The Pilgrim's Pots and Pans

Having spent my childhood in Pampanga, I took for granted that everyone knew how to cook. It seemed to me that it was something instinctive, something naturally learnt, like speaking. In our family, even those who were not considered excellent cooks had very passable culinary skills. And even then, they also had excellent taste in food. My grandfather was probably one of them.

My maternal grandmother would always tell us stories about our grandfather’s slapdash cooking skills albeit in jest. One incident was when he was left at home with their very young children. Lola laughingly related how she was still on the street in front of the house when her children regaled her with how Lolo dropped a live fish into a boiling pot of soup. Lolo was also extravagant with spices, and I probably took after him, based on the number of times I was reprimanded for using a lot of cloves, oregano and laurel. Fortunately for Lola, I was born after my grandfather passed away, otherwise she’d have run out of spices very often.

Aside from Lolo’s more down-to-earth cooking and his penchant for spices, he also loved to replicate dishes they had in expensive restaurants. He also experimented with original recipes. Below is one of them, which he called lutong Bombay, perhaps due to its curry-like flavour. Our clan never tires of this recipe. It is very simple to cook and most of the ingredients are usually available in any pantry. We have it on regular days and on special occasions.

All along I thought Lolo’s signature dish was only known to our clan. Apparently not. I was surprised when someone asked me about it and very, very recently, the Lapids of barrio San Jose, who hosted Sta. Rita’s EdQuarters, cooked it to celebrate the turnout of the elections. Hmmm… I suppose a good recipe will spread like wildfire.

In cooking this recipe, chicken is always used although I’ve experimented with tofu but that’s another article. Chicken, being the versatile meat that it is, soaks up the flavour of the spices. Garlic and ginger compliment each other, and gives it the decidedly Oriental aroma even from afar. The tomatoes lend some sourness that balance the hot-spicy flavour of ginger and garlic while the potato gives the sauce some body, even as it absorbs the flavours of the other ingredients.

Lutong Bombay: My Lolo’s Spicy Chicken Stew

1 kg. chicken, sliced
1 cup garlic, finely crushed
1 cup ginger, finely crushed
2/3 cup onions, finely chopped
2 cups diced tomatoes (approx.)
5 large or 10 small potatoes, peeled and quartered
2-3 tbsp. ground black pepper
½ cup cooking oil
salt to taste
1-2 red chillies, chopped (optional)
1 cup water

Lightly salt chicken slices and rub with freshly ground black pepper and chillies. Let stand for an hour.

In a pan, heat oil till thin wisps of smoke emerge. Add the garlic and fry over low fire till light brown (double the hue of golden brown). Add the ginger, which prevents the garlic from burning, then brown till the mixture becomes mala-canela or cinnamon-coloured. Add the onions and sauté till transparent. Put in the tomatoes, sweat for 10 minutes then crush with the ladle till it forms a pasty mixture. Add half a cup of water then simmer for three minutes. 

Add the chicken and potatoes then simmer till potatoes are tender. Take out the potatoes to mash then set aside as the chicken is still cooking. 

When the chicken is almost done, fold in the mashed potatoes. Make sure the pot is constantly stirred as soon as the potatoes are added since these are easily scorched. Add the ground pepper to taste, and the chillies if desired (I usually add at least 3 siling labuyo ). It’s done when the potatoes are well-blended with the chicken.