Crockpot Pinatisang Manok

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Pinatisang Manok, or Chicken cooked in Fish Sauce, is a dish I’ve been itching to try, ever since I saw its recipe in the Let’s Cook with Nora cookbook. It calls for cooking the chicken, with nothing more than patis and ginger, on very low heat for a long time… until all the chicken’s juices meld with the fish sauce and ginger, and you end up with a very fragrant dish.

My crockpot was perfect for the job. In true lazy-cook fashion, at 10 a.m. I put the chicken in its frozen state with about 1/4 cup of good thai fish sauce (patis), a teaspoon of chopped fresh ginger, set the crockpot on low, and went back to bed.

Four hours later (around 2 p.m.), I added another 1/4 cup of patis and another teaspoon of chopped ginger.

At 7 p.m. (we were expecting guests at 7:30), I added some chunks of green papaya (from our tree!), a tablespoon of rock salt, and a few more dashes of patis to the already awesome smelling pot, and started the rice.

At 7:30 p.m., we sat down to a lovely dinner of this:

Pinatisang Manok

Okay, so crockpot cooking doesn’t give you the prettiest dishes, but oh- the flavor! The chicken, tender and juicy, was falling off the bone… the “sauce”, made up mostly of the chicken’s own juices, was tasty and not fishy at all… the green papaya was still a little crunchy, but that’s how I like it.

Taken with lots of sticky white rice, it was a very comforting, very filling meal.

Lasang Pinoy 23: Crockpot Cooking

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Crockpot Cooking Lasang PinoyIt’s the tool for lazy cooks everywhere, an electric pot that cooks at low temperatures- meaning that you literally “set it, and forget it”! The crockpot, or slow-cooker, is designed to cook food over a period of 8 to 12 hours, so you can turn it on before leaving for work, and come home to a house smelling of pot-roast….mmmm.

It was my husband who introduced me to the crockpot. He uses it for everything from adobo to oatmeal (saw it on Alton Brown) to chocolate fondue. Yes, I know I’m a lucky girl. Anyway, we have two now- and they’re definitely two of the most used appliances in our kitchen.

This January, the theme for Lasang Pinoy is Crockpot Cooking, and I’m pleased and excited to announce that I’ll be hosting it right here, on Super Sarap.

I do hope you’ll join in- and even if you don’t have a crockpot or slow-cooker of your own, just use a regular pot to cook something over very looooow heat!

Please submit your entries by January 31, 2008 at midnight (Manila time). Email me your links, posts and images at lorraine AT supersarap.com.

**UPDATE: I’ll have my post up by the weekend! Also, I’m still expecting some entries, so there’s still time for you!**

Happy New Year!

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We greeted the New Year with family last night, feasting on Roast Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Spanish Green Beans, Baked Rigatoni, Cinnamon Rolls, Thick Hot Chocolate, Chilled Champagne, and ginger-scented Suman. The food was excellent, the fireworks short but spectacular, and the company wonderful.  I had so much fun, I lost my voice. I’ve been whispering all day.

For 2008, my resolutions are simple:

  1. Eat less junk food.
  2. Make Smitten Kitchen’s Red Velvet Cake.
  3. Participate in more Lasang Pinoy editions.
  4. Cook at home more, eat out less, and
  5. Spend more time outdoors, especially with the dogs.

Happy, Happy New Year to you!

Christmas Eats

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Merry Christmas, everyone! The husband and I spent an quiet eve alone, opening presents, feasting on chinese food, and having a Christmas movie marathon. But I’m not here to tell you about the tears I shed while watching It’s a Wonderful Life, I wanted to share with you all the holiday goodies we’ve been enjoying (too much!):

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
I mentioned previously that I would be baking these and giving them away to close friends and family. Each batch, of course, required a taste test… which we were more than happy to do! Never mind that our recipe, based loosely on Alton Brown’s The Chewy, is something we’ve perfected in the past.

Frozen Brazo de Mercedes
My best friend gifted us with a gigantic tray of this, one of the most decadent, delicious things I’ve ever put in my mouth. I know I should post the telephone number of where it came from, but I’m too lazy to go to the freezer and write it down. I will soon, though. You simply MUST try it. *UPDATE: The frozen brazo is from Ana’s Kitchen, telephone 852-8224.

Christmas Ham from Santis
I love ham, especially Santis ham, anytime of the year, but Christmas ham is somehow more special. Taken with some thinly sliced queso de bola, it’s a holiday must-eat for me.

Queso de Bola
I love having one (or two) of these shiny red balls around. For breakfast today, I grated some up and made giant cheese omelettes for us. Creamy, salty, and awesome.

I could go on, I suppose- listing every naughty treat we’ve received from well-meaning friends and neighbors (don’t you love having neighbors? I LOVE having neighbors!) this year, but I need to go have a cup of hot chocolate and watch Home Alone on DVD now. What goodies are you enjoying this season?

Excuses, Excuses

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I know there’s no excuse for not blogging since Halloween (!), but I’ll try anyway:

Not so long ago, I turned to my husband and said, “Wouldn’t it be great if we gave everyone jars of homemade cookies for Christmas?”. He, the husband who believes in his wife’s baking skills to no end, agreed wholeheartedly… which is why I’ve been slaving away in my hot kitchen (what was I thinking when I painted it red??) these past few weeks, baking up a storm. A storm of Christmas Cookies.

Two of the cookies, I selected from my trusty old Rose’s Christmas Cookies, which is my most overused cookbook ever: Scottish Shortbread and Mexican Wedding Cakes (oh my god delicious). And, of course, my very own World Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies. What a combination! Buttery, crunchy Shortbread… melt-in-your-mouth (and sometimes in my very warm hands) Mexican Wedding Cakes… and the star of the whole affair, the perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie.

Sadly, not everyone on our list is getting cookies this year. I just can’t handle too much baking. But the ones who are getting them… well, they’re to blame for my lack of blogging. I’m hoping it will be worth it.