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Dinners Filipino Kulinarya Cooking Club

Kulinarya Cooking Club January: Adobong Pusit (Squid Adobo)

24 January 2010 – 9:56 pm

Has it been a month since our last KCC post? Has it only been 2 posts since we launched our first ever KCC dish?

Yes and yes.

January marks the 3rd monthsary of KCC and with that came lots of interests and enthusiasm not just towards Filipino food bloggers but Filipino food in general – which is what our aim is for Kulinarya. Filipino food seems to be one of the ugly ducklings in Southeast Asian cuisine which is such a shame because if you only know what Filipino food has to offer, you’d be kicking yourself for not trying it any sooner (ahhh but then again, I was like that with all other cuisine I’ve tried for the first time eons ago – Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai – and now I’m totally converted to them!).

So, to start the new year with a big bang, and to continue introducing the wonderful culinary world that is Filipino, we decided to showcase what could be the most popular dish in the Filipino recipe book…

ADOBO!!!

Yeah you heard it right: Adobo. Ask any local and non-local to name one Filipino dish and I guarantee you, they will say adobo.

As most Filipino dishes, Adobo is derived from the marinade sauces of Spain and the Latin Americas. Thanks to the heavy Spanish influence, Filipino dishes have acquired both name and cooking method similar to its Spanish counterparts with slight modifications.

A little Filipino history for you (thanks to Wikipedia!). Adobo was introduced to the Philippines in the 1500s by way of the Spanish explorers from Spain ie Ferdinand Magellan. It generally uses vinegar as a way of preserving the dish, and thus giving it a longer shelf life in the absence of a refrigerator some 500 years ago. It is, even up to this day, a dish favoured by travellers, students and workers who opt to take food with them – it is best eaten warmed up of course with rice, but I do find myself enjoying the dish even in room temperature (just not cold as the soy sauce & sugar caramelises with the meat fat – but then again, the Philippines is a tropical country so no need to worry about food getting cold in room temperature!).

There are many different dishes that uses the adobo method of cooking. You can use different meats, even seafood and vegetables, and still have that addictive, caramelised dark sauce. The most famous adobo is definitely pork and chicken, but you can also have adobong kangkong (Chinese water spinach), adobong sitaw (long beans) and for the more adventurour, chicken liver and gizzards adobo.

On Sundays, I usually do my seafood, meat and vegetable shopping in the local shops. Why Sundays? Well, Mum always do her “palengke” (market-ing!) on Sundays in the Philippines with a 12 year old me in tow, and she always taught me that produce, poultry, seafood, fruits & vegetables are the freshest on Sundays – so that just stuck with me.

Garlic & onions: staple ingredients for the Filipino gisa (saute)

Today, I did my usual Sunday dance with my local shops and found some fresh squid on display. So I thought… “Fresh squid? Sunday blogging? Kulinarya theme Adobo? Adobong Pusit it is then!”. And thus came into fruition my post for the January theme for Kulinarya Cooking Club… Adobong Pusit (Squid Adobo!).

I also opted to use a kawali or the Filipino version of a wok to optimise authenticity… and while I was cooking in the kawali I almost felt like I have been propelled back to the probinsya (provinces) of my dear country, the Philippines.

Kawali, the Filipino wok

Adobong Pusit (Squid Adobo)

Makes approximately 2-3 servings

4 whole squids  – tube, head and all – cleaned

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 whole onion, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp vinegar

Olive oil

Salt and freshly grounded pepper

1. WARNING: Very detailed, very graphic description of how to clean a squid. Not for those with easy stomachs. Clean the squid: carefully remove the head, take out the plastic backbone from the tube. Remove the “stomach” from the squid’s head but being careful to keep the ink sac intact. Remove the squid brain (by squeezing the head between the eyes) and discard. Remove the ink sac from the head but keep for later.

Squid - cleaned & sliced

The infamous squid ink... looking very un-pretty & alien-like

2. In a kawali, heat the olive oil. Saute the garlic, onion and tomatoes until softened.

3. Add the squid and cook between 3-5 minutes. NOTE: It’s very easy to under- or overcook squid so be very careful, very vigilant!

4. Add soy sauce, vinegar, salt and black pepper.

5. Put the squid ink in a small bowl. Add a ladle-full of the squid sauce and crush the ink sacs to release the ink. Mix the ink with the sauce and pour over the cooked squid. Bring to boil.

6. Remove from heat and serve with rice. Enjoy!

…

Kulinarya Cooking Club was started by a group of Filipino foodies living in Sydney, who are passionate about the Filipino culture and its colourful 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.

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

Say hello to the other members of the Kulinarya Cooking Club!

Olive – http://www.latestrecipes.net/
Caroline – http://whenadobometfeijoada.blogspot.com/
Peachy – http://www.thepeachkitchen.com/
Althea http://www.busogsarap.com/

And of course… Kath of A Cupcake or Two and Trissa of Trissalicious!

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Filipino

Pork Adobo

21 August 2009 – 2:11 pm

Adobo. By far, in my opinion, the most famous Filipino dish within and outside the Philippines. Everyone eats it, everyone loves it, and most know how to cook it. It’s such a simple dish to make that I think I cook it almost every week. It’s so easy to make and stores well – it has vinegar hence has some “preservative” qualities. This dish is literally a one pot full of ingredients – no steps, no techniques, no nothing… so how good is that?!

Pork Adobo

Makes approximately 4-6 servings

1 kg pork rashers

4 medium sized potatoes, peeled & cut into quarters

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp vinegar

Peppercorns

Salt to taste

  1. Place pork, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, salt and peppercorns in a pot. Bring to boil and cook pork for about 45 minutes to an hour depending on pot size and heat distribution. Ensure you add about half a cup of water every so often so the pork does not burn (from the soy sauce) or dry up.
  2. Once pork is tender, add the potatoes. Cook for a further 10 minutes.
  3. Serve with rice and enjoy!

Really… how hard was that?

This is one of those dishes that I remember mum used to cook ALL THE TIME so we can bring it to school back in the Philippines. Like I said, it keeps well unrefrigerated so it can usually last that long in our lunch boxes. It’s good eaten warm, obviously, but in the tropical heat of Manila, no microwave was needed whenever it’s lunchtime in school.

Some people would use bay leaves, add banana blossoms (one of my favourites!), or even let the sauce dry up and have this rather fried version. I like the sauce on the rice though, but that’s just me. I also use chicken sometimes, and with that I add the bay leaves & a little bit of green chilli for that extra added kick.

I must admit, this is one of those dishes that makes me miss my mum. They’re on a rather super extended holiday in the Philippines and we have those typical mother-daughter relationships: you argue when they’re around, but you miss them when they’re not. Ah well… as long as they’re enjoying their holiday! Lucky them!

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