Empanada de Pavo (Galician-style Meat Pie with Turkey Filling), plus Turkey Cracklings!

[ts]
We bought one turkey too many during the cooking-intensive holiday season and had to find a way to use it up. We were a little tired of roasting turkey yet again, seeing as we had already made roast turkey twice in a span of a few days. Good thing we chose Spanish cuisine as the theme for our New Year's Eve party, so we had a framework within which to work.

Our first idea was to make two dishes, one with the white meat and another with the dark.

[js]
We kept ping-ponging ideas back and forth for a couple of days, but none seemed to stick.

On the day that TS was butchering the turkey, I was standing around still volleying some ideas.

In the end, I got very impatient with it all and suggested that we just take the darn turkey out of the equation and make dinner with the dark meat.

I proceeded to do a quick sauté of the dark meat with white wine and cream and made that into a pasta sauce of sorts.

I was getting ready to attack the white meat -- when we seemed to hit on a winner dish.



[ts]
We decided we wanted to make an empanada in the Galician-style, as seen in Culinaria Spain.

However, since Moorish Spain was not well-represented in our menu thus far, we decided to go with a Moorish-inspired turkey filling.

Not very Galician at all.

I guess one can say that I've Frankenstein-ed a dish yet again!

Moorish-inspired Turkey Filling


[ts]
First off, getting all the meat from the turkey, as our extra turkey was a whole one.


turkey and "the timeless art of seduction"

[ts]
I actually de-skinned the turkey, keeping the skin in one piece, as we had originally wanted to make a rolled, stuffed turkey breast wrapped in its own skin. Then, I took off all the meat from the bone. (Of course, we kept the bones and such to make stock.) I diced the turkey breasts for the empanada filling.



[ts]
I browned the cubed breasts in batches in olive oil, making sure they weren't cooked through all the way, then set them aside.


dried figs in sherry wine

[ts]
In the meantime, I soaked some chopped dried figs in sherry wine. We could've used raisins, but these dried figs have been staring us in the face for quite some time now, every single time we go into the pantry.


green olives, garlic, onions, chorizo, bay leaves, smoked paprika

[ts]
In the same pan went some onions, garlic, bay leaves and chorizo.




[ts]
We deglazed the pan with some sherry, white wine and stock. Then, the whole lot was flavored with sweet smoked paprika. The soaked dried figs went in, as well as chopped olives.



[ts]
We threw in some peas as well for that "festive" look. Next, the dough.

But, wait!

Turkey Chicharon (Cracklings)

Just in case anybody out there is a stickler, "chicharon" with one R is the Filipino (not the Spanish) spelling of the word.

[ts]
Since we didn't need the turkey skin for either this meat pie filling or the turkey pasta bake JS made for dinner, we rendered the fat and made crackling!



[ts]
I salted them when the skin were nice and brown, and we ate them with chile-infused vinegar (sinamak).

D.R.O.O.L.

The Crust


[ts]
The crust for Galician-style empanada (recipe found in Culinaria Spain) was more bread-like than pastry-like.

It was made of flour, white wine, olive oil and water. The recipe also called for clarified butter, but we didn't have that on hand. As I was too lazy to make clarified butter, I simply omitted that and used more olive oil. I also found that I had to add more water, more than a mere "few tablespoons."

The dough was much hardier and tougher, not as elastic as a bread dough, or even as a pasta dough. It certainly felt different from any dough with which I've previously worked. I was a little unsure if it was coming together correctly. Once the dough came together, it had a little rest in the refrigerator.


Two paella pans, greased with butter.

[ts]
On the day of the party, I was a little behind making these empanadas, so I was rolling out the dough as fast as I could.

This was not an easy task, as the dough was not very yielding at all. It was quite "tough", in fact. I had to roll out dough for two 14-inch empanadas, and by the end of it, I was sweating!

We used 2 paella pans for our empanada. These were 14-inch pans.

I must say, these paella pans are quite the buy! We've been using them for all sorts of things. It must be their large-enough size.



[ts]
Rolled dough went into the pan, then some filling, then another piece of rolled dough for the top. A little egg wash action, and they were off into the oven.



[ts]
I didn't exactly know how the crust was going to turn out, but I really liked it!

The filling was quite savory, the smoked paprika and the chorizo giving the white turkey meat a double boost in flavor, the olives lending a briny flavor, while the sherried figs and the peas gave it welcome touch of sweetness.

This crust was my favorite part of the empanada. Maybe I like it even better than a puff pastry crust? (Gasp!) We'll certainly be experimenting with other fillings for this empanada dough.


A hurried shot of the cut empanada before the guests dig in.

See the rest of our Spanish-themed New Year's Eve Menu here.


[eatingclub] Spanish
Tortilla de Patatas (Spanish "Omelette")
Roast Duck and Orange Crêpes with Orange-White Wine Sauce
Sardinas na Bangus (Milkfish in the style of Sardines)
Red Wine-braised Squid with Potatoes and Chorizo
Philippine Beef Salpicao (and a Spanish variation)
Stewed Tripe, Spanish-style
Lengua Estofada (Beef Tongue Braised in Red Wine and Veal Stock)
Bacalao con Patatas (Baked Salt Cod and Potatoes)
Salsa Romesco ("Queen of the Catalan Sauces!")
Grilled Calçots (Green Onions) with Salsa Romesco
Empanada de Pavo
(Galician-style Meat Pie with Turkey Filling), plus Turkey Cracklings!
Fideuá (Spanish Seafood Noodle "Paella")... and Paella
Cocido (Spanish Stew with Various Pork Cuts)
Slow-Roast Pork Shoulder, Two Ways

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Recipe
Empanada de Pavo
(Galician-style Meat Pie with Turkey Filling)
Makes two (2) 12-inch or 14-inch pies

Moorish-inspired Turkey Filling
2 turkey breasts, cubed
2 large onions, diced
8 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
4 bay leaves
2 chorizo sausages, diced (approx. 1.2 lb total)
1/2 to 1 cup green olives, diced
1 package dried figs (284g)
(or, substitute with raisins)
1 cup frozen peas
sherry wine
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken/turkey stock

This makes a lot of filling. Feel free to halve the recipe to make just one empanada.

If using dried figs, chop the and soak in sherry wine.

In pan, heat olive oil over high heat. Brown turkey cubes (in batches if necessary). Set aside.

In the same pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, bay leaves and smoked paprika. Cook until onions have softened. Add chorizo and cook for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through.

Deglaze pan with sherry and/or white wine and scrape off browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock, green olives and soaked figs (including the soaking liquid) and bring to the boil.

Add the browned turkey meat and frozen peas. Cook over low until the turkey is cooked through. Adjust seasoning.

Let filling cool and set aside. cup of chicken stock

Dough recipe from Culinaria Spain
Makes enough for 1 12-inch to 14-inch pie

If making the full recipe of turkey filling, make two batches of the dough.

4 1/2 cups flour (500g)
1 tablespoon white wine
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon clarified butter
salt
pinch of sugar

Sift flour into a wide bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the white wine, olive oil, clarified butter, salt, sugar and a few tablespoons of lukewarm water.

Note: I had to add quite a bit more than just a "few tablespoons" of water.

Knead all the ingredients into a flexible dough. Leave the dough to rest in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 400F (200C).

Divide dough into two. Roll out one half on a floured work surface and use it to line a buttered pie pan, making sure that the dough overlaps at the upper edge.

Add the filling. Roll out the remaining dough and lay it on top of the filling. Press together the edges of the dough. Brush with egg yolk and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Chipotle Ground Turkey on Flour Tortilla

[ts]
Ground turkey must've been on special some time ago, as JS bought 4 1-lb packages of them. They went straight into the freezer as we don't usually use ground turkey.

But, use them we had to.

Ground turkey is a little dry and bland, so we had to think of a way to add flavor. So, I decided to go the Tex-Mex route. (I dare not say "Mexican.")



[ts]
Into a pan went some onions, garlic, black beans and chipotle peppers along with its adobo sauce. Then, the ground turkey. Salt and pepper to taste, of course, and just a touch of soy sauce (for umami) and a little honey. The zest and juice of a lime went in last.



[ts]
We ate this with some flour tortillas. Even with the bold flavors, the ground turkey still left a little to be desired. Ground beef would definitely have been more flavorful. But, adding cilantro and some feta on top, and finishing with a squeeze of lime, this was still good eatin'.



[eatingclub] Juilio Latino ("Latin July") continues!

[eatingclub] vancouver Mexican
Tacos... then
Tacos... now
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Semi-Lime-cooked, Semi-Yucatecan Shrimp with Garlic Chips
Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese with Pipían Verde
Quickie Turkey Tortilla Soup
Tacos of Carnitas with Pineapple, with Roasted Salsa and Sweet Potato
Shrimp a la Mexicana (Camarones a la Plancha)
Enchiladas Verdes
Cilantro Horchata
Strawberry Cilantro Salsa, on Grilled Flank Steak
Mexican Ancho Guajillo Chicken
Chipotle Ground Turkey on Flour Tortilla
Tacos... again (July 2009)
Tacos al Pastor with Chipotle Peanut Salsa
Tacos with Beer-braised Carnitas Filling
Shredded Beef and Tripe Tacos
Duck Enchiladas with Chipotle Peanut Salsa
Blueberry Tres Leches Cake
Crab Tostada
Homemade Mexican Chorizo Sausage
Torta (Mexican Sandwich)

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Recipe
Chipotle Ground Turkey

1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2-5 chipotle peppers in adobo
1 can black beans (14 fl oz), drained

1 lb ground turkey
salt & pepper
2 tsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey
1 lime, zested & juiced

accompaniments
flour tortillas
queso blanco, cotija cheese, or feta cheese
cilantro
lime wedges

Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic until soft, then add the chipotle peppers and their adobo sauce, along with the drained black beans.

Add the ground turkey and season with the salt & pepper, soy sauce, and honey, to taste. When the turkey is completely cooked through, add the lime zest and juice.

Serve with flour tortillas, and your choice of cheese, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Quickie Turkey Tortilla Soup

[ts]
Since we had all those turkeys for our Starry, Starry Night dinner, we had the opportunity to make a lot of turkey stock (and to save a lot of shredded turkey meat).

We've sinced used it for making turkey congee -- especially after finding out an easy way to make congee from leftover rice, courtesy of Kits Chow -- and for this, making Turkey Tortilla Soup.

We've made chicken tortilla soup a lot of times before, using this quickie method.

To recap, we buzz together some chipotle peppers (packed in adobo), tomatoes (fresh or canned) and onions.

Then that mixture goes into a pan to cook until it becomes thick, usually about 15 minutes. (Or less, if you're in a hurry.)



[ts]
We add stock (turkey, this time) and the shredded meat, and let the whole thing simmer for a bit. We adjust the seasoning too (salt and pepper).

We either crisp up some corn tortillas or take the easy way out and use corn tortilla chips. (We like Que Pasa tortilla chips for this purpose.)

Then, it's a mad rush to see if we have any other possible toppings: jalapeño peppers, cilantro, avocado, cheese (we don't have easy access to queso fresco, so we like feta for this purpose), and lime wedges.

On this occasion, we only had cilantro and radishes. Oh, and lime wedges too. (Not pictured.)

This soup could easily be made vegetarian by using vegetable stock and canned beans.



[ts]
To serve, place some corn tortilla chips into a bowl and spoon the soup over. Add desired toppings. This is the first time I've added radishes, and I must say, they were really good with the soup!

We made a quick quesadilla with Tex-Mex cheese (our shameful non-secret) to eat alongside. I don't think I'll tire of this.

[eatingclub] Chicken Tortilla Soup
[eatingclub] Pumpkin Congee w/ Pumpkin "Beignets" & Sesame-Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Quesadillas we've made before:
Fried Oyster Quesadilla
Sprouted Grain Tortilla with Other Stuff
Black Bean Quesadilla

Kits Chow Quick Congee method: Oyster and Century Egg Congee

[eatingclub] vancouver Mexican
Tacos... then
Tacos... now
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Semi-Lime-cooked, Semi-Yucatecan Shrimp with Garlic Chips
Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese with Pipían Verde
Quickie Turkey Tortilla Soup
Tacos of Carnitas with Pineapple, with Roasted Salsa and Sweet Potato
Shrimp a la Mexicana (Camarones a la Plancha)
Enchiladas Verdes
Cilantro Horchata
Strawberry Cilantro Salsa, on Grilled Flank Steak
Mexican Ancho Guajillo Chicken
Chipotle Ground Turkey on Flour Tortilla
Tacos... again (July 2009)
Tacos al Pastor with Chipotle Peanut Salsa
Tacos with Beer-braised Carnitas Filling
Shredded Beef and Tripe Tacos
Duck Enchiladas with Chipotle Peanut Salsa
Blueberry Tres Leches Cake
Crab Tostada
Homemade Mexican Chorizo Sausage
Torta (Mexican Sandwich)


Recipe

Quickie Tortilla Soup
Makes 4 servings

8 cups stock (chicken, turkey, vegetable) or water
1-2 chicken breasts (or turkey meat, or canned beans)
optional: more onions, cilantro stems

1 large onion
3 large tomatoes (canned is fine)
3 chipotles packed in adobo
1 teaspoon adobo sauce

corn tortilla chips

Garniture:
minced onions
chopped cilantro
chopped jalapeño peppers
lime wedges
sliced avocado
sliced radishes
queso fresco or feta cheese

Ingredient amounts can be adjusted to suit individual tastes.

Cook chicken and make broth:
In a stockpot, bring water or stock to a boil, then lower heat to simmer. If you wish, add an onion and some cilantro stems. Add the chicken breast(s) and poach in the liquid until cooked through.

Remove cooked chicken from the broth and let cool slightly. Shred chicken meat. Discard onion and cilantro stems, if using.

Set broth aside.

Super Quickie trick:
Simply use chicken broth and buy cooked chicken (like supermarket rotisserie chicken).

Vegetarian option:
Simply use vegetable stock and any canned beans of your choice.

Soup base:
In a food processor, add onion, tomatoes, chipotles and adobo sauce. Process until puréed.

Make the soup:
Heat your stockpot over medium heat and add a little oil. Add puréed mixture and cook until it has thickened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Add broth. Bring the mixture up to a boil, then lower the heat. Add chicken and let the whole thing simmer, about 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning (salt & pepper).

Garniture:
In the meantime, prepare your preferred toppings. Lime wedges and cilantro could be considered the minimum.

To serve:
In your servings bowls, add a little bit of corn tortilla chips, then spoon the soup (with meat) over it. Each person can add the toppings they desire.

First-Ever Roast Turkey (and Five-Spice Turkeys)

Sorry we ever doubted you, our feathered friend.

[ts]
None of us has ever liked turkey.

Years and years ago, even as young 'uns, upon first tasting it, we quickly dismissed it as a dry and flavorless bird. Even the "best" of the ones I've tasted didn't warrant a second piece.

[js]
We tried to cure our turkey prejudices by ordering a Chinese-style roasted turkey last New Year's Eve.

While it was better than the other turkeys I've tasted, it was only passable, and we thought of turkey as something to be tolerated but not desired.

Is Everybody Crazy?
[ts]
Imagine our feeling, then, when every year we see the mad rush to buy turkeys and the excitement that accompanies that. At times, we begin to doubt ourselves: "Could it really be good?" I mean, we knew it couldn't be that good, but is it possible that it could actually be... well, edible?

During these times of self-doubt, we would need only to think back on our previous turkey experiences and be rest assured that we were correct and everyone else was wrong.

Then, this year, upon our discovery of food blogs, at home where we thought we were safest, we were bombarded with turkey upon turkey upon turkey -- recipes, pictures, tips, menus -- starting from October all the way through December!

Of course, we thought everyone was crazy!

We Succumb
[ts]
But, as advertisers know, when one sees something frequently enough, the will eventually, though it may valiantly resist, succumbs.

So, when JS saw Fresh Young Turkeys for sale, she went right up there and got one! We were worried about the turkey actually being consumed, so picked a small-looking turkey, about 11 pounds.

[js]
I rationalized it to TS thusly.

There must be something to turkey that we need to find out. If this turkey we do isn't successful, then at least we can say we tried. It's going to be our first, last, and only turkey.

The Recipe
[ts]
Now the problem was, having ignored all those helpful turkey recipes and tips, I was now too lazy to try to do "research". The one turkey tip or recipe I remembered off the top of my head for its promise of being the easiest and best-tasting was Wandering Chopsticks'. So, a quick search on her site yielded her recipe for Salt Rub and Butter Turkey.

Since we didn't have any turkey experience, we followed the recipe to the letter. (Although, interestingly enough, without meaning to, we've taken to calling it Dry-Brined Roast Turkey. Go figure.)

The Day Before
[ts]
We simply had to rub salt all over the turkey and rest it breast side down. Easy. (And put it back in the refrigerator, covered, of course.)

The Day Of
[ts]
Time for the butter!

First, I drained the liquid that was in the pan and got to work. I cut up (actually, more like pinched off) pieces of butter for putting under the skin. Oh, I almost forgot, we also put some sage leaves underneath the skin.



[ts]
I had quite a giggly time putting my whole hand under the breast skin, teehee.

Then it went into a preheated 425F oven, breast-side down, for about 45 minutes.



[ts]
After which, I turned it over, lowered the heat to 350F, and waited until it was done. Since this was a small turkey, it only took about 2 more hours.



Ta-da!

Carving
[ts]
Now, after cooking the bird (and letting it rest, of course), it was time to carve it. We usually see people carving the bird starting from the breast and making those big slices from it. I've always thought that that method resulted in skin distribution problems. I mean, one person gets that slice with all the skin, and nobody else has enough skin!

We happened to catch a portion of Jamie Oliver's Jamie At Home Christmas Special. For his turkey, he made a point of saying that he takes the breast off the bird and before slicing it. That way, each slice has part of the breast close to the bone and part of the breast close to the skin. As for the dark meat, he simply shreds them all! We followed suit.



[ts]
I left the drumsticks whole at first, but during the course of dinner, when the dark meat supply threatened to run out, I shredded those as well. I guess no ones wants to take a huge drumstick for themselves.

Cranberry Sauce and Gravy


[ts]
I made cranberry sauce (following the recipe from the pack of OceanSpray cranberries) and JS made gravy.

[js]
I took the neck bone and giblets and made a stock with carrots and onions. Apparently, per Mark Bittman, I wasn't supposed to throw in the liver there, but I found out too late since I dumped everything into the pot. I added a couple of chicken carcasses we had lying around in the freezer.

For the gravy, I simply made a light roux (sautéed equal amounts of butter and flour together), added the strained stock, and the pan drippings. Salt and pepper to taste.

Since I was timid with the roux, our gravy was not too thick, a deficiency TS remedied with a cornstarch slurry. On second thought, I didn't want the gravy to be very thick, because I figure a thinner-consistency gravy might have a little more mileage.



[ts]
Regarding the display above: um, well, I guess we need to work on our presentation skills.

But, who cares about presentation. We care only about the taste.

It.
Was.
Delicious!

[js]
I stole a little piece of thigh meat while TS was carving the turkey and my eyes widened in amazement.

It was freakishly delicious! So this is what turkey could taste like!

[ts]
The turkey wasn't just "good,", it was great! In fact, we didn't have any left over!

And guess what else I discovered? The turkey went great with the gravy (of course) and the cranberry sauce! That cranberry sauce is gold!

We hang our heads in shame for ever doubting the turkey. Thank you fellow foodbloggers -- especially Wandering Chopsticks -- for showing us the error of our ways.

[js]
Well, I guess this is one time when we had to eat crow-- I mean, turkey. But it wasn't such a cruel punishment, as this bird was really, really "edible".

All our turkey prejudices are out the window: this bird now has a place on our table.



Our First-Ever Roast Turkey made its debut during our Christmas 2008 dinner.

[ts]
We were so emblazoned with the turkey's success that not only did we add it to our New Year's Eve menu, but we roasted TWO of them for the party! One was 22 pounds, the other 11.


five-spice and salt

[ts]
To make it fit with our theme, we added five-spice to the salt rub, then proceeded like before. The resulting turkeys had that lovely, familiar, Chinese-y scent.



___________________________
The recipe that started our love affair. (Did I just say "love"?)
Wandering Chopsticks' Salt Rub and Butter Turkey

[eatingclub] vancouver
Christmas 2008 Dinner

New Year's Eve Party:
A Starry, Starry Night in Vancouver -- Evoking the Philippine Christmas Spirit

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: A Starry, Starry Night in Vancouver -- Evoking the Philippine Christmas Spirit

[ts]
We're very happy and excited to have once again been chosen to participate in Foodbuzz's 24, 24, 24 blog event. We're especially excited as we are showcasing a part of our heritage, Philippine/Filipino cuisine.

It's due in part to Robyn Eckhardt's wonderful writing on the Philippines and David Hagerman's wonderful photography -- on their blog, EatingAsia, and in the December 2008 issue of Saveur -- that we started to contemplate serving a Philippine-inspired dinner during the holidays.

[js]
The Christmas season is a protracted season in the Philippines, where we were born and raised. It traditionally lasts from December till January 6th, the Feast of the Magi. It is not uncommon in the Philippines to start singing Christmas carols as early as September! The common phrase is, "-Ber na naman, pasko na naman" ("It's Christmas time again, now that we're into the months ending in -ber.")

Our family traditionally holds our big Holiday Feast on the 31st of December, inviting as many as 80 people into our home. (We usually have a smaller Christmas Eve/Christmas Day party.)

In all our years in Vancouver (almost 20 years), this year 2008 would be the first time that we are explicitly holding a feast evocative of the Christmas/Holiday feasts in the Philippines.


parol made w/ capiz shells; image by Santos

[js]
Our holiday theme this year is inspired by the parol. The parol is a traditional star-shaped Christmas lantern hung in homes and most establishments in the Philippines during the holiday season. The parol evokes the Star of Bethelem, which guided the Magi towards the manger where the baby Jesus was born.

Our menu includes traditional and perhaps not-so-traditional Filipino and Filipino-Chinese dishes, inspired by the star-shaped parol.

[ts]
We don't claim to know much about Filipino food, but we certainly did our best. =)


The Menu
In keeping with our parol theme, we tried to have either star-shaped ingredients, star-shaped finished products, or quintets or groups of five (for the five points of a star).

Pineapple Soda with Star Anise Syrup & Pomegranate Ice "Stars"

Mini Baby Bels, Cervelat Salami, Grapes, Crackers

Adobo Mushroom Tarts
Embutido (Philippine "Meatloaf")
Mangga Ensalada

Palabok

Ginataang Green Beans with Bagoong
Star Corn

Plain Rice
Star Rice
Bagoong Rice

"Chinese Adobo" Clams & Oysters
Ginataang Adobo Trout

Lechon (Roast Pig)
Lechon Manok (Roast Chicken)
Five-Spice Roast Turkey

Condiments
Green Papaya Atsara
Sinamak (Suka at Sili)
Lechon Sauce
Gravy
Star Anise Cranberry Sauce

Desserts
Ube (Purple Yam) Ice Cream Star Cake
Ube (Purple Yam) Halayan
Bibingka
Lime & Macapuno Bars

Salabat (Ginger Tea)

Photographs and details about the food below, of course.

The Setting

image by strandedwahine; definitely not at our home

[ts]
In keeping with the parol theme, I had envisioned our home twinkling and glittering with parol lights. We attempted to purchase them, but they were quite hard to find here. We found a couple of small ones that cost more than $100 each! They were the ones made with capiz shells. But, at that cost, we couldn't justify buying even one.

I thought, why not make our own? I'm talking about the more "traditional" parol made with sticks/wire and papel de hapon (a paper similar to tissue paper).

Image on the right: traditional parols; photo by Keith Bacongco

I tried making this small one, but this was much harder than I anticipated. I can only get this far.


left: my mini parol, halted
right: mini stars

[ts]
Then I thought, if not a real parol, then something star-shaped at least? I made folded stars in hopes of filling a container with them. It was taking far too much time so I had to stop. Those stars in the image above could only fill 1/4 of a small 200mL bottle!

Finally, I came up with the brilliant idea of outsourcing this parol-making task! That is, I asked CSC to make parol with the kids, as their craft project.


left: boss #1; right: boss #2

Here they are!



[ts]
Well done, small bosses! Or, should I say, well done CSC! ;)

But, as you know, we are all about the food!



Let's begin.


Mini Baby Bels & Grapes
Mini Baby Bels remind us of queso de bola, a round ball of Edam cheese with a waxy red coating, very commonly found during Noche Buena meals in the Philippines.


Adobo Mushroom Tarts
We topped puff pastry with adobo-cooked mushrooms (soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, black peppercorns, bay leaves). Read the post here.


Embutido
This is also a celebration food. It's a pork "meatloaf" with bell peppers, carrots, onions, raisins, pickle relish (among other things) and stuffed with hardboiled eggs and Vienna sausages. (Yes, another canned food favorite. I tell you we like our canned goods!) Read the post here.


Mangga Ensalada
We shamelessly ripped this off of the menu at Rekados. There are five items in this composed salad: pickled mangoes, tomatoes, hardboiled eggs, alliums (red & green onions) and of course, bagoong (shrimp paste).


Palabok
We were especially scared of trying to make this at home! As far as we knew, nobody made this at home. Everybody seems to buy it off a Filipino caterer. But I think we know the secret now!

This is a classic Philippine noodle dish made with a seafood sauce colored with achiote, then topped with hardboiled eggs, shrimp, squid, fried pork rinds (yes, pork rinds!) fried tofu, fried garlic, green onions and lemon/lime wedges (for squeezing onto the dish).


Ginataang Green Beans with Bagoong
"Gata" is coconut milk and anything "ginataan" is cooked with coconut milk.

We cooked the green beans in a mixture of coconut milk, some ground pork, garlic, onions, some tomatoes and bagoong (shrimp paste). We added some masago towards the end for that "festive" touch.


Star Margarine!
Anybody who grew up in the Philippines knows Star Margarine. We couldn't help giggling when we saw this! How fortuitous that it's called Star in keeping with our parol theme! We had to get it and make 2 items.


Star Corn
We simply added Star Margarine to corn kernels. This reminded us of boiled corn we used to buy from street vendors after school. He would put Star Margarine on the corn, and we would always say, "Damihan niyo naman yung Star!" ("Please add more Star!")


Star Rice
Everyone went for this yellow-hued "Star Rice", remembering the TV commercial where one was supposed to add Star Margarine to rice.

Pampagana! Pampalusog! Pampatangkad!

That is, the ad claimed that it makes kids have more appetite, it makes them healthier and taller! =)

It's full of trans fatty goodness. Nobody has even seen Star Margarine in years. Decades, perhaps! =D


Plain Rice & Bagoong Rice
We had three kinds of rice. Plain rice, Star Rice above, and rice with some bagoong (shrimp paste) mixed in.


"Chinese Adobo" Clams & Oysters
We've been subject to Mama's "Chinese Adobo" all these years, so we thought we'd finally put it to use. She makes what she calls "adobo", but in reality, is a soy sauce based dish without vinegar! The sauce for the clams and oysters (halaan at talaba) was made with soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger and star anise. We like to think that the clam chells evoke the capiz shells used frequently to make parol. JS was adamant that the clams be not taken off the menu!


Ginataang Adobo Trout
This is a more classic adobo -- soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, black peppercorns, bay leaves -- but with more coconut milk. We paired it with steelhead trout, then topped the dish with fried garlic.


Five-Spice Roast Turkey
We did the same thing as our Christmas turkey, but added five-spice. It had that lovely, familiar, Chinese scent. Read all about our turkey experience here.


Lechon Manok
A classic Filipino way to cook chicken. The chickens were marinated in soy sauce and lime juice (traditionally, kalamansi juice). Then, they were stuffed with lemongrass and roasted. Read the post here.

Just an aside: Look at this madness! That below are 3 chickens, an 11-pound turkey and a 22-pound turkey!



JS wanted to make sure we had turkey leftovers since we were denied that after our Christmas dinner.

Condiments
We had five condiments.


Green Papaya Atsara
A classic quick pickle made with green papaya, bell peppers, carrots and onions. The pickling liquid is flavored with garlic, black peppercorns, ginger and raisins.


Sinamak (Suka at Sili)
The classic chile-infused vinegar. Perfect with pork rinds, I might add. What else is good with this condiment?


Lechon Sauce
A liver-based sauce to go with Lechon and Lechon Manok. Usually, people would just open up a bottle of Mang Tomas Lechon Sauce. But JS made this from scratch: it's made with livers, onions, garlic, vinegar, black pepper and the very important sugar. Read the post here.


Star Anise Cranberry Sauce
We infused star anise into the simple syrup (sugar & water) before adding cranberries.

Gravy
Not pictured.


Think we're done? No! There's still dessert!


Ube (Purple Yam) Halaya
Purple yam is often used in dessert applications in the Philippines. This is sometimes translated as ube "jam". It's simply ube cooked with sugar and coconut milk (I used coconut milk and cow's milk). I cut them into star-shapes to decorate my cake.


Ube (Purple Yam) Ice Cream Star Cake
This star-shaped cake was made from ube ice cream, another very popular item. Ube ice cream bought commercially is usually very, very purple, a product of food coloring no doubt. I made this ube ice cream with real ube and the result was a very light purple. I decorated the cake with whipped cream and my star-shaped ube halayan.


Bibingka
A showstopper! This is a rice cake with coconut milk and cooked in banana leaves, then topped with grated coconut, cheese, and salted duck eggs. We blogged about it here before. We only made two bibingka, but had to make 2 more after dinner because of popular demand!

Other guests also brought dessert items like cassava cake and mango pudding. Unwittingly, they brought Philippine-themed items!


Salabat (Ginger Tea)
And finally, to evoke a Philippine Christmas, the heady scent of a hot ginger-infused drink. I infused ginger into water and added brown sugar. This drink is classically associated with the cooler mornings after midnight mass. Patrons would warm themselves with this drink as they leave the church. Read the post here.

Whew! That's a lot of food!



[ts]
I think we now realize or remember why we seldom do Filipino-themed dinners for a large party: there is a lot of prep work!

But, we went all out on this out because we wanted this feast to be BONGGA!!! Teehee. (Non-translatable, as far as we know.)

(Maybe the closest to "bongga" would be "bling" as in "bling-bling"? For "bongga," think gold-glittery, almost to the point of garishness.)

Up next, "behind the scenes" of this Starry, Starry Night, because you know preparing for a dinner this size is bound to have some kinks. Included will be information on some missing items, like the lechon (roast pig)! And hey, wasn't there supposed to be a pineapple soda of some sort? And more dessert?

Also to follow are information on individual dishes, but it may take a few days (or weeks!). This is our quickie post. Mind you, this feast was on New Year's Eve and this post had to be in by New Year's Day!

Read Starry, Starry... Pig? here, the story of the lechon for the party.


Information on a Philippine Christmas
http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/Cynthia/festivals/philippine_christmas.htm

[eatingclub] vancouver 24, 24, 24 posts:
Behind the Scenes -- The Making of Artisan Gelato
A Starry, Starry Night in Vancouver -- Evoking the Philippine Christmas Spirit
Iron Chef -- Battle of the Recipes (Part 1, The Battle)
Iron Chef -- Battle of the Recipes (Part 2, Tasting and Judging)

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[eatingclub] vancouver Filipino food
Bibingka
Mama's Ampalaya (Bitter Melon)
Faux Kamote-Que
Philippine-Style Chicken "BBQ"
Fried Hasa Hasa (Mackerel)
"Savory" Chicken Wings
Sinamak (Chile-infused Vinegar)
Pan-roasted Halibut w/ Fava Beans, Potato-Onion Cakes & Bagoong Butter Sauce
Bulalo & Bangus: an even simpler Filipino meal
Baked Tahong (Mussels)
Adobo Kangkong (Adobo Water Spinach)
Oyster Torta (Oyster Omelette)
Chicken Tinola (Chicken Soup w/ Green Papaya & Pepper Leaves)
(Chinese) Roast Pork Belly / Lechon
Tilapia wrapped in Banana Leaves
Pork Belly, Two Ways
Chicken Adobo
Embutido
Salabat (Ginger Tea)
Lechon Manok (Philippine Roast Chicken) & Lechon Sauce
"Chinese Adobo" Clams and Oysters
Bistek (Citrus Beef with Caramelized Onions)
Beef Kaldereta (Beef Stew with Bell Peppers)
Atsara (Green Papaya Pickle)
Sardinas na Bangus (Milkfish in the style of Sardines) and Pressure Cooker Fear