Green Daisy's Sunshine Chicken ala Hainanese Chicken

This post started it.  Daisy Langenegger of Green Daisy Organic Restaurant saw the recipe and just took the pointers and guide.  Daisy always uses the best and freshest ingredients that is available to her so following a recipe to the "T" is hardly done.

In one of the Philippines for Natural Farming Inc's working group's meeting, Daisy served her version of ala Hainanese Chicken.

It was really good!

Accompanying condiments and Chicken Rice

Hainanese Chicken Rice

One of the most memorable Hiananese Chicken Rice I have ever had was in Cebu. They were using our chickens and serving them in their restaurant. I thought it was so hard to make.

As we developed our Chinese clientele, they had been telling me that they had been making this dish now since they discovered where to get good and flavorful chickens. They had always sounded that it was so simple. Easier heard than done...I thought!

Then I came across this post....from one of my daily blog rolls. Connie Veneracion has a way of making things easier to understand and it goes step by step.

Try it...I know I will :)

You may even do this focused business and just be known for very good Hainanese Chicken Rice.

Stewed Out

One is sick, the other on a diet. Raining outside plus some last minute paperwork to do for deliveries....what to cook?

It was supposed to be vegetables, Pinakbet to be exact...but its not fit to serve the above given data. We need home cooked, rich soup...

Brought out a pack of my Italian Sausages and chunked them. All in low heat....Sauted some garlic in Olive Oil. Added the chunked sausages and let it simmer a while. Next went in a lot of chopped tomatoes and a handful of Basil. That was allowed to simmer...small soft bubbles, gurgling a little. Seasoned with a little salt. It was done when I realized there was no rice. Grabbed two handfuls of elbow macaroni and threw it in. Stirring for the next 10mins, turned off heat and covered...waiting for the table to be set.

I was starving at this point and reached for a large chunk of the sausage before I covered my skillet...it was so goooood! Our sausages are no doubt dry, because there is no fat, but stewing it rendered and blended the flavors and it made it juicy :) Excellent for a blast of an idea just before getting dinner ready.

Won't say that this was a recipe to die for....but it is very good, comforting and healthy food. Stewed out....or rather, stood out for our rained out heads.

Sinampalukang Manok

I didn't realize I haven't posted a recipe for Sinampalukang Manok. It is one of our favorites, but I may have forgotten as it is not cooked often. You need real fresh leaves and flowers to get that sweet sour taste that is comfort food for us. When I got a hat of the freshest young leaves and flowerettes....let me share how it was done.

Perfect timing that it was harvest day for our chickens too....

1 whole Sunshine Chicken :), say about 1.2 to 1.5kgsm, chopped
Cooking oil for sauteeing
1 head garlic, I use native ones, peeled, crushed
1 red onion, peeled, sliced
1 finger of yellow ginger, sliced and crushed
Fresh Buko Juice
Bagoong Balayan

A lot of fresh young Tamarind leaves and flowers

1) Put the peeled and crushed garlic with some cooking oil, I use Olive Oil, in a pan. Set the pan in very low heat. Yes, you have it all together. I don't heat the pan first and the oil before the garlic. Slowly let the garlic cook in low fire until it gets tan colored. Let the oil absorb the garlic's flavor.

2) Next the onion, add it to the tanned garlic. Let it slowly cook until it caramelizes. Allow the slow cooking, blend the flavors.

3) Add the yellow ginger to the garlic and onion. Still in low heat, slowly let the juices comes out of the ginger.

4) Next goes the chopped Sunshine Chicken :) Stir it to brown the pieces. Remember, still in low heat.

5) Season with Bagoon Balayan. You may use Patis or Fish Sauce, but I like the Bagoong Balayan more and it is somehow easier to temper and doesn't get over powering.

6) Add Buko Juice, enough to submerge the chickens.   Cover pot and let it slowly cook in low fire, until done.

7) You may season now to taste.

8) Drop the leaves and the flowers inside the pot. Mix so the the leaves are all submerged. Return cover of pot and turn off heat. The leaves will cook from the heat left.

Enjoy :)

Sam Gye Tang

One of my daily reads is pinoy cook, and last week's topic got me running to a Korean grocery.

I was going to make Sam Gye Tang after I found this recipe.

Using my reliable huge crockpot, I started with this.

Timed it to have it ready for a very early breakfast before we fly to the secluded and beautiful Amanpulo in Palawan!

6hrs into slow cooking

8hrs in the crockpot at low....perfect! My favorite? Was the sticky sweet rice inside the chicken as you slice it.

Highly recommended! Use free range chicken in the Philippines of course :) Get Sunshine!

Chickens Have Wings

Wings are part of a chicken and they are not easy to throw away :)

In our new line of No Chemicals, No Preservatives Sunshine Sausages, we had to debone the chickens. We had this mound of chicken wings that wasn't even attempted to be deboned anymore as it will take a lot of time and effort.

It was originally packed to go to the freezer for giving away etc...then the person who was doing the product development thought of marinated Chicken Wings!

That story got to the interview last Saturday during Radyo Negosyo. They asked about our roasted chicken that was brought for stylized food presentation and the talk went to the tray of sausages. Next to it, lay the wings. I actually had it there because it was a filler as the tray was kindda big. I was open about the story of the wings, how it was brought about and the original throw away state it was in...but then, people who are used to developing and creating, finds ways to use things.

Now, the wings might bring us to higher plains :)

HAManok

We had commissioned a group to develop chemical free ham for our Sunshines. Let me share with you our initial recipe. They are working on several sausages and patties, aside from the HAManok :) Great gift and business idea. No curing period needed :)

Again....the income is not just in the raising....look beyond the cages.

HAManok
I. Meat Material		Quantity
	Chicken , whole, dressed	1 pc
II. Brine Solution	for 10 kg meat)
	Water	1250.00 g
	Refined salt	180.00 g
	Refined sugar	2.50 g
	Smoke flavor	3.00 g
	Oil of Anise (1 drop)	.06 g
	Oil of Cloves (1 drop)	.08 g
	Maplein (2 drops)	.12 g
III. Dry cure mixture
	Refined sugar	35.00 g
	Refined salt	18.00 g
IV.COOKING INGREDIENTS (per kg meat)
	Brown sugar	150.00 g
	Pineapple juice	125.00 g
	Anisado wine	60.00 g
	Bay leaf (as desired)	at least 2 pc
	Cloves (as desired)	at least 2 pc
	Oregano leaves	few strands
	Water just enough to cover the meat
Processing
CLEAN	whole chicken
REMOVE	oil gland and neck
WEIGH	Cleaned chicken
PREPARE	brine by mixing cold water with other ingredients
BRINE	mix cold water with other ingredients
INJECT	20% (or 1/2 cup brine) per kg of meat using a brine pump
APPLY	dry cure mixture inside and outside the carcass. Let stand for
	overnight in the refrigerator.
WASH	Chicken with tap water, drain and tie with abaca twine or
	cotton thread to maintain the shape.
COOK	meat with cooking ingredients until tender
CARAMELIZE	by applying brown sugar applied on the surface by using blow
	torch or in oven
PACK	in paperlyne (plastic wrap) and store in freezer

Reasons, Cycles & Solutions

Unusual that I didn't post for eight (8) straight days. The rounds of seminars, farm visits, branch visits...our normal work..kept us busy.

In the week that past, I also had the luxury of seeing Ria while we were both in Vigan for work. FB told me she was somewhere in Ilocos, so the moment I checked in at Vigan, I texted her and we met for lunch, antique shopping and dinner. After about 2days, when we both got back to Manila, we met friends in high school for lunch and vowed to go for dinner next week. Sounds we are getting old and have the luxury to time now wehehhehhe.

It was my mother's last days here and we planned for the 40th day to go to Mass and have a simple dinner. Since I was in Vigan, I volunteered to bring Longaniza and Bagnet. For soup....I deliberated but thought...well maybe....

We are left with "a" or a "couple" of roasted Sunnies almost every night. True we can adjust the number...but we'd rather have the problem of surplus, rather than have an empty store early in the evening.

We can't sell it the next day, so we freeze it and eat it ourselves :) Thing is, we are in and out and I had some sent frozen to Manila.

I took a couple of frozen roasted Sunnies early in the day and asked the cook to slow boil it. It wasn't about cooking it anymore...but recycling to bring out a different flavor for the already seasoned and done Sunshines. From the soup stock, you know you had a winner. I had some sotanghon prepared and dropped them. Prepared on the side were fried garlic chips and freshly minced onion leaves.

First three servings went to the boys. Doc Rey of course will adore what I prepared...given! I was scared about my brother in law Andoy's Chinese pintasero food taste and dentist bar owner Gelo's reaction. Wowoweeeee!!! They both said it was great. Winner!

Andoy and friends are thinking of opening a restaurant and asked me about the chicken. I told them what it was exactly....our surplus that we didn't know what to do with. A restaurant can and should serve it several ways.

There was a reason for my thinking of what to prepare that dinner. It lead me to think and though about my stuff in the freezer :)

The resulting chicken soup was rich in flavor, simply good and it got rid of problems...:)

Variety

Am not talking about a variety of Tamarind.

When I saw this Sampalok tree in the farm, the idea of stuffing the chicken with flowers and young Tamarind leaves dawned on me.


I know, I know...the norm is using Tanglad or lemongrass. Cheaper and easier...but the Ilokano market where we are testing the dry run of Sunny isn't really keen on the damo smell nor taste.

What's the variety in the story? Well, there won't be a fixed marinade nor recipe for now for Sunny. We will offer variety in taste. Just like home cooking, you can't really predict what you will have for dinner...it depends on the mood of the cook.

Think its a good business idea?

I was with my supplier for the additional rotisseries and deliberated with gas fed or electric. Basket type or my original spit type. Decided on the spit type, after searching and reading about rotisserie cooking.

The point why it is supposed to be better? Because it keeps on turning and the chicken is basted by its own juices.

If it is meat you let sit on an oven...or one that you put on a grill, even when covered...its just roasting. So if I have it on a supposed to be rotisserie oven, but it goes on a merry go round basket, it is just roasting.

I like it hard to spell...rotisserie!

Niwa Tori

Yes, that sounds Japanese. Means garden chicken.

I met someone thru the PCARRD boards, who is into goats. More importantly, he is from where my grandfather came from too. Vaguely, I think he is named Ric. Not sure about that...but he is Ichiro to me since that is how he is shown in his YM account. He is Filipino by nationality, and has a beautiful Japanese family :)

Once in a while we get to chat about Niwa Tori (garden chicken), the grass fed chickens in Japan.

During AFEX 2008, a couple of Japanese men stopped by the booth. We can't really understand one another..but there was a common demoninator. They were so happy about seeing the Niwa Tori....that is my perception :) We were talking about grass fed chickens etc etc etc....weheheh their cards carried logos of industrial chicken companies, but they were happy to find us.

During cocktails, a friend was involved with a hotel catering to the Japanese market and the talk about the garden chicken came up again. I forgot what it was called...and vowed to ask Ichiro what it was again.

I saw him yesterday online and asked him how he would have his Niwa Tori.

KARAGI: Marinate your Niwa Tori, in this case Sunshine Chicken - soy sauce, 5 spice and a little sugar. Deep fry.

Thanks Ichiro...I still have to try those raw eggplants in soy sauce and vinegar.

Have To Try Chicken Dish

From Connie Veneracion's blog, the pictures are inviting, the ingredients simple, procedure is easy..so I went beyond imagining.

Try this Chicken and Chilis cooked in Coconut Milk. Of course using Sunshine Chicken made a difference for me :)

Adobong Capon

Joey Capon...wehehehhe, yes, someone called Joey that name during IFEX....brought a tasty adobo from his Sunshine Capons.

I asked for the recipe, he texted it, but I lost it :(

Care to share a good recipe of Adobo for Capons?

Chef Bert, The Boy Scout

I arrived at the Bonsai Show at about 1pm, took my time to walk around the mall.... a rare thing for me. Realizing that it was past 3pm, I went back to my post as Chef Bert should be there soon. Sure he arrives on time, a little past 3pm as the cooking demo was for 4pm.

Where are the Sunshines? um er hm ah (I forgot to thaw them, geez). That's why I love working with these men....all cool and composed under bad times :)

They figured out how to thaw it .... weheheh and was just to use the breasts in thin slices. Seasoned with Salt and Black Pepper. The Sunshine's breast fillets were wrapped in Prosciutto Ham, and held together by a toothpick with Sage as corsage :)

While Chef Bert was wrapping all those, he remembered he forgot to bring Olive Oil.....someone ran to get some. In time for the frying! The put together pieces were fried and set aside. Now came another test...he forgot to bring a spatula or whatever, to turn his fillets while not ruining his pan.

Came another to the rescue, getting some stalks from plants (we were in the parking lot), and stripping the ends...voila...naturally fresh chop sticks!

Instead of washing off the used pan, Chef Bert put some Capers, Garlic, Sage, Salt and Pepper, and Bignay Wine. I notice that Chef Bert uses this particular wine a lot. He said it leaves a sweetish taste to sauces, and the wine tastes good when drank.

Slices were passed around. It was really good and you know it was a success as people's conversations drifted to the different ingredients used. When asked what he cooked... Chef Bert replied "Sunshine Chicken With Sage".

Pol Rubia remembers that only the breasts were used, so he asked one of his guys to season the remaining Sunshines and barbeque them over charcoal.

The conversation back at the AANI booth and our charbroiled Sunshines were perfect caps for the afternoon.

Let's see how Market At The Hills go...and watch out for new signs at Hobbies Of Asia....coming soon :)

Inihaw Sunshine Chicken Capon

Joey Rigor of Victoria, Tarlac, our Sunshine Capon grower brought live and dressed capons to the Bonsai show yesterday.

Close to 90days, the capons were about 3-3.5 kilos in dressed weights. The dressed were chopped at the site and seasoned simply with salt and pepper rub (just like how I do my regular inihaws). We believe that great tasting meat will standout with basic seasonings only.

Low fire, slow cooking. The charcoals were started and the Sunshine capons were set on the open grill as the right heat was achieved. See how the freshly dressed raw meat looks hefty?

You should have experienced the aroma. As Zac described to be "the kobe beef of poultry".... the marbled chicken meat was cooking in its own juices.

Looking at the meat, knowing that it is almost 90days old....not much expectation.

As the AANI people took the first bite, the expression on their eyes and faces have told me that Joey and Doc Mitzi did a great job! My friends from the US arrived and tasted. They can't understand how chicken can be that delicious.

Zac was late because of unforseen customers, traffic to Cubao and the strong rain. He missed the barbecue. In todays radio program, over breakfast...he had to be reassured that we will have Joey again at the Bonsai show and at IFEX....and YES, we will visit the farm :)

What's my favorite part of chickens? The tail or ass! OMG, I had to ask that it be cut and given to me. Hahahahhhahah....never had a mouthful of this! It was huge.

Sunshine Capons are available to consumers. Check him out also at IFEX's Sunshine Chicken booth, May 16-18, SMX.

Comfort of Lynn's Arroz Caldo

After the rush of the past week and realizing how nippy the weather can get....you start to crave for your comfort foods. One of which for me is a simple Arroz Caldo.

I never knew how to make one before, until Lynn taught me to. Simple, but the love that goes with being patient in bringing out the flavors, is the key to the goodness of it.

Lynn's Arroz Caldo

Ingredients: 1 whole SUNSHINE chicken, cut up to small pieces oil garlic onions ginger fish sauce 1 C rice ½ C malagkit 6 C water, you may add more water while simmering, to suit the consistency you want kasubha or saffron, for aroma and color chopped spring onions leaves fried garlic Directions: In the cooking vessel, pour oil and place your garlic. Place atop low fire and let the garlic reach color tan, then add onions until wilted, then ginger. Do all that in low fire, slow cooking to blend all the flavors well. Add the chicken pieces, braise, until slightly brown. Season with fish sauce. Mix well. Put the rice and malagkit, mix well. Add the kasubha or saffron, blend. Increase heat a bit. Add the water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to slow cook. Stir often to make sure the rice does not get overcooked nor stick to the bottom. You will know it is cooked by the consistency. About 5mins before you are done, add the chicken liver (optional). Serve hot, top with chopped onion leaves and fried garlic. You may want some fish sauce and kalamansi on the side.

Eat Everything Chicken

Researching on new recipes, I stumbled upon this site of Jamie.

Nothing new: minimal seasoning, use a lot of herbs to flavor, slow cooking, low fire,...it was more of validating what is tried, tested and being taught. Thing is, the fast paced race wants to forget good old cooking.

He has other great recipes. Read how the chef is excited about growing what he needs :)

Rellenong Manok For Noche Buena

One of the food blogs I visit is that of Connie Veneracion's Pinoy Cook, w/c led me to a blog she created for the season, The Noche Buena Blog.

Staying at AANI FTI Weekend Market, I get to meet the cooks at home. We have been getting orders for the large sized chickens 2.5-3kilos to be used for Gallantina, Relleno and Roasts.

This recipe for Rellenong Manok by Connie Veneracion makes me appreciate why a cook will want a big chicken.

Another comfort food came to mind....not a noche buena fare....but a hole in the wall comfort food. Have you tried having Pospas? Can't recall where I have it in Laguna. What's that place that Laguna is known for puto? Its like lugaw or arroz caldo, but richer and tastier. I guess it is because it is left to simmer for hours.

I am supposed to do a trackback to pinoycook.net...let me try how to do this one: http://www.pinoycook.net/nochebuena/​rellenong-manok-stuffed-deboned-whole-chicken/​trackback/ ....hope I got it.

Steamed Chicken Of Marusil

Marusil is Bobby Inocencio's better half. Since Bobby is the Godfather of Free Range Chicken in the Philippines, Marusil cooked a lot of the ranging chicken to be served to guests.

This recipe was featured in a brochure that they used to give around.

Marusil is Ilongga. I am not sure if this is a regional recipe.

Marusil's Steamed Chicken
Ingredients:
• 1 whole SUNSHINE chicken
• 1 teaspoon rock salt
• 1 chunk ginger, grated
• 1 head garlic, crushed
• 2-3 stalks lemongrass
Gravy:
• dripping from steamed chicken
• 2 T all purpose flour
• spring onions and grated ginger
• salt and pepper
• 2 T peanut oil
Directions:
Rub chicken with salt. Rub juice of grated ginger on the skin and inside of the chicken. Stuff chicken with grated ginger, crushed garlic and lemongrass. Steam for 30-40 mins or until tender. Set aside.

For the gravy, sauté the onions and grated ginger. Stir in the dripping. Dissolve flour in water and stir into the dripping mixture when boiling. Add salt and pepper. Top with spring onions and grated ginger. Serve with chicken.

Sandy's Roasted Sunshine Chicken ( Idea from Gigi Gonzales)

This is my favorite. You set it to cook while you relax with a book, cup of tea, disuss the day...while the aroma of herbs and chicken invite you to good dinner...I thank Gigi for this recipe. Aside from designing my house and making this roast, she also taught me a super sarap Halayang Ube

Ingredients:
• 1 whole SUNSHINE chicken
Marinade:
• 1 head garlic, crushed herbs
• 1/8 C olive oil, more if you please
• 1T rock salt, depending on your taste
• Freshly ground black peppercorns
• Fresh herbs, to your liking. I prefer Rosemary, Basil, Tarragon, whatever tickles your nose and taste buds at the moment
Directions:
Mix the marinade in a bowl and rub this all over the chicken. Marinate the chicken for a minimum of 2 hours, best if longer. Rub and turn chicken from time to time. When you are ready to roast it, stuff the marinade under the chicken's skin and inside the cavity.

I want to cook this slow. Set the whole chicken in the turbo broiler at 300degrees, upside down. After 45mins, invert the chicken, to make it sit. Roast for another 45mins. Increase to 350 degrees for the last 10mins to make it golden brown. Total cooking time will depend on weight of Sunshine Chicken, 1 hour per kilo. While cooking, the roast will emit a wonderful aroma. Serve immediately. I want to stay away from the fat, but you may want to use the drippings as sauce. Best with fresh green salad or buttered vegetables.

Simply A Favorite

There are days when you don't know where to start, because you left off some errands last night and have a million to do today.

I get two emails that made it easier for me:

1) My recipes from my old website. I had to ask my webmaster for the old files (he promised new site will be up before September 2007 ends). Rianne of Camp Farm wanted ideas. She wanted Relleno and Hamonado. I said I will send her my simple recipes. I realized I had a new favorite as it wasn't on that list. Below I will share my new found taste which I picked up from Market Manila site.

2) I got an email from Christopher. We met in a sabong site sometime ago. Small world that his childhood buddies in the neighborhood and now his buddies in Toronto are also good friends of mine in high school and when I am in Toronto. How can I not be glad when his email was inquiring if I knew about free ranged chickens :)

Tinola idea from MM blog

• 1 SUNSHINE chicken, serving sizes
• Water
• 3 stalks lemongrass, tied together
• Ginger
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Fish sauce
• Fresh ampalaya, malunggay or sili leaves

Boil the Sunshine Chicken, lemongrass, ginger and black pepper in enough water to cover. Lower heat when boiling point is reached. Remove the brown film that stays on the top of the water. Cook over low fire. Season with fish sauce. Put the fresh leaves and turn off heat. Cover pot for another 5 mins to steam the fresh leaves. Serve hot.