Steamed Mushrooms

steamed King oyster, enoki, and button mushrooms

This simple but delicious side dish called Pinais is from the Laguna/Batangas/Quezon area of the Philippines. Pinais [I'm guessing] means a bundle of fish or vegetables wrapped in banana leaves and cooked by steaming. The recipe here is adapted from my guidebook KULINARYA.

Steamed Mushrooms
assorted fresh mushrooms
sea salt
ground black pepper
pieces of banana leaves
water
calamansi or lemon juice
kitchen twine

• Clean mushrooms well. Place 3 tablespoons of assorted mushrooms in the middle of a piece of banana leaf. Sprinkle with salt and a pinch of pepper. Fold the leaf from all sides towards the middle to form a packet. Secure with twine. Repeat with all the mushrooms.
• Pour a cup of water in a pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Place the packets in the pot, cover, and steam for 5 minutes. Serve immediately with calamansi or lemon juice and sea salt.

Candied Kabocha

candied kabocha and crème fraîche

I've been in love with kabocha squash for a few years now specially as a dessert or simply steamed and sprinkled with sea salt. And because it has a flavor that's similar to chestnuts, I thought, why not candy them. Oh yeah, the candied squash pieces are simply delightful!

Candied Kabocha

half of a kabocha
1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
crème fraîche or unsweetened Greek yogurt

• Peel kabocha, or leave unpeeled. Cut into 1-inch cubes or 2 inch slices.
• In a medium saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil and stir until sugar has dissolved. Boil rapidly for 3 minutes. Add vanilla extract and kabocha and let simmer for 10 minutes.
• Transfer the squash into a container and set aside. Continue boiling the syrup on low heat until slightly thick. Pour the syrup on top of the cooked squash. Let cool; cover with plastic wrap and leave overnight on kitchen counter.
• Drain the syrup into a saucepan and let boil until thick and syrupy.
• Serving suggestion: Place a few pieces of candied squash on a dessert cup or plate. Top with yogurt or crème fraîche. Drizzle all over with syrup.

I cooked the other half in sautéed garlic, onion, and vegetable bouillon, then added a cup of thick coconut milk and simmered until tender but not mushy. It's a delicious vegan side or main dish.

ginataang kabocha

Mackerel in Coconut Vinaigrette

Kinilaw na Tanguingue (Mackerel in Coconut Vinaigrette)
1 pound cubed Spanish mackerel fillet
1 cup white coconut vinegar
½ cup thick coconut milk
6 shallots, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 hot red or green pepper, sliced
dash of ground white peppercorns
shallot rings or sliced hot red pepper for garnish

• Marinate the fish cubes in half cup of the vinegar for 15 minutes. Drain well and discard vinegar.
  
• In a glass bowl, combine the remaining half cup of vinegar, coconut milk, fish, shallots, ginger, sliced hot peppers, salt, and ground white peppercorns. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
  
• Transfer into a serving plate and garnish with shallot and hot pepper.

XO Sauce

We lived in Hong Kong for a little over 3 years from 1988 to 1992 but never heard of XO sauce. I don't know when this sauce started becoming popular and it certainly is very popular now not just in Hong Kong but also here in the USA. I wasn't able to find it at our Asian stores but they are available online. I was a bit surprised at the price, a jar of less than half a pound of this sauce costs about $17.00. It must be really good.

Well, it's very very good. I love it! At least the one I made at home. It's spicy and delicious in fried rice or simply with steamed vegetables.

XO Sauce
makes about 2½ cups

warm water
6 pieces large dried hot red pepper
1 cup dried scallops
5 ounces tiny dried shrimp with shells on
2 ounces Virginia ham, chopped
2 ounces salted fish
¼ cup shelled large dried shrimp, chopped
¼ tablespoon coarsely ground sichuan pepper
1½ cups light olive oil
1 cup minced garlic
1 cup minced onions

• In separate containers, soak the peppers, salted fish, and tiny shrimps.
  
• Place the dried scallops in a small saucepan, add water to cover by half an inch and simmer until scallops are soft; do not let mixture get dry. Let cool then shred by hand; set aside.
  
• Drain the soaked ingredients. Remove the seeds from the hot peppers and coarsely chop; set aside. Coarsely chop the tiny shrimp and fish; set aside.
  
• Heat 1 cup of oil in a large saucepan and add the garlic, onion, and chopped tiny shrimps and let fry on medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the peppers, fish, and ham and continue to cook until peppers become translucent. Add more oil if needed. Turn the heat to low, add scallops, large shrimps, and sichuan pepper and simmer until all the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and transfer sauce in jars, let cool. Keep in refrigerator until ready to use.