Pasta 2 Ways: Aglio Olio (Part 1)

For dinner today we are having leftover Bangus Sardines. The sardines are so delicious they're actually one of my favorite dishes among those that Ruy make. The problem with this dish (or any other fish dish for that matter) is that Ruy only feels full for around an hour and then he starts looking for something else to eat. Because of this I needed to make something filling that he could snack on and since we have a lot of uncooked spaghetti from a Christmas basket we received last month.

I decided that I was going to make my version of Aglio Olio. My version has anchovies and olives!! Why? Because both Ruy and I love anchovies and olives so anytime we can put it in a recipe we sure as hell will.

Aglio Olio is extremely easy to make. First, heat a quarter of a cup of olive oil. Sautee 8-10 cloves of minced garlic, around 3/4 of a teaspoon of chili flakes and a tin of anchovies. Cook until the anchovies have practically dissolved into the cooking oil. Remove from the heat and mix the sauce with olives, cooked spaghetti and a handful of parsley. You can also put in parmesan cheese if you want to.

Here's my Aglio Olio:



And let me just share what Ruy and I have been obsessively drinking these past few months. Real Leaf Lychee Flavor!! It's so good!!

Seafood Challenge

Recently, we got a nice haul of prawns brought over from Leyte courtesy of my vacationing parents. They came in various sizes which included some that were so huge they were bordering on "mutant-ish"! They were so big in fact, that I got restless, hesitant and doubtful if they were edible to me at all... Do I dare eat these huge creatures hauled fresh from the sea?
Kidding.
Guided of course by my trusty tummy's sagely wisdom, I was instantly filled by the presence of these huge sea beasts not with hesitation nor doubt, but rather, with great joy.
An opportunity for a feast of fresh sea treasures.

Appreciating the wonderful bounty we had, I was left with the daunting task of figuring out what to do in order to capture the sweet experience of the gastronomic moment.

Pressure.

The usual course prawns took in our household on the way to our bellies was either via the steamed route or via the curry route. This time however, I figured that the opportunity would be wasted on cooking what was to us, a common dish already. It was time to explore other options. A quest that led me from website to website to a Yummy Magazine Liv bought a couple of months prior, where I found a recipe for what seemed to be the perfect dish for the occassion. Prawn Thermidor (the mag is currently missing right now so till I find it, let me just recount the experience and skim over the details).

The Prawn Thermidore Experience:

I cleaned the prawns and cut half of the bunch vertically in the middle so that they opened up like butterflies. The other half was chopped into bits.

Then I sauteed the chopped prawns with mushrooms, veggies etc.

After adding some cream and seasoning to finish the filling, I proceeded to stuff it into the butterfly-cut prawns' open middle.

And topped everything with grated cheese as the final touch before putting them in the oven to cook..

The result:

Man was it good! The sweet flesh of fresh prawns stuffed with the creamy mixture of prawn bits, fresh vegetables and mushrooms meshed perfectly with the rich melted cheese. I followed the recipe faithfully and got rewarded in the end.

The result was a big wipe out of every last morsel of the mighty prawns, leaving only hollowed husks and carapaces as evidence of the feast.

Speaking of Lechon

Speaking of lechon, Saturday found me craving for O Kitchen's Binagoongang Lechon Kawali (without the bagoong so I guess that makes it lechon kawali).
I just had to be particular about the "version" as I was craving for the kind of lechon kawali with crisp skin and rather chewy but not suffocatingly squishy fat and juicy inside-crisp outside meat loaded with just the perfect amount of spices and salt to enhance the flavor.. The kind Liv and I enjoyed in O Kitchen.

Of course being the dreamer that I am, I envisioned myself recreating this dish with stunning success.

And so I TRIED.

I started by boiling liempo in salt and spices. I kept it a little longer than I felt I needed to in order to soften the meat and the fat more. I was working on the theory that softening it more would allow me to take it out of the oil as soon as the skin became crunchy enough, keeping it from drying up and ensuring the tenderness of the meat.
After boiling I plucked the liempo out of the pot and let it cool down.



Then I deep-fried it and used my ninja skills to avoid getting hurt by fat explosions.

Chopped into moderate serving sizes, I believe my lechon kawali approximated the lechon kawali of my vision at least in appearance. After taking a moment to appreciate it and give myself a pat on the back, it was time to compare the most important aspect. The taste.

The result: The skin was crisp and the fat was just the way I wanted it. The meat was a bit overcooked but not dried up at all (thankfully). I have to agree with Liv however that my creation could have used a little more salt (a common mistake for me as I'm just terrified of overdosing my food with sodium). I'll try to fix that next time.

Some people like their lechon Kawali with Datu Puti (vinegar) for the crunchy and sour sensation of eating chicharon (pork cracklings) while some like it with Mang Tomas (liver sauce) for a sweet and rich flavor to compliment the crispy fried skin.

Saturday's lunch was with Me,Liv and Mang Tomas.