Filipino Discoveries

Yield: 4 servings as appetizer or light main course*

Preparation time: 70 minutes

Shelf life: Wrappers and filling will keep for at least 2 days if refrigerated separately

Cost Sheet

Filipinos eat fresh spring rolls, or lumpia, in a wrapper that is gently cooked through but not browned. In this version, adapted from a dish served at Sa Aming Nayon in New York City, the colorful filling includes yams, carrots, bok choy, jicama and celery. It is a vegetarian dish, save for a small amount of fish sauce.

• 1 large egg, beaten
• 6 ounces whole milk
• 2½ ounces all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• unsalted butter to brush the pan

For filling:

• 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 ounces chopped onion
• ½ tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 ounces diced yam
• 2 ounces julienned carrots
• 2 ounces diced jicama
• 1 ounce diced celery
• 4 ounces thinly sliced bok choy
• 2½ tablespoons finely chopped peanuts
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce, such as patis or nam pla
• 4 small romaine lettuce leaves

For peanut sauce:

• 1 ounce unpeeled garlic cloves, plus ½ ounce minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 6 ounces water
• 2½ ounces soy sauce
• 1½ ounces brown sugar
• 3 ounces finely chopped peanuts, divided
• 1½ tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 3 ounces water
• additional minced fresh garlic, if desired

1. Prepare the wrapper batter: In a bowl, beat the egg with the milk. Stir in flour and salt. Stir in oil and set aside to rest for about 1 hour.

2. Prepare the filling: In a skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cook 30 seconds, then add the yam, carrots, jicama and celery and cook until just tender, stirring often. Stir in the bok choy, peanuts and fish sauce. Set aside.

3. Prepare the sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the unpeeled garlic with enough water to cover, and boil until tender; drain, peel and mash until smooth. Set aside.

4. To the same saucepan over medium heat, heat the 2 teaspoons of oil. Add the mashed garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in water, soy sauce and brown sugar. Add half of the peanuts and the dissolved cornstarch; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer until the sauce thickens. Keep warm. Before serving, stir in the minced garlic.

5. Cook the wrappers: Heat an 8-inch nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Brush lightly with butter. Pour a scant 1/3 cup of the batter into the pan and tilt to coat the bottom evenly. Cook until the top of the wrapper looks dry, 2½ to 3 minutes. Over a flat plate invert the pan to remove the cooked wrapper, cover wrapper with wax paper, and cook the remaining wrappers, covering individual sheets with wax paper. Lower the heat if the wrapper bottoms are browning during cooking.

6. Assemble the rolls: Setting each wrapper on its own plate, lay a lettuce leaf atop each wrapper skewed toward what will be the top of the wrapper, with the curly edge extending slightly beyond the edge of the wrapper. Spoon ½ cup of filling in the middle, covering most of the lettuce leaf. Fold the lower half of the wrapper over the filling, and then roll up from one side to seal in the filling.

7. Pour the sauce over the roll, garnish with the remaining crushed peanuts and add more minced garlic, if desired.

NUTRITIONAL DATA (per portion): Calories: 510;  Cholesterol: <5 mg; Sodium: 1,020 mg; Fat: 27 g; Dietary Fiber: 6 g

*Editor's note: Recipes are now being scaled in smaller four-portion test sizes rather than the 24-portion yield.

Adobong Manok at Baboy (Chicken and Pork Adobo)

Yield: 4 (8-ounce) portions including bones

Preparation time: 2½ hours

Shelf life: 3 days

Cost Sheet

Adobo is considered the national dish of the Philippines. The most typical adobos are made with chicken and/or pork gently cooked in vinegar, garlic and peppercorns. The best versions of this dish allow the meat to marinate before cooking; the dish also improves as it sits. In this version, the sauce is thickened with mashed chicken livers. Serve over steamed or boiled rice.

• 1¾ pounds meaty chicken thighs
• 12 ounces pork shoulder, cut into large cubes
• ½ cup sukang paombong (Filipino vinegar) or 1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1½ ounces crushed garlic, plus ½ ounce minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 chicken livers (about 3½ ounces)
• 3 ounces water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1½ tablespoons soy sauce

1. In a large nonreactive pot, combine the chicken and pork with the vinegar, bay leaves, crushed garlic cloves, salt and peppercorns. Set aside to marinate for an hour, turning the chicken and pork twice.

2. Transfer the chicken to a bowl, leaving the pork in the pot. Over medium heat, bring the liquid to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until almost tender, 35 to 40 minutes.

3. Return the chicken along with the chicken livers to the pot and simmer, partially covered, until the pork and chicken are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat. With a slotted spoon, remove the pork and chicken to a bowl and set aside.

4. Transfer the chicken livers to a food processor or electric blender and puree until smooth; scrape back into the pot and blend. Set aside to cool and skim off any excess fat.

5. In a clean pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Stir in the minced garlic, add the chicken and pork, and brown on all sides. Stir in the soy sauce and reserved sauce, cover and simmer until the meats are very tender, about 10 minutes.

NUTRITIONAL DATA (per 8-ounce portion): Calories: 650; Cholesterol: 310 mg; Sodium: 940 mg; Fat: 4.5 g; Dietary Fiber: 0 g

Kare-Kare (Oxtail Stew) with Green Beans, Eggplant and Cabbage

Yield: 4 (13-ounce) bone-in portions

Preparation time: 3 hours, including 1½ hours of unattended cooking time

Shelf life: at least 5 days, but best served day of cooking

Cost Sheet

Oxtails and vegetables simmered in a fragrant peanut-scented sauce, thickened with browned rice ground into a fine powder, is a classic Filipino dish. It is traditionally served with sauteed shrimp paste as a garnish, says Willie Juan, co-owner of Sa Aming Nayon.

• 4 (5½- to 6-ounce) pieces of oxtail, about 2 inches thick
• 1½ tablespoons uncooked rice
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon annatto seeds
• 4 ounces sliced onion
• ½ tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 ounces peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 10 ounces Japanese eggplant, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut into 2-inch lengths
• 6 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
• 6 ounces Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Bottled bagoong (sauteed shrimp paste) for garnish

1. In a large pot add the oxtail pieces and enough water to cover, and bring to a boil; reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer until the meat is tender, about 1½ hours, skimming the surface occasionally. Remove the meat and set aside. Strain the liquid and reserve about 2 cups. The remaining broth may be used in other dishes, if desired. Clean the pot for use in step 3.

2. In a small skillet over medium heat, cook the rice until lightly browned, shaking the pan often, about 6 minutes. Transfer the rice to a spice grinder or food processor, and grind into a fine powder.

3. In a small skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the annatto seeds and cook until the oil turns red, 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the oil and discard the seeds. In the cleaned pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil, then saute the onion and garlic until the onion is tender.

4. Return the meat to the pot, add the reserved 2 cups of broth, peanut butter and 1 teaspoon of salt and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the eggplant, green beans and cabbage and cook until tender, another 15 minutes, stirring often. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with bagoong.

NUTRITIONAL DATA (per 13-ounce portion): Calories: 300;  Cholesterol: 10 mg; Sodium: 820 mg; Fat: 21 g; Dietary Fiber: 6 g

Joanna Pruess is a regular contributor to Specialty Food Magazine.

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