My Filipino Paella

My Filipino Paella

I would like to share my Pilipino Paella recipe here that I always cook at home for my family. It is a complete dish as any Filipino would love it because the rice blends pretty well with the many ingredients. Its aroma and flavor will excite your palate to love this popular Spanish dish in your table. This is my own simple version as I have omitted many ingredients in the original recipe like Chorizo Bilbao, Olive oil, Saffron, Spanish paprika as local ingredients would be readily available in the market. 


The dish is really delicious and it is not difficult to make as long as you could cook the rice right by good timing, not watery but firm and well cooked, evaporating the water in the rice. The rice is flavorful as it has absorbed all the aroma and flavor of the mixed ingredients of meat, Mussels, Chili, Chorizo that makes the real flavor of a true Paella. For Saffron, I used the local Katsuba threads to enhance the flavor of rice. This ingredient is popular in mixing rice dishes like Arrozcaldo, Valenciana, etc. . .I also used our local Chorizo to blend its flavor with all the ingredients in the recipe. To my mind, preparing Paella can be very simple just as you are cooking any dish from your kitchen. You could try my version just by following the simple directions here. My wife Edith, Ponchie, Agatha and Au loved it so much every time I prepare this popular dish at home. They said that the taste was really great and delicious!

My Filipino Paella Recipe

Ingredients:

You will need a large non stick pan (14 inches), in place of Paellera with a good cover or an aluminum foil.

Chicken Wings 300 gms, about  6 pcs. chopped to bite sizes

1 Round Pork (Pigi) 300 gms, chopped to bite sizes
Medium Shrimps, 250 grms

1/2 kilo Mussels, wash it well & soak in clean water before cooking

1 Chorizo Sausage, sliced

6 cups Sinandomeng rice (soak it for 20 mins in a bowl)

4 cloves of Garlic, chopped

2 Onions, medium, chopped

2 leaves of Laurel
200 grms raisins (optional)

6 pcs of medium Tomatoes, sliced
3 pcs med. carrots, sliced 
300 grams Baguio beans, sliced
4 pcs med green chili (for sinigang)

2 pcs red pepper or bell pepper

3 tbsp Corn Oil

1 tbsp Chili powder (red color)

1 &1/2 Knorr Chicken cubes

6 cups of water
2 sliced hard boiled eggs (Optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a pan, with medium fire, place the corn oil and saute the garlic, onions until brown, then put the tomatoes, chili powder and laurel leaves. Put one at a time or gradually the chicken, pork, sliced Chorizo sausage to the pan until brown. Put 3 cups of water to cook the meat, cover it and then simmer it until tender. Then, put the Shrimps, Mussels, Carrots, Baguio beans and Chilis and raisins. After, 15 mins take out all the cooked meat, shrimps, mussels and vegetables and set aside leaving just the broth in the pan.

Put 6 cups of water and the Knorr Chicken cubes and cover it until boiling. Place the soaked 6 cups of rice (measuring cup from rice cooker). Then, cover it to cook the rice in high heat. Simmer the rice for another few minutes and cover it until the rice is fully cooked in low fire or better cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Put all the ingredients back to the pan and arrange it in a platter or just arrange the ingredients in the pan and garnish it with sliced boiled eggs with chopped spring onions. This Serving is good for 10 people.

Notes on Pilipino Paella:

a) In replacement of Saffron which is very expensive, I have the local Katsuba threads that you can find in the market. It could be a relative of Saffron and it really improve and heighten the flavor of Paella.

b) If you can't find Spanish Paprika in the Supermarket, McCormick spices are selling Paprika on selected stores in the market.

c) As soon as the rice is simmered in low fire to take out all the water in the rice, cover it with aluminum and bake it in the oven for 15-20 minutes.This will make the Paella even better.

d) Paellera, the pan used by the Spaniards for cooking Paella is available  at Gourdo's and selected stores in the malls. I am considering to replace my pan with a Paellera. It costs P1,000+.

e) If you can use Olive oil, that's fine because it brings the goodness of the flavor of a true Paella. For me Corn oil or Vegetable oil is fine.

f) Many think Paella is hard to cook at home. No, not really. Just simply follow the guided directions in the recipe and you will surely enjoy Paella in your home.

g) If somehow, you have omitted some ingredients, that's okay. This dish doesn't require you to follow the original recipe. You can even add squid, octopus, crabs, fish or lobster that would suit your taste.

h) Some people add tomato paste or tomato sauce for this dish. That's okay!

Au's Graduation from U.P.

The Centennial logo 

The graduation stage

Parents are really pleased and contented when their children have finished their degrees in college. As my lovely wife, Edith and I value education for our children, we encouraged them to pursue graduate studies to further their development in education as a supplementary tool to their career. Yesterday, Sunday, April 27, 2008, Edith and I were overjoyed to attend the graduation of my youngest child, Aurora. She graduated her diploma at the School of Labor and Industrial relations at the University of the Philippines. This is another milestone in her career as she finished her two year course diploma leading to her Masters degree in the same school for another 2 years.

At the parking

My daughter Au at the lobby

My daughter Au who graduated in the same university five years ago is busy right now with her job in her company as an officer in Human Resources Department. With this diploma in Industrial relations, she could go further in her endeavors to excel in her career. She finished her course in two years by attending her classes after her work or at Saturdays where she was 

free from her job.

Au with her fellow graduates

As a father, I could recall her dream while she was a senior high school at the Colegio de Sta Rosa in Bel Air, Makati to study at the premier university of our nation. It is a dream of every student to study in a prestigious institution like the University of the Philippines. Au was more studious and determined as she was, upon her acceptance at the university. I was practically amazed how she changed in her study habit and diligence. Those four years in the university had many dramatic changes in her life. Today, Edith and I are so happy and proud of her achievements as well as her development in her personality. Above all, my daughter Au has remained to be sweet and loving to us. Ponchie, my eldest son, is taking up an MBA course at the Ateneo in Rockwell, Makati.

Au with her boyfriend Paulo

Our foods from Gubat, Sorsogon, my Town I

SIKAD-SIKAD AND DALU-DALO

Occasionally, we have many foods that we always love to eat when relatives or friends come to visit us with their "pasalubongs" or presents. Pasalubongs are usually exotic or indigenous foods that come from our place in our town in Gubat, Sorsogon. These presents could be rare and not available in the city markets and "talipapa". When my father-in-law, Alexander E. Fajardo was still living, he would prepare a great deal of time and effort to bring our favorite foods that he knew. I guessed that he planned it splendidly to bring to us whatever he could prepare for his visit. This would be a favorite of every Gubatnon, a treat that would please Edith, the children and myself. He would bring, Sikad-Sikad, Dalu-Dalo, Binot-ong, Crabs("Kinis"), Lantahon na Pili, Inun-on na Angul, Moledo, Hinagom and Gabi.

One of these presents are Sikad-Sikad and Dalu-Dalo, these are conches or sea shells which are pointed on both ends with edible meat inside cooked with creamy coconut milk with fresh malunggay leaves. These conches are abundant on the shores of our town near the mangroves, especially in Cogon, Tiris, Bagacay or Ariman. Sikad-Sikad are beautiful conches pictured above with brownish glossy color and can be a good use for decoration as well. You will need a pointed stick to reach and to take out the delicious edible meat inside the shell. On the other hand, Dalu-Dalo are conches, smaller than Sikad-Sikad with black color that could be eaten by placing the opening of the conch on your mouth and sucking it out to pull the meat. Before it is cooked, they are washed thoroughly and cut by a bolo by the rear end to let the meat easier to be sucked out . It is cooked mixed with coconut milk and malunggay leaves. Malunggay leaves are very delicious with the taste that could blend well with the creamy coconut sauce and the conch. It is very interesting to suck all the Dalu-Dalo shells at dinners, it could be a competition for who could be the fastest sucker with all these conches.

BINUT-ONG

Binot-ong is a very delicious glutinous (malagkit) rice, cooked and wrapped in banana leaves flavored with salt and mixed with coconut milk then tied by a strip of coconut leaf tightly to seal its coconut milk inside. My father-in-law, Alexander E. Fajardo usually brought this delicious treat for our breakfast just as he had arrived from Bicol from the JB Line Bus very early in the morning. Its flavor and aroma is similar to the popular wrapped "suman", but Binot-ong is more appealing and appetizing because it is creamier and velvety because of the "latik", this is the coconut milk turned into a creamy sauce. It is very delectable and popular to every Gubatnon. I couldn't find any similarity in preparation with the "latik" sauce such as this from any place in the Philippines. I believe this is an original Bicolano food. It is best eaten at breakfast or snack by putting some brown sugar or honey or it can be eaten naturally as it is. Apparently, this is one of our favorite "pasalubong" because they can be practically stored for a number of days in a fridge and if you want it right away when hunger strikes, you only have to steam it before serving to retain its freshness.

KINUNOT

Kinunot is a fish dish very popular in our town.Best for sumsuman (drink appetizer) It is a dish cooked with main ingredients of shark or manta ray sauteed in onions, garlic and malunggay leaves and coconut cream. Its aroma and unique taste is delicious with the mixture of coconut milk "gata", lemon (kalamansi), onions, red chili peppers and malunggay leaves. The meat of shark or manta ray is boiled in water to discard the foul smell, then it is flaked with your hand by disposing the bone cartillage of the fish. My recipe below is spicy and hot. Gubatnons do not eat hot foods with lots of chili peppers. So, please disregard the chili peppers if you do not eat spicy dish.

KINUNOT RECIPE

1 kilo of Shark or Manta Ray
3 Coconuts (grated from the market)10 Lemons (kalamansi)
3 Cups Malunggay Leaves
10 pcs chili peppers (Labuyo)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tbsp. coconut oil
1 cup chopped onions

DIRECTIONS: Prepare a large pot by placing the shark or manta ray with just enough of water to cover the fish. Bring to a boil and take out the fish and dispose the foul hot water. Let the fish to cool off, meanwhile, cut and press all the kalamaPnsi in a bowl. Flake the fish from its bones and set aside. Prepare the grated coconut by mixing a cup of lukewarm water and pressing it with both hands, pouring the cream to the prepared bowl, then set aside. In a hot pan, put 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, then saute the garlic and onions until golden brown. Place the flaked fish and the lemon juice (kalamansi), then let it cook for another 10 minutes. Add the pressed grated coconut cream, the malunggay leaves and the chilies and let it simmer for another 10 minutes until the dish is almost dry. Serve it hot on a dish with steamed rice.

LINANTA NA PILI

ANGUL, KUYOG AND LINANTA NA PILI

Linanta na Pili is one the favorite dish of the people of Sorsogon where Pili trees abound. 85% of the production of Pili in the Philippines come from Sorsogon. Linanta na Pili is served with steamed rice and is paired in the meal with a dip, like the paga of kuyog (salted small Siganid or Danggit fish sauce), patis, soy sauce or any salty sauce. The taste is nutty and mushy and very delicious. It is also best eaten with some other viands on a dinner table like the Inun-on na Angul, Paksiw na Galunggong, Inihaw na Tamban and many more. To the poor, it can be the main viand for their meal in the barrios where fish or meat are not available. The outer covering of the shell of the Pili nut which is fibrous is dipped on a lukewarm water for about 15 minutes. Take out the Pili from the water and you will find that the hard fibrous meat will turn into a soft pulpy mush. My wife Edith would dip it in sugar and the taste is nutty in flavor and very delicious. It is also a nice dessert. Pili is also popular because the Pili nut is made into candies!

Another food that is gaining popular to the Gubatnons is the Bicol Express. Gubatnons are not really eaters of spicy foods the same way as the bicolanos from the north. Our forebears would really avoid the fiery hot chilies to include or mixed on any dish. My lola, Nila Acuna really hated hot foods when I was young. I never recalled any hot chili dish prepared on our table. When I transferred in Manila I started sampling Laing and Bicol Express from my neighbors' who were bicolanos who lived near the foothills of Mayon and eventually I learned to love it. I guess it is gaining acceptance in Gubat as many are testing for the purpose of assesing these spicy foods. Since we are bicolanos, famous for spicy eaters do we really want to chicken out these fiery lovable and delectable chilies? Try it.

BICOL EXPRESS