a continuation…

So I got side tracked for over two weeks because of some over due home repairs which is finally almost done after 10 months in progress.

April 19, Day 22 of COVID Quarantine Lock Down…

So we left off at talking about going back to my roots and cooking filipino food and exploring what makes it different from other cuisines. The Answer: What makes it unique is that it is a blend of flavours from more than a hundred distinct ethno-linguistic groups. And within each group are the influences of those that occupied the country. The Spanish and the Americans, brought with them the flavours from their respective regions of the globe. The Chinese and the Malays brought with them the use of ingredients and spices that are abundant in Asia.

So what is served on the dining table is a fusion of east and west, perfectly prepared with well blended flavours. The dishes served everyday in the household tend to vary depending on the season, the occasion and like everywhere else the trend. Some days you could see very simple serving of salted fish, some sort of salad (called ensalada) and plain steamed rice. Then you get days where there is a big pot of meat either in a broth or a stew, some sort of vegetable dish with some fancy rice dish. Then comes christmas or the fiesta season where you get Lechon (spit roast, commonly pork but it could be anything really), Paella and other fancy labour intensive dishes.

While on the topic of fusion on the table, today we will talk about what I prepared last Sunday for Easter. It was something I had always wanted to try. It is called a Boodle Banquet, adapted from a military tradition where everything was served literally on the dining table. Cutleries aside and eaten with your hands on banana leaves.

There are no set rules about which dishes may be served in a boodle feast but the most popular ones are dry dishes like fried fish of any kind, longaniza (filipino sausages), and tapa (marinated beef), and char-grilled meats like chicken, and pork.  

Fruits are served to act as a balancer to the salty and oily items on the table so it’s not unusual to see pineapples, watermelons and green or ripe mangoes, there are also some sort of vegetables and pickled vegetables. That does not stop there some also add deep fried items like lumpia (spring rolls), fried chicken or pork and it will always have eggs boiled or salted, then to top it all up, rice and noodles are also served as a carbohydrate source.

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The Boodle Banquet

For a Banquet good for 6 (that’s what i prepared for) you will need, but not limited to:

YOUR SEAFOOD

1 kilo of fish fillets 200gms each cut in half (you can also use whole fish if you want)

200 gms marinated octopus

YOUR MEAT

12 pcs chicken wings (divided into wingettes and drumettes)

6 pcs pork shoulder chops

1 kg longanisa

6 pcs hot dogs (cut in half)

500 gms beef tapa (cut into strips)

YOUR VEGGIES AND SIDES

6 pcs hard boiled eggs (cut in half)

300 gms kimchi

300 gms green beans (blanched in salt water)

4 bunches bok choy (sauted with garlic)

5 pcs corn on cob (grilled and buttered)

YOUR CARBS

6 cups cooked rice

3 packs cooked mi goreng noodles

*remember this what I used, but as I mentioned earlier you are not limited to this you can add whatever you like.

STEP 1 – Cook and prepare all your meats and seafoods according to how you like it. Grilled, fried, roasted, etc.

STEP 2 – Cook and prepare your sides and all the other components of the banquet.

STEP 3 – Assemble your feast. Line your table with banana leaves if you have it or use a thick waxed butchers paper (I used leaves then topped with a large grazing board). In the centre of your table arrange the rice and then the noodles after it. Add the meat, seafoods and vegetables over the rice and noodles in whatever way you want. Put wet items in separate individual containers and spread evenly around the table.

STEP 4 – Get your dipping sauces ready, it could be anything you feel like.

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Happy Cooking and always remember to cook with your heart!!!