Kulinarya Cooking Club November 2012 Challenge: BANGUS SISIG

 

Our hosts for this month's challenge Frances and Jenn chose Sisig as this month's challenge.  I chose to do Bangus Sisig as a healthier alternative to all the meat I've been eating.  For the uninitiated SISIG according to Wikipedia:

Sisig is a Kapampangan term which means "to snack on something sour". It usually refers to fruits, often unripe or half-ripe, sometimes dipped in salt and vinegar. It also refers to a method of preparing fish and meat, especially pork, which is marinated in a sour liquid such as lemon juice or vinegar, then seasoned with salt, pepper and other spices.

BANGUS SISIG
1 whole bangus (milkfish) butterflied and deboned
salt and pepper, to taste
Lauric Oil, for frying
1 medium red onion, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Finger chili, sliced thinly
Bird's eye chili, sliced finely
Knorr Liquid seasoning
Calamansi, 2 pieces
Egg, sunny side-up for garnish
Preheat pan with lauric oil, season fish with salt and pepper, fry until golden brown and crispy about 7 minutes each side.  Drain on paper towel, chop into cubes.  Set aside.
Pour off excess oil and on the same pan, saute onion, garlic and chilies until fragrant.  Add the chopped cooked fish.  Turn up heat, add liquid seasoning and calamansi juice.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Turn off heat and transfer to plate.  Fry egg and garnish on top. 

 

Kulinarya Cooking Club was started by a group of Filipino foodies living in Sydney who are passionate about the Filipino culture and its colourful cuisine.

Each month we will showcase a new dish along with their family recipes. By sharing these recipes, we hope you find the same passion and love for Filipino food as we do.

If you’re interested in joining our Kulinarya Cooking Club, please feel free to drop by our foodblogs and leave a comment. We would love to hear from you!

THE DARING COOKS' NOVEMBER 2012 CHALLENGE: BRINING & ROASTING

Audax of Audax Artifax was our November 2012 Daring Cooks’ host. Audax has brought us into the world of brining and roasting, where we brined meat and vegetables and roasted them afterwards for a delicious meal!

I must say I really enjoyed this month's challenge because it made roasting chicken or any other meat or vegetable easier and more flavorful.  For the past years that I've been roasting food, I was always mindful that the meats do not turn too dry and yet are cooked enough for food safety reasons.  

According to our host Audax: "Soaking in brine improves the taste and the moistness of all fowl (chicken, turkey, goose, duck and guinea fowl), also it works on lean red- and lean white-meats, fish, most seafood and most nuts and seeds. It is simple, cheap and effective and will ensure that your Christmas roast will be the tastiest you have ever made. All you do is brine your cut of meat and then proceed as normal, you will find that the roast is juicy and the skin has a lovely colour."

There was a holiday this month of November and I decided to test my brined and roasted chicken on my brother and sisters since everyone was home.  I also decided to roast some sweet potatoes and carrots with it in accordance with the Paleo diet which two of my siblings are on. 

It was just as our host said...the roast chicken was moist and flavorful, everyone loved it and I wish I had bought one more free-range chicken. 

And because I wanted to duplicate the moist and flavorful meat in pork, I also brined and roasted pork and it worked!  I just found the perfect technique thanks to our host Audax! 

The all-purpose brine and recommended roasting times are all found here. And please don't forget to check out the other Daring Cooks versions of their brined and roasted food, you won't be disappointed!