Eggplant Salad (Ensaladang Talong)

This Filipino Eggplant salad takes quite a bit of preparation but it’s well worth the effort. It complements main dishes that are dry like fried pork chops but it is also the companion side dish to the stew dish, puchero.

Filipino Eggplant Salad Ingredients:

•  6 – 8 eggplants
• 3 – 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 tsp of salt
•   1  thinly sliced Onions
•  1  diced tomato
• 6 – 8 tsp of spicy vinegar
• 1 tsp of black pepper
• salted Shrimp 

                Note: The amount of garlic and vinegar will depend on personal taste and also on how long you intend to store the salad. The longer it is stored, the stronger the bite of the spicy vinegar and garlic, so you may lessen these ingredients accordingly.

Filipino Eggplant Salad Cooking Instructions:

• Prepare eggplant
• The best way is to grill the washed eggplants over hot coals.
• This brings out a deep taste to the eggplant.
• The second best way is to bake the eggplants in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 – 25 minutes.
• This method produces a drier eggplant which is easier to peel.
• When expedience is of essence, or there are no hot coals available, just boil the eggplant in a big pot for 5 minutes.
• Let the eggplant cool. Peel the skin off, trying to preserve as much of the flesh as possible.
• With a fork, mash the eggplant in a bowl. Stir in the vinegar, garlic, tomatoes, onion, salt and pepper
• Top with salted Shrimp 
• Cool for half an hour to optimize flavor before serving.

Note: Spicy vinegar is, ideally, made from coconut and flavored with small red peppers called siling labuyo, slivers of small white onion called sibuyas ilokano, and peppercorns. You may also substitute regular apple cider vinegar or clear distilled vinegar. Also, in my experience, I’ve found that people either LOVE this salad or are indifferent to it. There have been times when I had nothing to eat along with the salad and just ate it with plain hot rice. Be forewarned, though. The garlic smell will taint your breath for several hours after you ingest the salad. If you fall into the category of salad lover, then the garlic breath will be a small price to pay for this gastronomic delight!

Mommy's Roasted Chicken

I know a lot of people are celebrating Thanksgiving now. But as we Filipinos are not celebrating. Too bad. But we should always be thankful for all the blessings. I know Turkey is the main dish during Thanksgiving. Too bad it’s not that widely available in our market. So to mark the festivities my mother prepares a dish for the family last night of course it’s not tukey. But A simple roasted Chicken!

Here’ the ingredients:

·         1 whole chicken.

·         half stick of butter.

·         3  tablespoon soy sauce

·         5 tbsps of garlic, chopped.

·         1 tbsp of oreganoshopping list

·         1 tbsp of basil

·         1 tbsp of rosemary

·         rock salt

·         chicken liver (approx. 9 pieces)

How to make it

·         Pre-heat your oven (or turbo broiler) at 125 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes.

·         Rub the half stick of butter and the soy sauce all over and inside the chicken.

·         rub the entire chicken with rock salt, including the cavity (quantity of salt depends on your desired saltiness of the chicken)

·         rub the garlic all over the chicken and also on the inside.

·         rub the basil, rosemary and orergano mixture all over the chicken and also inside the chicken cavity.

·         stuff the chicken liver inside the chicken cavity.

·         After pre-heating for 15 minutes, put in the chicken inside the oven or turbo broiler (on top of the elevated grill that comes with the turbo broiler).

·         roast for about an hour or an hour and fifteen minutes. If you are using a turbo broiler, no need to turn the chicken over. To know if your chicken is ready, prick the thigh part and if the fluid running from the thigh is clear, then the chicken is ready.

·         Save the drippings.

·         Cook the drippings with cornstarch, pepper and lemon and serve as dip or sauce for the chicken. Enjoy! Happy Eating and thanksgiving!

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