Back to "Un-fusion" -- Philippine Chicken Mole

                                                                 

Sharing my Cook recipe article......

What can be wrong with a good old slice of liempo cooked over charcoal with nothing more than a dash of salt and then served with vinegar and garlic? Or a traditional and honest Filipino stew made with nothing more than a few cuts of meat, some root vegetables and left to simmer for a whole day until all the robust tastes mingle and the meat melts in your mouth? Absolutely nothing is wrong! Read on...

Back to "Un-fusion" with this Chicken Mole

Remember how "fusion" rocked our foodie minds in the early 2000s with those fancy cooking integrals and marriages of flavors? The buzzwords were "new" and "experimental". Food was cooked for a different eating experience. It was all very fun and cutting-edge when it was new then...but fusion cuisine appears to have lost its "fusion-ness".

Right now, chefs are trying to go back to working with natural ingredients, in line with culinary culture and culinary tradition thrown in. I think chefs and foodies are getting tired of constantly having to be innovative and coming up with newer and more bizarre ways of combining ingredients and ways cooking-- and patrons are getting jaded, too !

The other day, I was attempting to make another contrived creation -- to make adobo dumplings ! But then, realized I was craving some good, old fashioned, simple and honest food agaiin -- food prepared and cooked in a traditional way.. very much part of my life !

I am sharirng another food memory from my home town (Santa Cruz, Laguna) and it's Chicken Mole ! This is far from the Mexican Mole. Our version is to be known as the Laguna Mole which is simply what you can classify aas a Kare-Kare.

What's the difference? We use chicken instead of red meat or ox tail and did i mention that, in my hometown, it is a popular merienda dish eaten with puto ?

Chicken Mole

Ingredients:

1 Chicken(whole,adobo cut)

2 pcs Red Onion

1c Pulverized Malagkit (sticky rice)

1c Atsuete Oil

50 g Minced Garlic

6 c Stock or Water

250 g Roasted Ground Peanuts

1 whole peeled Banana Hearts, sliced

patis & pepper to taste

Procedure:

Saute red onion and garlic. Add Chicken and stock/water.

Stir in malagkit rice, atsuete and ground nuts

Bring to boil then simmer until thick

Add banana hearts. Season with patis and pepper. Simmer until banana hearts are cooked.

Food Notes:

1. Best eaten with "puting puto"

2. You will not be con"fussion"ed as to how delicious this is , make it and be proud !

3. Cook magazine, May2011