Aired (September 15, 2024): In our third featured flavor, Chef JR Royol delves into the essence of depth, or ‘linamnam.’ Discover how this unique flavor sensation can make our meals extraordinary!
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00:00In our next episode, we will explore the world of Linamnam.
00:08We will see the different types of delicious foods that are called Umami.
00:14So for this episode, I will prepare what I usually do on the internet.
00:18I almost always use salt.
00:20I even use fish sauce.
00:22This episode's theme is Umami.
00:24We're intending to use this for our Umami episode.
00:28So the Linamnam that plays in your mouth, that's what we're really trying to achieve.
00:33Along with our discovery of ingredients that bring Linamnam to our daily meals.
00:39The cheese flavor immediately penetrates your mouth.
00:43That's where the Umami plays.
00:45As a culinary artist, I don't need to import from other countries.
00:49Or when I go to Davao, at least I can taste the quote-unquote authentic blue cheese.
00:56Every time we taste a dish, we usually look for the feeling of the whole taste of the food.
01:03The unique feeling that wraps around the tongue in every bite.
01:07A tongue with a slight sound that convinces us,
01:11Come on, let's eat.
01:15In Japan, this experience is called Umami.
01:19Which means pleasant savory taste.
01:22We, Filipinos, use the word Linamnam for this taste.
01:27It's not surprising that we have our own translation of Umami.
01:31Especially since our country is rich in seafood.
01:34Which is one of the main sources of the delicious taste of food.
01:39Pilaring Aquafarm here in Pangasinan is one of the many places that brings this taste to Filipinos.
01:45Through their fishponds that cover at least 3 hectares.
01:52How hard is it to maintain?
01:55It's hard to maintain because first of all, you need a good caretaker.
02:03Because the life of the fishpond depends on the caretaker.
02:06The life of the fish, the water must always come out.
02:10Because if the water doesn't come out, that's the cost of the...
02:15They die?
02:16Yes, they die.
02:17What do you call it?
02:18Tangok in Pangasinan.
02:20It's like fish kill.
02:22Fish kill, okay.
02:23Because it lacks oxygen.
02:24The imbalance of the environment with the water.
02:26Yes, so the water must come out.
02:29How much do you give for your property?
02:34For example, if we grow out in a pond, around 5,000.
02:42We also visited an aquaculture farm in Pampanga.
02:45Where we experienced the taste of seafood in different dishes.
02:56It's delicious, I feel like I want to eat it.
02:59This is the most delicious part.
03:03Did you know that even in the mountainous areas of Rizal,
03:06you can experience seafood?
03:09Here in Wavecrest Aquaculture Inc. in Antipolo,
03:14you can find delicious mud crabs.
03:18Usually, when we crave for or want to cook our favorite seafood,
03:24we will source it from the market.
03:26Or usually, from our vegetables that are related to fishponds in the areas.
03:32But there's a third option.
03:34Here, we can see the seafood grown in an aquaculture setting.
03:41So, softshell is...
03:43Is this a quenpe?
03:45This might sound funny, but is this a species or a stage?
03:50No, actually, it's a stage of crab.
03:54Because all crustaceans, crabs, shrimps, lobsters,
03:58all of them undergo softshell.
04:02Because they don't grow like mammals that you see growing.
04:06For them to grow, they need to come out of their old shell.
04:09Okay.
04:10So, this is the usual size of softshell.
04:13We really have to deliver this frozen?
04:16Actually, blast frozen.
04:18Because...
04:20A lot of people don't know that
04:23when we say softshell crab,
04:26it's the one that replaces the shell.
04:29Now, the problem is,
04:31when we deliver it to you, it just replaces the shell.
04:35After 3 to 5 hours,
04:37it will become hardshell.
04:39It will start to grow.
04:41This system is called a clear water ras,
04:45or recirculating aquaculture system.
04:47So, this water is very environmentally friendly.
04:50It just circulates.
04:51So, we don't discharge the rivers.
04:53We don't discharge anything.
04:55We just add because it reduces due to evaporation, spillage.
05:01And our customers are happy
05:04because the crabs they receive
05:07come from a clean environment.
05:12We're fortunate to have 4 species of crabs.
05:15All of them are from the Philippines.
05:17Compared to other countries?
05:18Compared to other countries.
05:19For example, in Malaysia, they only have 2 or 3.
05:23In Thailand, only 2.
05:25In India, only 2.
05:27We have 4.
05:28What species are they, sir?
05:30Giant green crab, or bulik.
05:32I'm familiar with bulik.
05:33The red one is the most aggressive.
05:37Okay.
05:38Then, the brown one.
05:40That's what we call native.
05:42I see.
05:43Then, there's violet.
05:45What species do you care for specifically?
05:47What species?
05:48Actually, most of them are red for softshell crab.
05:52That's the best for softshell crab?
05:54Yes, for softshell crab.
05:55Because they eat aggressively.
05:56Yes.
05:57So, they go down fast.
05:59Then, bulik, or giant green crab.
06:03And the brown one.
06:05Okay.
06:06So, these are the classifications you were talking about?
06:09Yes.
06:10Sir, this is bulik.
06:12Bulik.
06:13Because it's greenish.
06:14Yes, green.
06:15So, we can see.
06:17This is class A.
06:19I would assume.
06:20Yes, it's class A.
06:22Like fish and shrimp,
06:24the softshell crab has a natural umami flavor that brings depth to their flavor.
06:29And it has a natural sweetness that can add a unique flavor to the dishes.
06:36So, how stressed are they?
06:37Aren't they sensitive to stress?
06:41Crabs are very sensitive to stress.
06:44Okay.
06:45What are the effects on them?
06:47They die easily.
06:49Okay.
06:50So, it's very meticulous to take care of them.
06:55Yes.
06:57So, how much does this weigh?
06:59It's around 800.
07:01That's around 1 kilo.
07:03It's 888 grams.
07:04That's a good number. You're very lucky.
07:07If you light it up,
07:09you won't be able to see the line.
07:11So, it means that the crab is whole.
07:13Yes.
07:14I see.
07:16That's a good tip. I didn't know that.
07:18One more thing, Chef.
07:20To know if the crab is fat or not,
07:22you have to press on these parts.
07:25Okay.
07:26If it's hard, it won't fight back.
07:29This one is solid.
07:30It's fat.
07:31It won't fight back because it won't get hurt.
07:34It means that it's not hollow anymore.
07:38It's full of meat.
07:39There you go.
07:40Sir Jeff, this is the part that we're gonna deliver.
07:44We're just securing its claws.
07:49It's mine now.
07:50Thank you, sir.
07:51Because of the abundance of mud crabs in the Philippines,
07:56wherever you are in the province,
07:58you'll find your specialty crabs.
08:02This is the one that we're gonna use.
08:05It's a crab.
08:06It's a crab.
08:07It's a crab.
08:08It's a crab.
08:09It's a crab.
08:10It's a crab.
08:11It's a crab.
08:12It's a crab.
08:13It's a crab.
08:14It's a crab.
08:15It's a crab.
08:16It's a crab.
08:17And this one,
08:18this is the entry that I usually use
08:22when I'm doing a trade test in restaurants
08:26that I'm applying for.
08:28This is my favorite.
08:31Let's make some crab cakes.
08:37Look at this, it's still alive.
08:39It's fun.
08:48So more or less after 10 minutes,
08:51we can now remove this.
09:06So once we've removed the meat,
09:09we can now mix the other ingredients.
09:11So we have here our chopped onions.
09:14Our chopped onions.
09:15We'll just extend our boiled sweet potatoes.
09:21And then Dijon mustard.
09:23A bit of pepper.
09:26And then we'll just season it with salt.
09:30We'll just mash our sweet potato.
09:33Because we added the steamed crab,
09:37you'll see that our mixture is very wet.
09:41What we can do after adding in our mayonnaise,
09:45we can now add breadcrumbs.
09:58And for color and additional flavors,
10:02I'll just add our chopped beets.
10:06So this is the consistency of the mixture that we're looking for.
10:09And it's better if you rest this or chill it for at least 30 minutes
10:14before you form it.
10:16Let's just dredge it into flour.
10:19Then to the egg.
10:26We can now deep fry.
10:36Deep fry until golden brown.
10:48For our sauce,
10:49basically we just seasoned it with mayonnaise and Dijon mustard.
10:53Let's just add some pickle relish.
11:05Cheers!
11:15Cheers!
11:20Even though we added a lot of ingredients,
11:22the crab still brings out the flavor.
11:24Mmm, yummy!
11:31As Filipinos,
11:32eating pork is a part of our regular diet.
11:36It's also one of the main sources of umami flavor
11:39in the dishes that we eat every day.
11:45There are many reasons why pork is delicious and flavorful.
11:49And most of these are due to the composition and processing of meat.
11:54When we cook pork,
11:55the mild reaction results in a lot of complex flavors and aromas.
12:01This process happens when the amino acids and sugars react at a high temperature.
12:08This creates new flavors that are delicious and flavorful.
12:13For me,
12:14when I realized the importance of lechon
12:18or the significance of it in festivities or occasions,
12:23that's when I thought,
12:25in a way,
12:26maybe I owe it to him
12:29because I grew up not knowing him.
12:32Let's just give it a try,
12:34the recipe that they make here in Umabirdie Park.
12:42Sometimes, we went to the famous place in Metro Manila
12:45where the lechon is salted.
12:47But there is a place that is not only famous for their lechon,
12:50but also for their trending chicharong bulaklak.
12:54That's Ryan's Lechon.
12:57We really taste the spices inside,
13:00especially the sauce.
13:04Since we're talking about trending,
13:06we will be joined by Trending Ninong on social media
13:10who will give us his version of lechon kawali.
13:14This is the chicharong pork belly that we usually make.
13:18Basically, this is a pork belly
13:22that we skewered with fish sauce all over,
13:26except for the skin because it might get burnt
13:29because we're drying it.
13:31Then, we'll just put it in the oven
13:33for anywhere between 3 to 4 hours,
13:35varying temperatures from 150 degrees Celsius
13:39from 3 to 4 hours, varying temperatures from 150 degrees Celsius
13:43to 200 degrees Celsius.
13:45It's really hard to give exact values when it comes to temperature and time.
13:52What we're looking for is this level of dryness.
13:57It shouldn't be crispy because once it's crispy,
14:00it won't pop when you pop it.
14:02If you can see a raw chicharong,
14:04because there are two stages of chicharong.
14:06The first stage is when it's dried
14:08and the second stage is when it's fried at a high temperature.
14:10It's not different from a fried cropek.
14:13Cropek is more malleable.
14:15It's not really crispy.
14:16It still needs a certain level of moisture inside
14:21so we can pop the skin.
14:23Regardless, whether it pops or not,
14:25it's still delicious because we used fish sauce.
14:27I'm using a 220 to 250 degree Celsius cooking oil.
14:30I don't have a thermometer but the oil we're using
14:34has a smoke point.
14:36It's actually 230 degrees Celsius.
14:37So if it's smoking, we know that it's at the right temperature.
14:43Then, we have a colander.
14:46We're gonna pour this in.
14:48It needs to be filled with cooking oil.
14:50Just be careful.
14:52Make sure it's completely dry.
14:53If not, there's gonna be a lot of water in there and it'll splatter.
14:56This pork is still juicy inside.
14:59If we leave it in there for too long,
15:00it'll splatter and produce water.
15:02You'll get splattered and you might get hurt.
15:04We still need to be safe.
15:05Make sure your ladle is dry so you won't get splattered.
15:10Pour it in slowly.
15:18There you go.
15:20🎵
15:30It's far from the typical Lechon Kawali.
15:34Lechon Kawali has a blistered skin.
15:36This one has a chicharon skin.
15:39Pour a bit more so it'll turn brown.
15:43The reason why I'm pouring cooking oil instead of frying it like I usually do
15:49is because I'm taking care of the meat so it won't get overcooked.
15:53This is the only part that needs to be exposed to cooking oil.
15:56That's the only part that needs to be exposed to cooking oil.
15:58The only part that needs to be exposed to cooking oil is the skin.
15:59The underside of the skin isn't fried yet.
16:02It's still raw.
16:03That's what we want.
16:04We're gonna make Honey Patis Gremolata.
16:07It's a social dish but it's really simple.
16:09We have here some flat-leaf parsley.
16:12It's a social dish but it's really easy to make.
16:14Chop it into small pieces.
16:18Lemon.
16:19Let's get rid of the zest.
16:24Pepper and garlic.
16:28Let's not add the seeds.
16:32Fish sauce.
16:34Here's the honey.
16:37Skin, fat then meat.
16:39It's an alternating layer.
16:41We don't want the fat that sticks to the meat to melt.
16:46We don't want that.
16:47Because that's where the skin separates from the meat
16:51and it looks like it's been melted.
16:54We don't want that.
16:55We want it to be whole.
17:08Here's our Chicharon Pork Belly with Honey Patis Gremolata.
17:13It looks good.
17:29How is it? Is it good?
17:30Do you want some?
17:33What's with the queue?
17:37Try it.
17:40You too?
17:46I know there are many other sources of umami,
17:48but for me, as a Malabon person, patis is number one.
17:53The combination of fat, umami compounds, and the process
17:57is what makes the pork meat tasty and flavorful.
18:02Umami is a primary flavor aside from sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness.
18:09It's usually described as savory.
18:13Cheeses, especially hard and old-fashioned ones like Parmesan and Roquefort,
18:19are rich in umami flavor because of the high levels of amino acids and peptides
18:24that are formed in the aging process.
18:27Here in the Philippines, we have a local Quesong Putih
18:30that we've tasted in many of our food adventures.
18:38But did you know that we also have locally produced artisanal cheese here in the Philippines?
18:43And we rented it in Davao, the Malagos Farmhouse.
18:49I'm all about learning.
18:52I started in 2005 in my kitchen, not knowing where it would go or it would lead.
18:58I was just having fun.
19:00My first cheese was Feta.
19:02Because that's the quintessential goat cheese.
19:05That's the only Filipino cheese that's known to be goat cheese, right?
19:07So I made Feta in 2005.
19:11And then I made Feta.
19:13And then I made Feta.
19:15And then I made Feta.
19:16That's the only Filipino cheese that's known to be goat cheese, right?
19:19So I made Feta in 2006.
19:22And it was chosen as one of the first goat cheese ever at the Cheese Club of the Philippines.
19:27The process of fermentation in making cheese results in the formation of various flavor compounds
19:33that contribute to umami.
19:35The bacteria and enzymes used in fermentation
19:39help to create a rich and savory flavor profile.
19:43So now you get a little slice of your crostini there.
19:48And then we'll slather this with our…
19:51This is one of our best sellers.
19:54I named it Sofia after my youngest daughter.
19:57This is soft Feta.
20:00Aged in garlic-infused olive oil.
20:03Garlic-infused olive oil.
20:09So we're having our goat's milk camembert, right?
20:13In the style of camembert, of course.
20:15This is soft.
20:17It's soft, moldy, aged to perfection.
20:21And this is what we call petit rehina.
20:24Small rehina.
20:26So we have a big rehina.
20:28Wow!
20:30I was told that camembert means the smell of the foot of the gods.
20:35But for the faint of heart, we pair it with our big night jam.
20:46Funny thing with blue cheese.
20:48I hate this cheese.
20:50The way people would talk about it.
20:54What on earth?
20:55Would I even try it?
20:57Try it.
20:59And then when you try it,
21:02you go past the whatever trauma you have in yourself.
21:07Then the flavors come out.
21:10The umami of blue cheese is something I wish I could pass on to people how delicious it is.
21:18Buko ice cream.
21:20Isn't it buko ice cream?
21:26So of course, we're all familiar with the sweet, sour, salty, bitter flavor profiles.
21:35And the most difficult part is when you get to balance everything.
21:39You'll get to show your true colors.
21:45You'll show your umami.
21:48Or if you're more familiar with your craft, you can actually use ingredients that are packed with umami.
21:57We'll be doing seafood gratin.
22:01And then we're just gonna shuck our mussels and our clams.
22:07So basically, what we're doing here is we're par-cooking our shellfish.
22:13The presentation I'm thinking here is that they're already removed from their shells.
22:19So that it's convenient when we serve it to our family or clients.
22:27Let's check our pan after 5 to 8 minutes.
22:31And we should be able to see this.
22:33While we're cooling our shellfish, we'll saute our miripua.
22:39Our carrots.
22:41Our onions.
22:43And our celery.
22:44Celery.
23:08We're also going to add our well-known umami bomb, our cheese.
23:14This is actually from Malagos.
23:16Different kinds of artisanal cheese that will elevate our seafood gratin.
23:22We're going to mix this with our breadcrumbs.
23:25We're going to use this as our filler or extender in our seafood gratin.
23:31And also as a topping.
23:33We're also going to add in their sherv.
23:35I have here mango which will bring some sweetness.
23:37We're also going to add our squid when our sherv melts.
23:46Then we're just going to let it simmer.
23:48Reduce the excess moisture.
23:51And then we're just going to add in our fish fillet.
23:53Our binder and filler mixture of boracho and breadcrumbs.
24:01We're just going to cook it for another 5 minutes.
24:045 minutes.
24:06We can now plate.
24:17So we have mussels, we have clams, we have shrimp of course, squid.
24:25Maybe this would go well in Tabasco or hot sauce.
24:29Something acid.
24:30It's delicious.
24:32Even without lemon and salt.
24:36Can you imagine if there's something sour?
24:39It would cut through the richness of the cheese, of the seafood.
24:47We, Filipinos, value the balance of the taste of every food.
24:52This is the result of a long history of mixing local traditions
24:56and foreign influences in the creation of what we now call Filipino cuisine.
25:02Toast.
25:04Oh my God, I'm enjoying this.
25:06And in the center of it, where there's a balance of sweetness, saltiness, sourness, and bitterness,
25:13there's the flavor.
25:15One of the secrets of why we Filipinos always look for and come back for Filipino food.
25:26For more information, visit www.filipino.org