Fresh lumpia
Yield: Generous for 4-6 people
Ingredients:
1 jicama
2 medium carrots, or bag of shredded carrots
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1 bag bean sprouts, raw
Romaine lettuce
2 packages tofu, extra firm
Soy sauce
Patis
1-2 tablespoons Sesame oil
1 package (25-count) frozen lumpia wrappers
Sauce:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon tamarind soup stock dissolved in 2 cups water
1 tablespoon corn starch, dissolved in 4 tablespoons water
1/2 cup brown sugar
Procedure for fresh lumpia:
1. Peel and cut jicama and carrot (if whole) into batons. Combine with rice wine vinegar, cover and set aside. Toss occasionally so all the veggies pickle evenly. Refrigerate if doing ahead.
2. Wash bean sprouts, drain and set aside.
3. Separate leaves from the head and wash romaine lettuce and drain. Dry off excess dampness with a kitchen or paper towels. Slice the ribs from the leaves.
4. Cube tofu into 1”. Fry over medium heat with the sesame oil until evenly browned. While frying, season tofu with the soy sauce and patis to taste. The tofu has none of its own natural fats, tofu should be lightly coated with the oil.
5. Defrost wrappers and pull apart carefully. Keep a damp towel on hand to cover the wrappers to keep them moist. Line the top of the romaine leaf with one of the lumpia wrapper corners. Tear if necessary to fit to size. On the leaf, place some bean sprouts, the jicama and carrot atchara, and the tofu cubes.
6. Wrap the opposing corner from the romaine leaf up and over the fillings. Roll two sides together over the fillings, leaving the leaf-side open. While storing the fresh lumpia before guests arrive, cover with a damp towel to keep the wrappers supple.
Procedure for Sauce:
Heat soy sauce and the water with the tamarind dissolved over medium. At a simmer, add the sugar and the cornstarch water. Stir until ingredients are well combined. Sauce should thicken. Serve sauce while warm with the fresh lumpia.
Fried Lumpia
Yield: Generous helpings for 4-6 guests
Ingredients:
1 medium sized carrot (large enough to yield one cup diced)
half of one large jicama (large enough to yield one cup diced)
half of one large red onion (large enough to yield one cup diced)
8 cloves garlic
1 pound 40-50 count raw, head-on shrimp
1 pound ground pork
1 package (25-count) frozen lumpia wrappers
one egg white
Salt and pepper to taste
Soy sauce to taste
Fish sauce to taste
3 cups vegetable oil
Procedure:
1. Dice carrot, jicama, red onion and garlic. Keeping garlic separate, set aside.
2. Remove heads, shells and veins of shrimp. (Reserve heads and shells and freeze to use for stock, if desired.)
3. Sauté pork and 1/4 of the garlic. Add soy sauce and fish sauce to taste. Set aside.
4. Sauté shrimp and remaining garlic. When shrimp has cooled, dice it and set aside.
5. Sauté carrot, jicama and red onion. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
6. Combine pork, shrimp and vegetables in a mixing bowl.
7. Defrost wrappers and pull apart carefully. Keep a damp towel on hand to cover the wrappers to keep them moist. Roll mixture into lumpia wrappers, using roughly 3 tablespoons per wrapper. Seal wrappers with some of the egg white.
8. Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan so that the oil comes about 1/4 of the way up the sides of the lumpia.
9. Fry lumpia in batches of 3-5, being careful not to crowd the pan. Flip lumpia so that they become evenly golden brown.
10. After they are golden brown, set aside on paper towels to drain the oil a bit. Serve while warm with dipping sauces like sweet and sour, vinegar and garlic, banana ketchup or anything you please.
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Filipino Kitchen uses Philippine cuisine to connect Filipinos everywhere with our cultural heritage and the possibilities of our shared future. Based in Chicago, we cook and share our delicious cuisine at pop¬up meals and food events. On our website, Filipino Kitchen documents with photography, interviews, stories, and recipes from the makers and appreciators of Filipino cuisine and its continuing evolution. We hope to lead a long-¬coming renaissance by connecting across the diaspora with our shared love and pride of our food. The masterminds and masterhearts behind Filipino Kitchen are two Filipino Americans and an honorary Filipino: writer Sarahlynn Pablo, photographer Natalia Roxas¬-Alvarez and project manager Caitlin Preminger. Filipino Kitchen is online at http://filipino.kitchen and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
