Dish of Chicharong Bulaklak
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Chicharong Bulaklak


Philippine   -   Chicharong Bulaklak
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 6 app
***
1-1/4 hrs
Yes		 This deep fried appetizer or pulutan (beer food) is a specialty of the Philippines, and highly thought of there. It is generally served with a dip made of vinegar, garlic and salt.
Bulaklak means "flower", from the shape. The finished product is a bit oily, but not as fatty as you might expect - most of the fat has been rendered out.




1-3/4
3
ar
ar
#
T


Ruffle Fat (1)
Salt
Water
Oil for deep fry  
Prep   -   (45 min - 5 minutes work)
  1. Rinse RUFFLE FAT and simmer in water to cover about 45 minutes. Drain and slice crosswise into modest size pieces.
Run   (20 minutes, roughly)
  1. In a kadhai, wok or deep skillet, heat Oil very hot. Stir in a bunch of Ruffle Fat pieces and fry stirring until crisp and lightly browned. Watch the temperature! These don't have a lot of substance and the oil can get too hot before they are done. They are done when they have almost stopped sizzling.
  2. Lift out with a wire spider and drain on paper towels.
  3. Serve warm or at room temperature.
  4. A suitable dip can be made with 1/4 cup vinegar (preferably a high quality Philippine vinegar (see Note-2), 5 cloves of garlic crushed and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
NOTES:
  1. Ruffle Fat:   This is a fatty membrane which holds the small intestines in place. The intestines have been removed. Ruffle fat can be found in the meat section of markets serving a substantial Philippine community. Here in Southern California that will be near almost any large hospital complexes, our health care system runs almost entirely on Filipinos. For details see our Ruffle Fat page.
  2. Vinegar:   Filipinos are very fond of vinegar in cooking and produce some of the finest vinegars in the world. These are made from sugar cane, coconut and palm sugar. For details see our Sours page.
  3. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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