 minutes until the leek begins to wilt. Add the flour. Continue to cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the chicken, chorizo, peas, carrot, chicken stock, soy sauce, pepper, bay leaf, and the reserved mushrooms with the soaking water. Bring the mixture to a simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked and the sauce thickens. Stir in the cheese. Transfer the mixture to a round 2-quart/liter casserole dish.
Assemble and bake the pie: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll out the puff pastry at least 1 inch (2½ cm) larger than the size and shape of your casserole dish. Lay the dough over the casserole and fold the overhanging dough into a decorative edge. Use a knife to cut slits in the dough to allow steam to escape during cooking. Brush the dough with the beaten egg. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the dough puffs and turns a golden brown.
CHICKEN IN PEANUT SAUCE PIPIÁN
If you’ve ever enjoyed the pungent peanut sauce that regularly accompanies Southeast Asian satay (or saté), which is altogether zesty, spicy, and aromatic, then the familiar flavors of Filipino pipían are right up your alley. Chicken simmered in a complex peanut sauce tinged with the earthy color and flavor of atsuete (annatto) seeds and thickened with toasted rice flour makes for a deliciously different stew that needs nothing more than a large bowl of rice to sop up the abundant sauce. Add a steamed or sautéed vegetable to complete the meal.
Serves 4
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon annatto seeds
2 lbs (900 g) chicken breast, skin removed
2 green onions (scallions), chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Thai small chile, chopped
1 tablespoon rice wine
2 teaspoons coconut vinegar
1 tablespoon rice flour
1½ cups (375 ml) Chicken Stock (see page 15)
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
2 tablespoons coarsely ground roasted peanuts
Brown the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan (3 to 4 quarts/liters) over medium heat. Add the annatto seeds to the pan. Cook and stir for 4 to 5 minutes until the oil becomes rust-colored. Use a spoon to remove and discard the seeds. Increase the heat to medium-high. When the oil is smoking, add the chicken breast, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Brown the chicken breast on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set on a plate.
Make the sauce: Add the green onions (scallions), garlic, and chile to the pan. Sauté for 1 minute, being careful not to burn the vegetables. Deglaze the pan with rice wine and vinegar, scraping any browned bits off the bottom. Dissolve the rice flour in a large cup with the chicken broth. Add to the pan with the peanut butter and fish sauce.
Simmer the chicken in sauce: Return the chicken breasts to the pan. Simmer the chicken uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes until the sauce thickens and the chicken is fully cooked. Transfer the chicken to a serving dish and pour the sauce on top. Sprinkle the fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) and ground peanuts as a garnish.
Variation: Pipián Casoy. If you’re not crazy about peanuts, try making this dish instead with ground roasted cashews, a beautiful thickener for the sauce. To make cashew paste, place ¼ cup (25 g) roasted cashews in a food processor with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Process until it becomes a smooth paste. Follow the recipe above, substituting cashew butter for peanut butter and ground cashews for ground peanuts.
FRIED CHICKEN PRITONG MANOK
All-American fried chicken is easily “Filipinoed” by the infusion of a piquant adobo marinade that flavors the meat instead of relying on a heavily seasoned batter. The reliable three-step breading of flour, egg wash, and Japanese panko bread crumbs really seals in the adobo flavors and gives the chicken a light exterior crunch. My preference for using chicken breast in this dish is not the Filipino standard. Legs, thighs, and wings are always more flavorful and desired by Filipinos over the bland breast meat. However, I love the versatility of breast meat that fits nicely into a modern, hectic schedule. Slice this chicken over a Ceasar salad, cut it into fingers for your kids, or sandwich it in between a crusty roll for a quick, mouthwatering lunch.
Serves 4
2 lbs (900 g) boneless chicken breast, skin removed
Marinade
¼ cup (50 ml) soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 conventional lime or calamansi, zest and juice
1 tablespoon vinegar
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Breading
3 cups (750 ml) oil, for frying
1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
2 cups (225 g) panko bread crumbs
2 large eggs, beaten
Marinate the chicken: Make the marinade by combining the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, lime zest and juice, vinegar, and pepper in a shallow glass or ceramic dish. Lay the chicken breasts in the dish and marinate for 1 hour, turning the breasts over after 30 minutes.
Bread and fry the chicken: Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C) in a large pot or deep sauté pan. Prepare the breading by gathering separate bowls of flour, bread crumbs, and beaten egg. Dip a chicken breast in the flour and shake to remove any excess. Dip the chicken in the egg, then into the bread crumbs so that it is fully coated. Place in the hot oil and continue breading and cooking the remaining chicken breasts. Do not overcrowd your pan.
Cook the chicken 5 to 7 minutes per side until the coating is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the breast should read 160°F (72°C). Place the chicken on a serving plate lined with paper towels. Serve while hot.
CHICKEN STEW WITH ROASTED PEPPERS AND POTATOES APRITADA NGA MANOK
It doesn’t get more simple or flavorful than chicken simply seasoned with sweet bell pepper and tomatoes. The addition of potato to this stew makes it a hearty, one-pot meal that really shines when made a day ahead. Apritada, like many regional recipes in the Philippines, enjoys the gamut of variations that may include the addition of green peas, olives, liver sauce, or pimentos. My take on apritada requires roasting the pepper and charring the tomatoes to intensify their flavors.
Serves 4
2 lbs (900 g) chicken legs or thighs
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon calamansi juice
1 large red bell pepper
2 tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 cup (250 ml) Chicken Stock (see page 15)
1 potato, peeled and diced
¼ cup (50 g) green olives
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
Marinate the chicken: Combine the chicken, garlic, soy sauce, and calamansi juice in a large bowl. Toss to combine, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Roast the pepper and tomatoes: While the chicken is marinating, roast the bell pepper and tomatoes. Set your oven rack 6 to 8 inches below your broiler. Place your bell pepper and tomatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet directly under the broiler so that the flame is within a few inches of the vegetables. Blacken the skin on all sides of the pepper and tomatoes. Remove the charred tomatoes and set aside to cool. Peel off the charred skin and coarsely chop. Place the charred pepper in a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap for 15 minutes to steam, which allows the blackened skin to separate from the flesh. Uncover the pepper and gently rub the skin from the flesh. It should come off easily. Discard the blackened skin, the seeds, and the core. Slice the pepper into large pieces and set aside with the tomatoes.
Cook the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan (3 to 4 quarts/liters) over medium heat. Sauté the onion for 1 to 2 minutes until translucent. Add the chicken with the marinade, roasted pepper, roasted tomatoes, and chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the potato, olives, and pepper. Stir and simmer for 25 minutes until the potato is tender. Ladle onto a serving platter.
BRAISED TURKEY WITH STUFFING PAKSIW NGA PABO
Although Thanksgiving has always been a special gathering in my family, the Friday after was equally filled with fond food memories. My sister and I looked forward to the day that my mom turned Thursday’s leftover turkey roast into paksiw, a simple, tender, flavor-packed stew. Paksiw means to stew in vinegar, which has something of a harsh inference to it. However, so artful was my mother with her paksiw that I remember it as being smooth and vibrant, never sour. Her trick was to add the leftover bread stuffing to the turkey, which thickened the sauce and mellowed the vinegar. If you happen to have leftover turkey roast, that’s what tastes best. But because there aren’t too many occasions to have turkey and stuffing lying around the house, this recipe uses smoked turkey legs and can be made the other eleven months of the year.
Serves 6
2½ lbs (1 kg) smoked turkey legs or leftover roasted turkey legs
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 whole green onions (scallions)
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1½ cups (50 g) croutons or prepared bread stuffing
1 bay leaf
¾ cup (175 ml) coconut or palm vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup (50 ml) soy sauce
¼ cup (50 ml) oyster sauce
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups (1½ liters) Chicken Stock (see page 15)
Combine the smoked turkey, garlic, green onions (scallions), dried oregano and thyme, croutons, bay leaf, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, and chicken stock.
Bring the broth to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer for 45 to 50 minutes until the turkey has become very tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Serve with rice.
DUCK ADOBO WITH PINEAPPLE AND DATES ADOBONG PATO A LA MONJA
As every Filipino knows, words do not do justice in describing the alchemy of adobo. The magic of the Philippines’ national dish can only be captured in the permeating smell and unforgettable taste of food transformed by the slow simmering of garlic, soy, vinegar, bay leaf, and peppercorns. As the national dish, adobo is most often made with chicken and/or pork. But as a cooking technique, the five adobo ingredients can be applied to most any food, including vegetables. The classic preparation of Adobo Manok, or chicken adobo, is one of my favorite foods and a regularly scheduled dish on my weekday dinner repertoire. The simple unadorned stew is a quick and zesty standard, subject to regional variations, including the addition of coconut milk, ginger, or citrus juice. Adobo, prepared here “in the style of nuns” or a la monja, is an old dish lightly embellished with pineapple and tomato. I have taken the liberty of substituting flavorful Muscovy duck for chicken, a minor departure from the original that only adds to the dish’s complexity. In general, I don’t like to adobo breast meat because the long stewing time needed to tenderize the leg and thigh inevitably leads to chewy overcooked breasts. Instead, I adobo the legs, thighs, and wings and reserve the breast for a stovetop sear that allows me to crisp the skin, melt the excess fat, and cook the duck breast to a perfect medium doneness.
Makes 4 servings
4 to 5 lbs (approximately 2 kg) Muscovy duck
¼ cup (50 ml) coconut or palm vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic, peeled
½ teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
2 teaspoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 to 2½ cups (500 to 625 ml) Chicken Stock (see page 15), enough to cover the duck pieces
¼ cup (50 g) diced pineapple
¼ cup (40 g) chopped Chinese red dates (substitute Medjool dates)
Prepare the duck: Remove the innards from the duck cavity. Rinse the duck under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the duck into six pieces, separating each of the two breasts, thighs, legs, and wings from the carcass. Reserve the carcass for duck stock. Set aside the duck breasts.
Make the adobo: Place the legs, wings, and thighs into a large sauté pan (3 to 4 quarts/liters). Add the vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaves, garlic, ginger, peppercorns, tomato paste, oyster sauce, and chicken stock. Bring the adobo to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes covered. Remove the cover and add the pineapple and dates. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
Cook the duck breast: While the sauce is reducing, lightly score the skin on the duck breasts in a diagonal cross-hatch pattern. Heat a 10-inch (25-cm) skillet over a medium-high flame. Place the duck breasts in the skillet skin side down, searing the skin until golden brown, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Turn the breasts to cook the other side, 5 to 6 minutes, until the meat reaches medium doneness. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of the breast should read 150 to 155°F (65 to 70°C). Remove the breasts from the pan and let rest for 3 minutes before slicing into thin pieces.
Serve the duck: Place the stewed duck and sliced duck breast on a serving platter. Spoon the adobo sauce over the duck and serve with steamed white rice.
Variation: Classic Filipino Adobo. This classic dish is either made with pork, chicken, or a combination of both and is one of the simplest and most delicious dishes in Filipino cuisine. For a classic adobo manok, or chicken adobo, follow the above recipe substituting 2 pounds (900 g) chicken legs, thighs, wings, or any assortment of the three for the duck. If you’d like to enjoy pork in your adobo, use 1 pound (450 g) chicken and 1 pound (450 g) cubed pork roast (pork butt, country rib meat, or belly). Follow the recipe as directed, excluding the tomato paste, pineapple, and dates.
CITRUS-GINGER CHICKEN INASAL MANOK
Something as simple as broiled chicken can be transformed into a memorable dish with a vibrant marinade and a flavorful dipping sauce. Although this dish is oven-broiled, using smoked paprika adds that incomparable charcoal-grilled element that smells and tastes of summer.
Serves 4
1½ teaspoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 small lime, zest and juice
1 small lemon, zest and juice
¼ cup (50 ml) soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
2½ lbs (1¼ kg) chicken legs, thighs, or wings (substitute 2 lbs/900 g) chicken breast
Combine the ginger, lime zest and juice, lemon zest and juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, mirin, and paprika in a small bowl. Whisk together to mix well. Place the chicken in a large dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours, turning the chicken over after 12 hours.
Preheat the broiler and set the oven rack to within 6 to 8 inches from the top of the broiler. Prepare a roasting pan fitted with a roasting rack. Arrange the chicken over the rack. Broil the chicken for 10 to 15 minutes until the skin has browned. Turn the oven to 400°F (200°C). Continue baking the chicken for 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked. Your meat thermometer will read at least 165°F (75°C) at the deepest part of the thigh.
DIPPING SAUCE
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon palm vinegar
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Serve alongside the broiled chicken.
This dish is modeled after the more traditional rellenong manok (stuffed chicken), a complicated dish that Filipinos reserve for special occasions, celebrations, and fiestas. It requires deboning a whole chicken while keeping the body intact, stuffing it with an elaborate filling of pork, sausage, ham, eggs, vegetables, and cheese, and slowly roasting it until perfectly done. Using semiboneless quail helps make what would normally be a challenging, although rewarding, dish a weekday specialty. I have adapted a brown rice and pork stuffing that is traditionally flavored and balanced with sweet, salty, and savory ingredients, a combination exemplified in Filipino cuisine.
Makes 6 stuffed quail
Stuffing
1 oz (25 g) roasted almonds
1 oz (25 g) green Spanish olives
1 oz (25 g) raisins
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 green onion (scallion), finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz (125 g) ground pork
2 chicken livers, chopped
1 cup (150 g) cooked brown rice
2 teaspoons soy sauce
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Quail
6 (4 oz/125 g) semiboneless quail
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup (50 ml) rice wine
1½ cups (375 ml) Chicken Stock (see page 15)
Make the stuffing: Combine the almonds, olives, and raisins in a food processor. Pulse several times until the mixture is finely chopped. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the green onion (scallion) and garlic.
Cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the ground pork and livers. Cook for 7 to 9 minutes, occasionally stirring and breaking up the meats, until the pork and livers are thoroughly cooked.
Turn off the heat. Add the rice, the almond-raisin mixture, soy sauce, and pepper. Stir to mix well. Set aside to cool before stuffing the quail.
Prepare the quail: The easiest way to bone a quail is to buy one already deboned. That’s the honest truth. Look for semiboneless quail, which are whole quail that have the ribcage and spine removed. Only the wing and leg bones remain. If semiboneless quail is not available, you can certainly buy whole quail and debone it yourself, which is not hard once you get the hang of it. I like to butterfly the quail, then debone it. First lay the quail with its legs toward you breastside down. With sharp kitchen shears, cut through the backbone, splitting the quail open. Slide the tip of your boning knife in between the backbones and flesh, carefully separating the meat from the bone. Cut the bones off at the leg, wing, and neck joints. Once deboned, the quail will be butterflied and have only the drumstick and wing bones left.
Stuff the quail: With a semiboneless quail, you merely have to stuff the quail as you would a turkey, through the opening in the body cavity, then sealing the opening shut with toothpicks. If using butterflied quail, first lightly salt and pepper the skin and flesh sides of the quail. Use your hand to form a ping-pong ball–sized amount of rice stuffing and place it in the center of the quail. Bring both sides of the quail up around the stuffing and seal the quail body shut with toothpicks. You’ll use 3 to 4 toothpicks per quail. Place the stuffed quail on a plate.
Cook the quail: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over high heat. Place the stuffed quail breastside down in the skillet. Sear the quail for 2 to 3 minutes on all sides until the skin is nicely browned. Add the rice wine and chicken stock to the pan. Cover the pan and simmer the quail over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes until the quail is cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of the quail should read 165°F (75°C) and the chicken stock will be reduced into a thick sauce. Remove all the toothpicks from the quail. Place the quail whole on a platter. Pour the reduced sauce over quail and serve.
OVEN ROASTED PORK LECHON KAWALI
SUGAR BRAISED PORK HUMBA
BEEF STEW CALDERETA
CORIANDER-CRUSTED BEEF IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE
PORK MEDALLIONS WITH EGGPLANT SOFRITO TAPA NGA BABOY
RIB EYE STEAK AND ONION RINGS BISTEK
CASHEW-CRUSTED LAMB CHOPS LAMB CASOY
BARBECUE PORK RIBS INASAL NGA GUSOK SA BABOY
OXTAIL IN PEANUT SAUCE KARE-KARE
STUFFED BEEF ROLL IN TOMATO SAUCE MORCON