Pinoy Sauce

Sweet and Sour Sauce Agre Dulce 1 cup (250 ml) water 3 tablespoons tomato ketchup 3 tablespoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (Tabasco) (optional) 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 4 teaspoons water 1 Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Serve in small bowls with snacks or appetizers like eggrolls. Keeps in the refrigerator for a week. Makes 1 cup (250 ml) Preparation time: 5 mins Cooking time: 5 mins

Liver Sauce Lechon Sauce 4 oz (125 g) chicken livers or chicken liver pate 2 tablespoons Filipino vinegar (suka) or apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup breadcrumbs 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 small onion, diced 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1/2 cup (125 ml) water 1 If using chicken livers, broil the livers until half done, about 3–4 minutes. Then extract the juices and soft meat by pressing them through a sieve or strainer into a bowl. Discard the tough, stringy bits that do not pass through the sieve. 2 Combine the strained liver meat and juice (or liver pate) with the other ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes over medium heat until the mixture thickens. Serve in small bowls with Crispy Roast Pork (page 83). Keeps in the refrigerator for a week. Makes 1 cup (250 ml) Preparation time: 10 mins Cooking time: 35 mins

Eggplant Sauce Sarsang Talong 14 oz (400 g) slender Asian eggplants (about 2 eggplants) 2 tablespoons Filipino vinegar (suka) or apple cider vinegar 1 clove garlic, minced Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 Grill the eggplants whole with the skins intact, turning them several times so that the skins are charred and the flesh is tender, about 15 minutes. Halve the eggplants and scoop out the flesh. Mash the flesh with a fork until smooth. 2 Mix the eggplant flesh with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Serve in small bowls as a side dish. Keeps in the refrigerator for a week. Makes 11/ 2 cups (375 ml) Preparation time: 5 mins Cooking time: 15 mins

Green Papaya Pickles Achara This Indian-influenced relish is a favorite in the Philippines. Served as a side dish to accompany fried and broiled fish or meat. 1/2 unripe papaya (about 10 oz/300 g) 1/2 cup (125 ml) Filipino vinegar (suka) or apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar 11/2 teaspoons salt 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1/2 small carrot, cut into matchsticks 1/2 small green or red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks 1 in (21/2 cm) ginger, thinly sliced 1 small onion, finely diced 2 tablespoons raisins 1 Peel and grate the papaya into thin strips. Place the strips in a muslin cloth and squeeze out as much of the water from the papaya as possible. Then place the strips on a wide platter to dry in the sun. 2 Bring the vinegar, sugar and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the papaya strips and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to mix. Cover the saucepan, turn off the heat and set aside to cool. 3 Transfer the cooled pickles to a sterilized jar or bottle. Keeps for a month in the refrigerator. Makes 21/ 2 cups (625 ml) Preparation time: 50 mins Cooking time: 10 mins