Bacon Butty or Bacon Sarnie?

Copyright 2014 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

I have a weakness for British Comedies. I could go on and on about which one is my favorite but it might take me a few weeks to do so. During one of my self-imposed  BritCom marathon however, something came up over and over again as a sort of running joke that piqued my interest and I just had to give it a try. Bacon Butty or Bacon Sarnie was Onslow's favorite for breakfast in the beloved BritCom, Keeping Up Appearances. Heck, he actually asks for it practically all day long. I just never really thought about it until recently when I decided to look up this famous sandwich and figure out how to make it. It was then that I realized that it was no joke. Surprisingly enough, the Brits are actually quite particular when it comes to making the sandwich so I read a couple of versions and synthesized what I think is closest to the original.

The sandwich in itself turned out to be fairly simple to prepare. The only issue is that the main ingredient which is bacon is on my list of my not to eat food. As a compromise, I made myself a much frugal version of the sandwich and ate only half of it. I did make the fully stacked version for my friend who loves bacon. Now, as to the actual name of the sandwich, when made with white bread, it is a sarnie. When made on white rolls, it is a butty. 

Bacon Sarnie/Butty

1 lb thick cut bacon
unsalted butter
HP sauce
6 slices white loaf

1. In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until the edges are 
    slightly golden brown. Set aside. 

2. Slather a liberal amount of softened butter on the bread slices. Divide and 
    layer the bacon slices onto three bread slices. 

3. Season with the HP sauce to taste. Top with the remaining slices of bread.

Callos Madrileña

Copyright 2014 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

Finally, a Callos recipe. The evolution of my love for Callos came a bit slow. This was not something I cooked regularly nor was it something my family loved. In fact, this was an alien concept to me until much later when I was living in the US. My friend, Nashiely, who is Mexican invited me over for dinner at their place when her parents came for a visit. Her Mom, an excellent cook made Callos and I was the only one who ate it. She made the real deal with tripe although her version also included the addition of chickpeas. Prior to this occassion however, there was another occasion where Callos was served although the exact details escape me somehow but when I went home for a visit, I requested that Callos be cooked. This was way back in 2004. 

Fast forward to now, I have been cooking Callos whenever my friends requested for it here in my hometown. I did make this dish once when I lived in Montana and my roommate who was also my landlord, banned the dish from being ever made again. He said that cooking the tripe stank the house. So there goes my Callos fix. At that time, I followed the recipe of MarketMan as written in his blog but there were a few changes I made due to the unavailability of certain ingredients so I made do with what was available. Here in Bacolod, I have learned my lesson and I now know that to make this dish, it requires planning because tripe has to be pre-ordered and so are the other beef portions that make up this wonderful dish. The good thing is that they are fairly reasonably priced.

If you ever decide that you want to prepare this dish, have the whole day set for nothing else but to making Callos. Actually, it is best if you start at night and then you serve it for lunch or dinner the next day. To make sure that the steps are described accurately, I will break down the recipe in three steps.

By the way, I am adapting the name of the dish as MarketMan named his version due to the fact that I did follow a recipe that is indeed more Spanish in origin rather than Filipino. If you notice, there are no chickpeas or potatoes in the recipe which are used as extenders. My version is indeed a meat lovers delight and a nightmare for persons with uric acid problems.   

Callos - Adapted from MarketManila*

Tripe

4 lbs ox tripe
sea salt
2 onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper

1. Clean the tripe by rubbing with the sea salt. Scrape off any residual grit 
    and rinse off with water.  Slice into manageable sizes so that they all 
    fit your stock pot.

2. In a large pot, layer the tripe and add the bay leaves, onions, garlic, white 
    vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Add enough water to cover the 
    tripe and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, lower the 
    heat to medium low and simmer covered for about 30 minutes. 

3. Turn off the heat and leave the tripe in the stock pot until cooled. 

4. Once cooled, drain the tripe and slice into rectangular pieces or depending 
    on how big or small the dish requires them to be. Rinse with more water 
    and check if it smells clean. 

To prepare the tripe for cooking, here is the next step:

Copyright 2014 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

In a large pot, arrange the tripe and add 1 cup of white wine and 2 bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper and add enough water to cover the tripe. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and once boiling, lower the heat to medium low and simmer covered until the tripe is fork tender. This will take a couple of hours so check regularly and make sure to add enough water every now and then. If using a pressure cooker, it takes about 40 minutes of cooking once it starts to whistle. Turn off the heat and allow to cool. Drain and rinse with water. Set aside.

Ox Tail, Legs, and Face 

8 lbs of ox tail, legs and face
2 bay leaves
2 onions, diced
6 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and pepper

Copyright 2014 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

In a large pot, arrange the ox pieces and cover with enough water. Season with the bay leaves, onions, garlic and enough salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and once boiling, lower the heat to medium low and simmer covered for about 3-4 hours or until the meat is very tender. If using a pressure cooker, cook over medium high heat for 40 minutes when it starts to whistle. Turn off the heat and allow to cool. 

Once cooled, fish out the meat pieces and rinse any muck that has stuck to the meat and slice to the desired size. Pour the broth through a sieve and set aside. 

Callos

Pre-cooked tripe and ox meat
2 onions, diced
6-8 garlic cloves, diced
3 carrots, diced
4 bay leaves
1 32-oz canned diced tomatoes
1 200-g canned pimientos
1 1/2 to 2 lbs kielbasa (or blood sausages and Spanish chorizo if available), 
   sliced into rounds
1 1/2 cups tomato paste
8 cups beef broth
1 tbsp Spanish paprika
1 tsp diced chili
1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper
4 tbsp olive oil

1. In a large pot over medium high heat, add the olive oil. Once hot, fry the 
    sausages until slightly browned. Set aside. 

2. In the same pot, saute the onions with the bay leaves, garlic, paprika, and 
    chili. Cook until the onions have softened. Season with salt and pepper. 

3. Add the carrots and pimientos and cook until heated through. Pour in the 
    beef broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the tripe, ox meat and 
    the sausages. 

4. Lower the heat to medium low and simmer covered for 30 minutes. 

5. Add the diced tomatoes and the tomato paste and check for seasoning. 
    Adjust accordingly. Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes to an hour 
    until you achieve the desired consistency. If needed, add more beef broth 
    if it starts to thicken too quickly. Add the oregano when the Callos is 
    almost ready.

6. At this point, you can serve the Callos after you check for flavor and make 
    the necessary adjustment. The stew should be thick enough to coat the 
    meat pieces but is still loose enough that that it drips when tipped. 

If not serving right away, allow to cool and store in the fridge. When ready to serve, reheat over low flame and when needed, add a little bit of beef broth to loosen the stew. Recheck for flavor and serve hot. 

*Callos ala Madrilena: MarketManila blog.
 

Inday-Inday

Copyright 2014 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

This is my second post of this native treat but this post is mostly just to gush about how delicious this small dessert treat is and nothing more. I have yet to find the perfect recipe for the base of the dessert which is made from nothing more than rice flour and water mixed to a consistency of a paste. There is no exact measurement to this and is usually done by feel. This is the tricky part because depending on the rice used, the proportions will vary a bit so experience is more important in this case rather than technique. 

In our region, it is referred to as Inday-Inday (literally Girl-Girl) but in the northern provinces, it is called palitaw. "Litaw" means to float or appear out of thin air which is a bit more  appropriate since the glutinous cake is cooked by blanching in hot water and it floats up to the surface when cooked, just like a gnocchi. It is then scooped out of the water, drained and placed on a banana leaf. The natural oils of the leaf acts as a natural greasing agent and prevents the patties from sticking. Once cooled, a generous scoop of freshly grated young coconut is placed on top of the patty. Before serving, a scoop of raw brown sugar is added to taste. 

When I was younger, this was sold all around our subdivision in the early afternoon hours to be eaten as an afternoon snack. They actually used to coat the whole patty in the grated coconut before wrapping them up with the banana leaf but I think in terms of aesthetic, having a scoop of coconut of top of the patty makes it a bit more presentable. I found mine in the city from a vendor who just setting up to sell his wares. I bought 10 because I knew that if I bought less, I will be craving for more. It was definitely the best I've tasted so far since I came back two years ago. This had me inspired to go back to the drawing board to try and do this at home but I may have to hunt down that vendor to buy some more later this week.
 

Cucumber Cooler

Copyright 2014 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

Summer is here and unless you are Olaf, summer is the time when you have to be careful about staying too long out in the sun. Another important thing to remember is to stay hydrated. And speaking of hydration, what better way to do it than with an ice-cold glass of cucumber cooler. 

I first took a sip of this refreshing drink in a Vietnamese restaurant in Iloilo. The place is called Cilantro and they serve this wonderful beverage all year round. Actually, I wouldn't mind drinking it all year long. It is that good. For the lemonade lovers out there, this might prove to be a welcome twist to your regular drink of choice. After all, this drink is nothing more than lemonade mixed with cucumber juice. The trick is to get the proportions right. A blender is not a must but is most convenient. However, I'm going to write the recipe expecting you to have your own blender. 

Cucumber Cooler

6 - 8 ripe lemons, halved
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cups water
4-6 cucumbers, peeled
ice cubes

1. In a small pot, melt the sugar in the water over low heat without stirring.
   Once melted, let cool and set aside. 

2. Juice the lemons and measure about a cup of fresh lemon juice. Mix with 
    the sugar syrup. 

3. Peel the cucumbers and dice into half-inch cubes. Blitz with 1 cup of 
    water in the blender until smooth. Pour the cucumber over a fine sieve 
    and collect the juice. You should have about 2-3 cups of cucumber juice. 

4. To serve, combine half of the lemon/sugar mixture with half of the 
    cucumber juice. Add enough ice and check for sweetness. You can serve 
    it a bit sweeter or if you prefer, add more ice to taste.

5. To serve, pour into tall glasses and garnish with a slice of cucumber if 
    desired. I prefer to serve it simply.  
  

Double Chocolate Crinkles

Copyright LtDan'sKitchen blogs 2014

In a bid to get this recipe out of the way, I took the time to actually write this very simple yet decadent version of chocolate crinkles. Adapted from the Hershey's Cocoa Crinkle recipe, I added my own twist to the already yummy recipe with the addition of melted chocolates. The result is, as my friends now say, "Bake us some crinkles, stat!" I may have found the perfect treat to replace my Food for the Gods but I may inadvertently have created another breed of monster, albeit equally delicious.

My preference when it comes to crinkles is more on the fudgey side. There are the cakey ones which I've made a long time ago using some random recipe I found on the internet but I never liked them. There are also the crunchy ones. Those, I like the least. This new recipe for some cosmic reason looked like the one that was going to be the grand poobah of all the crinkle recipes I've made. For one, it is the only one I've seen that uses vegetable oil in making the batter. Butter is tasty on its own but in cookie making, butter is used when you want something crunchy, not fudgey.  So this alone made me think that this will be it. Also, most recipes call for melted chocolates. Since this new one requires cocoa, I figured the addition of melted chocolates won't hurt. This time, I did get it right. 

Double Chocolate Crinkles - Adapted*

2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup Cocoa powder, dutch processed
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 oz. dark chocolate, melted
Powdered sugar
Directions

1. Combine granulated sugar and oil in large bowl. Add the cocoa, beating 
    well until blended. 

2. Add the eggs one at a time to the melted chocolate mixing well after each 
    addition. Add the vanilla.  Pour in the oil mixture and using a wooden 
    spoon, mix until well blended.

3. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to cocoa 
    mixture, mixing well with the wooden spoon.

4. Cover with clingfilm and freeze for an hour or two until dough is firm 
    enough to handle.

5. Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Shape dough
    into 1-inch balls. Roll in powdered sugar to coat and place about 2 inches 
    apart on the prepared cookie sheet.

6. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when 
    touched lightly and tops are crackled. Do not overbake. Cool slightly. 
    Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Makes about 48 cookies.

Hershey's Kitchen: Cocoa Crinkles. 

Going into Hiatus

Folks,

Sadly, I have to put this blog on temporary hiatus for now. I have several recipes to post but I just have no time to put them down into writing. Once things have gone back to normal, I will get back into the swing of things. 

Stay tuned!

Baked Stuffed Chicken

Copyright 2013 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

The birth of this dish came about when we were trying to put together bacon, butter, cheese and chicken into one dish. A quick search on the internet came up with a stuffed chicken recipe that was both simple as well as tasty. However, given my penchant for making any recipe a bit more personal, I tweaked the recipe once again until I came up with a winning formula. By then, the butter and cheese bits were no longer included in the recipe. This was a big hit during my Christmas lunch celebration with family and friends and for the literary folks, it has a bit of 50 shades thrown in for good measure. I should really call this dish 50 Shades of Poultry but then again, I better not.

A few things to keep in mind if you plan to try this dish are: one, learn how to partially debone a chicken. By partial, I meant leaving the drumstick intact. It saves you time when baking it and two, you need to learn how to sew and tie up a chicken. No worries however, as both can be easily learned and once perfected, it will only take about 15 minutes to debone a chicken and stuff it with any filling that suits your fancy.

Baked Stuffed Chicken

2 2-lb whole chicken, deboned
1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 cup brown rice, cooked
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp Herbes de Provence
8 strips of bacon, diced
salt and pepper

1. In a skillet over medium high heat, brown the bacon. Once browned,
    remove to a plate and set aside. 

2. In the same skillet, saute the onions and garlic in the bacon drippings. 
    Season with salt and pepper and cook until softened. Let cool. 

3. Prepare the filling by adding the cooked rice, crisped bacon, parsley and 
    bread crumbs with the sauteed onions and garlic. Mix well. 

4. Season the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper. Stuff with half the
    filling and secure both ends of the chicken with a twine. Further secure
    the chicken with more twine to retain the shape of a whole chicken. Do 
    the same for the second bird.

5. Set both birds in a baking pan cut side down and season with more salt 
    and pepper. Drizzle enough olive oil to baste the chicken. Sprinkle the 
    Herbes de Provence and bake in a preheated oven at 375°F for about 
    an hour or until the skin is golden brown.

6. Let rest for about 5 minutes before carving.