Tanigue Steak (Seer Fish Steak)

In my post about the “kinilaw na tanigue”, I mentioned that the fish called “tanigue” in the Philippines, belonging to the mackerel family and known as seer fish here in Sri Lanka and India is also excellent when grilled a la steak. Slices of the fish is lightly marinated with lemon, salt, ground pepper and other seasonings and cook either over live charcoal, gas grill, oven roast or even on hot griddle or thick pan on stove top. This is one of my favorite preparations for “tanigue” or seer fish which I usually enjoy eating with friends over some bottles of beer apart from the usual way of eating it with either steamed rice or better yet fried rice.

Along with yellow fin tuna and sail fish, seer fishes which also include the bigger variety called “wahoo” are among the highly sought after and relatively high priced fishes of Sri Lanka. In fact here, it is considered a more important fish than grouper or “lapu-lapu”, a direct contrast of the market situation back home in the Philippines where groupers are extra special and rather priced a little exorbitant particularly in the Manila Capital and other key cities, due to high demand. :-)

Sausage Sandwich with Cheese and Orange Marmalade

I saw in a television food program how a specialty restaurant in the US prepares some really interesting hotdog sandwiches which were a bit unusual but I found quite innovative and daring. In particular, their hotdog was butterflied, grilled flat and topped with slices of cheese then laid on an also butterflied hotdog bun spread with strawberry jam instead of the usual mayonnaise or tomato sauce-base dressings.

Another version was the use of peanut butter instead of the jam. The idea is to combine the sweet taste of the jam spread and the slightly salty-creamy taste of cheese and blend with the taste of the hotdog to make a distinctly good tasting hotdog sandwich.

Yesterday, I decided to make my own version of the exciting hotdog sandwich. Since I am not a big fan of strawberry jam, or any other strawberry laden or flavored food for that matter, I decided to use sweet orange marmalade instead. Likewise, in lieu of the good hotdog which is rather difficult to come by in my area of residence, I used a special edition sausage infused with cheese and onion that I recently chanced upon and bought in the supermarket.

Boodle Feast, Brings Family Even Closer Together

Upon watching it in the television, I find the military style of group eating called "boodle fight" very interesting and I thought the practical and worthwhile activity is applicable to families every once in a while. A boodle fight is the military way of serving food in a wide table or flat surface covered with banana leaves where all foods: rice, veggies, viands and sauces are dumped and everyone gathers around to eat with bare hands. It might look messy and untidy but it is really fun, appetizing and brings members closer together.

Starting with an all-male group in the family composed of brothers, brothers-in-law, cousins, uncles and close friends who usually go together doing outdoors activities like fishing, hunting, playing basketball and later mountain biking, we tried doing boodle fight style of eating many years back, long before some Manila restaurants started serving them. It immediately turned a hit among us and repeat request mounts. Since then, we would always undertake the activity every time there are enough family members around, usually during special gatherings or holidays. Over the years, many other family members, my son and daughter among them, are attracted and would join the blissful and satisfying feast.

This year, I specially arranged for two boodle feasts intended for all the family members to participate. Everyone enjoyed, even my son and young nieces who are not accustomed to eating with bare hands. It is quite a precious family moment and grand time that my wife thought that it has now become a family tradition. I believe it is. Our all-male family members have been doing it for around 8 years I think and by most family members over the last 2 years. I expect it to get better every year as everyone now anticipates it.

Among the indoor-cooked main courses we lined-up in our boodle feast are creamy and delicious “ginataang dalag at hipon” (mud fish and shrimp in coconut milk), tasty “litsong kawali” (deep fried pork belly), sumptuous “sisig pampanga” as well as crispy chicharong bulaklak (pork intestine part cracklings) and fried pork liver which I missed to photograph.

Since boodle feast is an outdoor activity, barbeque and grilling are essential parts of the food preparation. For barbeques we have pork barbeque and some lightly seasoned and marinated spare ribs.

We have several types of fish for grilling like a certain type of marine flat fish offered to me in the market and some of our favorite local freshwater fishes like tilapia, walking catfish (“hito”) and mud fish (“dalag”).

Of course, for a typical Filipino meal with lots of barbeques and grilled fish, crunchy green mangoes and its “bagoong alamang” (shrimp paste) counterpart is a must. Additionally, “ginisang bagoong” (fish paste sauté in tomato) is also not to be forgotten to complement the grill dishes.

The feast will not be complete without vegetables to be steamed and grilled. We have long and round eggplants, young okra, plum tomatoes and finger chilies to add some kick. Some fresh calamansi (Philippine lemon) are also needed for that favorite soy sauce or “patis” (fish sauce) dips.

After cooking the barbeques, grilled fish and vegetables, preparing the boodle table is a sight to behold which will surely cause everyone to crave.

Believe me! Inviting everyone to the boodle table will not be difficult at all and for once, diet and weight control is out of consideration. Even during photo taking and prior to declaration to start eating, some will already be having a hand full of rice. :-)

"Cham and the other kids are pa-cute and the rest hungry"

Eating boodle style is not just a time for lavish eating but a wonderful family moment. It is a valuable quality time easily shared by every member of the family. A rare opportunity to bond, rekindle the closeness and make the family ties even closer and tight………and a sure way to have a lot of fun too. These images are my proof:

"Let the fun begins...."

"The proper way of eating pork BBQ"

"Pinsan, this is a child-friendly blog, remove that drink please."

"It's that fast hand again"

"She will eat too......after the pose.......promised!"

"Demure way of eating pork BBQ"

"Tin-tin could never be happier"

With such so many busy hands moving at an enormous speed, expect the feast to be gone in a short while. :)

What a better way to end a very sumptuous feast but with sweet juicy watermelon for dessert and “buko” (young coconut) juice (not in the photo) and the reliable coca cola as drinks.

And while everyone is still overwhelmed by the wonderful meal they just happily shared, Charize with her innocent antics is always there to provide with more delight and amazement to lighten the feeling of the really full crowd. c“,)

"Sangoy to the max, eat your heart out Attila, better be home next year."

Grilled Pork Chop and other Dishes

For a weekend family outing or swimming in a resort or park, grilled pork chop is probably next to pork barbeque in popularity among outdoor barbeque dishes in the Philippines. The loin cut near the ribs called pork chop and or the belly part of freshly butchered pork is sliced about ½ inch thick and marinated in a wonderful barbeque sauce the night before the outing. This is usually the main course and often the most favorite food during the event among family members and guests. The smell alone during the grilling process can cause everyone to drool and feel even hungrier in anticipation. Whilst there will be some other dishes, grilled pork chop is expected to be consumed the most.

The same was true during the family swimming activity of one of our members. Their grilled pork chop prepared using the recipe in my Pork Barbeque post easily became a hit to everyone. Complemented by other favorite dishes, the celebration as well as the banquet was all but success.

To prepare the grilled pork chop, take about 1½ ~ 2 kilos of freshly butchered pork. For me, the best meat for the grill is one that is very fresh and has not been frozen yet. So, your neighborhood wet market is the best source. Wash and drain the meat thoroughly to remove all traces of blood.

Following the recipe in pork barbeque, prepare the sauce with the following ingredients - 1 whole garlic, peeled and minced, 1 cup soy sauce, ½ cup catsup, ½ cup sprite or 7-up, ¼ cup calamondin (“calamansi”) or lemon juice, 1 tsp ground pepper, 3 tbsp brown sugar and 2 pcs chili peppers (optional).

In a bowl, combine all the above ingredients and blend thoroughly to make the barbeque sauce. Taste the sauce and adjust the sugar according to your sweetness preference. I know, some like it sweeter. Simply combine the sauce and sliced meat in a large mixing bowl, mix properly and marinate for at least 4 hours, or over night for better results. Stir or turn the meat several times.

Over a hot charcoal grill with about 4 inches clearance, barbeque the meat in batches. Be always attentive to the grill and extra careful from two things: burning the meat in hot flame created by fat drippings or losing the barbeque as they get cooked from hungry family members. Either way, it will be a big problem come dinner time. :-)

Continue grilling until all the meat is cooked. Baste with the sauce from time to time to assure a juicy barbeque.

To complement the yummy grilled pork chop, our member has the following other dishes for their feast:

Chicken drumsticks and lollipop - Mouth watering fried chicken with just garlic, salt and ground pepper for the marinade. Crispy and juicy!

Buttered Shrimp – Fresh shrimps cooked in butter, garlic and ground pepper. Appetizing!

Tuna & fresh vegetables salad – Healthy and high-fiber side dish to balance the diet. Crunchy and tasty!

Meat & vegetable pizza with extra cheese – A special snack treat to titillate the palate!

Whew, that made me really hungry! c“,)

Chicken Inasal (Bacolod Grilled Chicken)

I love the outdoors and most activities related to it. It is no surprise therefore that I like barbeque. One of my earlier posts in this blog is in fact Pork Barbeque which I regularly prepare even during small gatherings or rather simple occasions. In our beach party last weekend, where of course the pork barbeque and grilled spare ribs were the top entrées, I decided to add grilled chicken. And upon thinking grilled chicken, only one thing comes to my mind - Bacolod-Style Chicken Inasal. What could be more exciting than that? Beautiful beach, crystal clear water, cool weather, our favourite drinks, pork barbeque, grilled spare ribs, some grilled vegetables, lots of rice and of course the aromatic chicken “inasal”. Yes, it’s mouth watering.

Chicken “Inasal” of Bacolod is the “Sisig” of Pampanga. Both Filipino dishes are created by roadside eateries serving food for the masses and are now widely accepted all over the country (Philippines). In Bacolod, the heart of Chicken “Inasal” can be found in the street called “Manokan Country” (Chicken Country). It is there where eateries and restaurants whose specialties are grilled or “inasal” chicken lined up creating a delightful fiesta atmosphere making the dish even more stimulating to the palates.

When in Bacolod, one should not miss the opportunity of enjoying this simple yet very satisfying food. Along with shellfish fares and steaming rice, it is a guaranteed meal to remember. It will be heavy on your stomach and yet light on your pocket. A truly amazing treat enjoyed by all walks of life. It’s funny that you will get a lot of different recipes when you ask “Bacolenos” on how they prepare their “inasal”. There are even many ingredients peculiar with each recipe like tamarind, patis, Worcestershire sauce and tamarind leaves.

For me, the core ingredients of the dish, which are common to many versions are the spices creating the unique taste of the chicken. It is the foundation of the marinade which will be infused into the chicken pieces. These aromatic spices are garlic, ginger and most importantly lemon grass or “salay”.

To create the dish, I used about 3 kilos of chicken drumstick and wings. These are my favourite chicken parts and will be perfect for the “inasal”. You will probably notice that the drumsticks are skinless. That’s how our Sri Lankan (Sinhalese) cook cleans them. They remove and throw away the skin. It’s not good for the health he said. :-)

The marinade ingredients are as follows: about 6 stalks of lemon grass (“salay”), pounded and minced, 2 pcs thumb-sized ginger, peeled and minced, 1 pc whole ginger peeled and minced, 1 cup native vinegar or ¾ cup white vinegar, ¼ cup calamondin (“calamansi”) or lemon juice, 1 tbsp cracked whole pepper, 1 tbsp rock salt and 2 tbsp brown sugar.

For the important basting sauce, we need 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 3 tbsp annatto seed or “atsuete”, 1 tsp ground pepper and 1 cup good margarine.

First prepare your marinade. In a mixing bowl put all the marinade ingredients and mix thoroughly. Stir well to blend and combine all the flavours of the spices and seasonings into one wonderful marinade. Taste and adjust the seasonings and acidity level. Different vinegar provides different levels of acidity, so final adjustment is necessary. At this point you might also want to soak your bamboo skewers in water. I don’t need to explain why. :)

In a large bowl or casserole, place all the drained chicken drumsticks and wings. Check the timing of marinating and start of grilling. Allow at least 45 minutes of marinating before grilling the meat. At any rate, do not marinate more 1½ hours. I committed this mistake before and I would like to spare you from that mess. When you have synchronized the timing, pour the marinade and stir to evenly coat the chicken pieces. Stir every 15 minutes to ensure even infusion of the flavours.

While marinating, prepare the basting sauce. In a small pan heat the vegetable oil until hot. Drop the annatto seeds and steep. Take as much colour and flavour as possible. Remove from heat and carefully discard the seeds. Into the resulting annatto oil blend the margarine and let it melt in the residual heat. Add the ground pepper, stir once more and set aside. Don't skimp on this, I did and it shows in the end product. :-)

After 45 minutes to an hour, take your bamboo skewers which have been soaked in water and skewer the chicken pieces one by one. You can fasten one drumstick followed by one wing in a single skewer for better presentation. Your charcoal grill should be ready by now.

Cook the “inasal” in batches on low flame. Baste the chicken several times while cooking. Be careful not to overcook. You should cook the meat but must maintain the moist inside. “Inasal” is better with slightly, just slightly, burnt skin. It adds smoky flavour to the meat.

Continue grilling until all the chicken pieces are done to perfection. Ok, that’s hard to do as some will surely get scorched as you will be busy tasting the first batch of “inasal” over a bottle of beer. It’s still alright. It’s part of the grilling process. There it is, Chicken “Inasal” of Bacolod. Yummy! c“,)

Best to serve with “sinamak” or vinegar infused with red chilies, garlic, peppercorns, ginger and onions. :)