MANILA, Philippines — What do you give someone who already has everything? This question is no longer as daunting as it used to be when asked during the Christmas season because a lot of people love receiving food these days.
Fortunately, there are now endless choices as to what edible present to give family and friends, and one of them happens to be Chicken Liver Pate. Using pork or chicken adobo meat in place of chicken liver would be another variation.
Here, we share Chef Myrna Segismundo’s Adobo Pate recipe, which she readily taught a group of participants who attended The Maya Kitchen’s Culinary Elite Series special class on Filipino Flavors of Christmas featuring her.
Adobo Pate
With Pepper Jelly and Toast Points
Ingredients:
For the Adobo:
1 head garlic, peeled and pounded
2/3 cupcane vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 tbsp. black peppercorns, cracked
1 pc. bay leaf (optional)
1 kg. pork shoulder, boneless, cut into stewing pieces
Enough water to cover meat
2 cups fresh cream
1 bar (227 grams) 100 grams unsalted butter, divided
Procedure:
1. Combine garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, peppercorn and bay leaf in a wok or saucepot. Add pork and water and marinate for 30 minutes. Simmer over medium heat until pork is cooked. Continue simmering the pork in the pot until it is tender. Some oil will be expressed from the pork. Fry the pork in the remaining oil until golden brown.
2. Gently toss cooked meats. Some of the meat will stick to the pot so scrape the sides to include those to mixture. Set aside.
3. Add fresh cream and half of the butter and continue simmering for another 5 minutes.
4. Remove the bay leaf from the Adobo and allow to cool down.
5. To make the pate, pour in the mixture into a blender and process until smooth. Transfer to the desired container and top with the remaining melted butter to seal the pate. Chill before serving with toast points/crackers and pepper jelly.
For the pepper jelly:
25 grams red bell pepper, seeded and minced
1 cup honey
1/2 cup water
3 tbsps. butter
3 tbsps. juice from fresh lemon or calamansi
2 pcs. Bird’s Eye Chili, seeded and minced
Procedure:
1. Combine all ingredients in a pot.
2. Simmer, stir and reduce by half.
*Serves 6 to 8.
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