Friday, July 13, 2012

Mississipi Mud pie

Mississipi Mud Pie (taken from Everyday Chocolate - A collection of essential recipes)

To make the pastry:
1. Sift 225 gms of plain flour and 2 tbsp. each of cocoa powder and caster sugar.
2. Rub in 150 gms. of cold butter (cut into small cubes) with fingers until the mixture is more like bread crumbs.
3. Incorporate this together using 2 tbsp. cold water until it becomes one ball of pastry. Wrap this in cling film and let rest in the fridge for about 15 mins.
4. When ready, roll the down to a 9 inch pastry dish. Use your baking beans placed in a baking paper to weigh down the pastry and bake in pre heated oven at 190 degs C, for about 15 mins.
5. Take out the baking beans and bake the pastry for a further 10 mins.
6. Melt on a double boiler, 150 gms. of 70% cocoa baking chocolate bar.
7. While you wait, beat with electric mixer, 175 gms of soft butter and 300 gms of brown sugar.
8. Gradually add 4 eggs (slightly beaten) and 2 tbsp. cocoa powder.
9. Add the melted chocolate to the mixture. Then add 300 ml of cold single cream.
10. Lastly, add 1 tsp. of vanilla essence.
11. Pour the mixture into the pastry, lower down the oven temp to 160 degs C then bake the pie for another 45 mins.

Note: The mixture will start to melt. Don't be alarmed. It will set right back.

12. When done, let the pie cool completely before transfering to a serving dish. Cover with whipped cream and decorate with chocolate flakes or curls. Chill, then serve.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Chicken and Chicken Liver adobo in yogurt

  1. Clean 500 gms of chicken drumsticks/wings and marinate together with 500 gms. chicken liver in juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. dried oregano and ½ tsp. ground black pepper for a minimum of 1 hour. (score the chicken meat if using drumstick.
  2. Heat up a wok and add 1/4 cup oil. Fry 1/4 cup of chopped garlic until golden brown. Set aside.
  3. In the same oil, fry the chicken pcs until caramel in color. Even if its not cooked yet in the inside. Set aside.(To cook faster, you can leave the chicken in a hot oven while cooking the liver)
  4. In the same wok add 2 tbsp. butter. Fry the liver on both sides. (do not over cook ) then set aside.
  5. In the same wok, fry 2 medium onions, sliced, until texture becomes soft
  6. Add the rest of the marinade and simmer until bubbling. Add 1 cup of plain yogurt plus 1 tbsp. sugar and stir.
  7. Put back the chicken pieces, add a couple pcs of dried bay leaves and a few pieces of cloves. Let simmer for 10 mins.
  8. Add the fried liver, simmer until its cooked inside (about 5 to 10 mins). Garnish with fried garlic. Serve with steamed rice.  Enjoy!

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Sizzling Sisig




Another Filipino favourite is the Sisig! Toni first tasted this in 2001 and really enjoyed it until I told him that they usually add the pigs brain in it. Now a days, they use the mayonnaise to have the same consistency as what the brains would do. So Toni still eats it, I just don't say if its mayo or brains...  ;)

One of the ways to serve this for the added crunch on the skins, is to put it in a very hot cast iron. But if you don't have one, just put it in a nice oven heated baking pan.

Here it is:

1. Clean 1 kilo of pigs ears and boil it in water with 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 tsp. of salt for 30 mins.
2. Drop in 200 gms. of pork belly (with a bit of skins and fats would be nice) and let boil for another 10 mins. Chop.
3. While they boil, prepare the rest of the ingredients:
     1 cup of chopped onions

     1 clove of garlic, chopped
     1 thumb sized ginger, finely chopped
     2 tsp. chili (or as much as you want)
     100 gms. fresh chicken liver, minced
     1/4 cup butter
     3 tbsp. soy sauce
     Mayo (optional)
     salt and pepper
     Lemon or calamansi
4. Heat up your cast iron in one of the burners.
5. Heat up a wok or big frying pan. Add butter. Sautee garlic, onion and ginger.
6. Add liver and chili.
7. Add the pork. Cook for 5 mins.
8. Add  soy sauce and continue to cook for another 3 mins.
9. Place in the hot cast iron.
10. Squeeze out lemon, add salt and pepper and crack an egg on top of it. Enjoy!