Filipino Cookbook. Miki Garcia
hand, if you don’t mind that the ingredients are cut into different sizes, you may cut the longest-cooking ingredients into the smallest size and cut the quickest-cooking ingredients into the largest size. This will enable you to add all the vegetables and meat to the wok at the same time, space allowing. • Heat the wok or skillet over high heat and then add oil. When the oil is hot, add any aromatics you may be using, such as ginger and garlic, and stir-fry for a few seconds, or until they become fragrant. Then quickly add another ingredient. • Do not overcrowd the wok. If crowded, food will steam rather than stir-fry. If you have too much food for the size of the wok or skillet that you are using, stir-fry the food in batches, starting with the meat (after the aromatics, of course). Then remove the meat, add the vegetables, and return the meat just before the vegetables are done. Sauce or liquids (such as soy sauce) added for flavoring and seasoning are added near the end of cooking.
How to Make Annatto Water Annatto seeds are little red seeds that, when mixed with warm water, produce a natural red food coloring. The red coloring is used in Filipino, Latin America, and Caribbean dishes. It has a bland taste with a hint of nutmeg. Annatto water is commonly used for the shrimp sauce in Noodles with Shrimp and Tofu (page 94) and the base for the Oxtail Vegetable Stew (page 56) as it gives these dishes an appetizing red-orange color. Use a spoon when extracting the color from the seeds or you’ll end up with reddish fingers.
1 tablespoon annatto seeds
1/2 cup (125 ml) warm water
Place the seeds and warm water in a bowl, preferably a glass bowl. Let stand for 2 minutes or more. Press the seeds with the back of a spoon for about 5 minutes or until the water becomes reddish in color. Strain the liquid and reserve. Discard the seeds.
How to Crush Garlic
Many Filipino recipes call for garlic to be crushed whether it is used whole or then chopped or minced. Crushing garlic before chopping or mincing it releases more flavor and aroma, and it’s a very expedient way to peel it as well. I prefer to use a mortar and pestle when crushing several cloves of garlic at once.
Using a knife:
1. Place a garlic clove on a chopping board.
2. Place the wide side of the knife on top of the clove and whack the area that is directly over the cloves with your fist (the side opposite the thumb), smashing the garlic.
3.The skin should come off easily. Discard the skin, and then chop, if necessary.
Using a mortar and pestle:
1. Place the cloves of unpeeled garlic in the middle of the mortar. An average mortar will comfortably hold 3 to 5 cloves. Crush the cloves by smashing them with the pestle. It takes some practice to not make the cloves jump out from the hollow of the mortar.
2. The skin should come off easily. Discard the skin, and then chop, if necessary.
Basic Recipes
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.