Saturday, April 16, 2011

dec·a·dence 

dec·a·dence


 [dek-uh-duhns, dih-keyd-ns] noun - unrestrained or excessive self-indulgence

 

The word maybe very subjective, but when the host to this challenge (and my twitter buddy) Lala announced the theme for Kulinarya Cooking Club  for April, I instantly thought of  sweet and fluffy canonigo.  This dessert dish is a Filipino version of the French dessert oefus a la neige.

But before you get too excited (and so as not to be accused of bait and switch)... let me tell you how I ended up not doing canonigo.  

 I saw in my freezer a pack of "pusitcharon" or dried squid ready for frying (just like chicharones).  The pack seemed to say "fry me, it only takes 10 seconds"... hmmm, what an intriguing substitute to my orignal dish for the challenge. 

Before I knew it, I dropped a batch of dried squid in a tub of hot oil and flash fried it to instantly bring out the intense flavor.  But let me warn you before the neighbors complain, the scent will also be intense.  Please plan accordingly - make sure you have enough ventilation to clear out the smell of the fried squid.  Also, make sure not to overcook it.

But this dish is not decadent enough for me, I wanted something sinful and over the top.  I wanted to serve a dish not only having intense flavors, but also being sweet, spicy, crunchy and tangy.  So I went even further. I put back the crispy squid into the pan, poured 3/4 cups of brown sugar, added chopped chiles, dashed more cayenne powder, drizzled with vinegar. And voila... 

The result?
intense flavor (and aroma) ... check!
tangy ... check!
sweet.... check!
crunchy... check!
sinful... definitely!

Anything fried tastes good.   Whether you deny it or not.  The golden brown color from deep frying and the caramelized sugar coating it makes me grab a couple of pieces. I took the first bite and was temporarily dazed.  It made me think decadent and sinful! What more can I say, it's deep fried (crunchy), salty, flavorful, sweet and spicy all in that one bite. 

I took a second bite... the crunch it created sounded so good, and the unfamiliar texture made it even more special, it was like a whole orchestra playing in my mouth, with the different flavors comprising the sound of the various instruments.  The combination was magical.  When I bit into the little specs of chili, it exploded in my mouth and jolted me with heat while giving me the tangy taste of the vinegar.

I was standing there by my stove and I could feel my head lifting my chin up,  my cheeks slowly stiffing  up until a smile came about. It was happiness in a crunch!  


When my husband came home, I saw him grab one, then another until he said: "This is genius! Give me some beer!"  It was definitely something new.  

And it took me all of 20 minutes to make... Here again are the directions:


Just get a pack of pusitcharon... (available at the Asian grocery store)



Deep fry it for 10 seconds... you would know it's cooked when they float to the surface...


Add some brown sugar...  chopped chiles (depending on how much heat you want) add 2 tbsp of vinegar...



Voila, you have this sinful indulgence on a plate...



One caveat I must make:  This fried squid dish is high in salt and sugar, so please do not over-indulge.


This has been another KCC post check out what other KCC friends has in store this month!


31 comments:

  1. ahhhh this looks delicious mom. ooo and i really like the last picture!

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  2. That is some awesome, completely indulgent and decadent dish!!!!! That will go great with some light beer on a summer afternoon!

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  3. Haha first!

    I've never had pusitcharon but I'm sure I'd be all over that with a bowl of rice, spicy vinegar - suka't patis at sili, and every other fried thing in the house. The salty part gets bonus points from me :D

    Congrats on being the first one to decadence. Wait, is that a good thing or bad thing? :p

    Can't wait to see all the rest!

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  4. Damn it I'll settle for second then. Lol

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  5. Oh wow Malou, this is really sinfully delicious especially with Ice-Chilled San Miguel beer. Good job on the pix too! Cheers!!

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  6. Izzy: I'll make some when you come home. I could imagine you with suka already haha!
    Trisha: yes cold beer is a good way to wash off the heat of the dish. thanks for stopping by.

    Lala: Will get you some when you come to Cali in the fall. Im really excited to see you.

    Ray: I know I told you i was making canonigo but heck no, I made this instead haha!

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  7. Malou, this makes my stomach growl!! Great shots on the dish.

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  8. yummy! this is good with a tequila shoot too! just me cielo

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  9. Wow, this looks soo good I'm trying not to drool :) I can't get squid right now, but when we move I'll be able to get my hands on some good ones and will be giving this recipe a try!

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  10. Wow... this looks amazing. Never would have thought to do any of that to squid! Genius idea!

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  11. Finger-licking good! Is this something to eat as a snack or ulam?

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  12. Love the sweet and sour twist you gave this dish ... as your husband put it ...pure genius!

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  13. Pusitcharon?! Hey, no fair, how come we don't have that here? :) This looks really REALLY good. I can imagine the crunch and the aroma of this dish. Decadent indeed!

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  14. I never heard of pusitcharon. If I had, I would have bought them all. My mom-in-law sent me something similar from Malaysia and said she thinks I'd like it. She was so right. Save some for me, Malou. I'm coming!

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  15. Hi Malou! But it's so hard not to over-indulge this dish!! Impossible... It's just SO AWESOME!

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  16. You really have me intrigued - intense crunch, deep flavor? Deep-fried? (Yes, of course.) And you can keep it in your freezer just waiting to be made? Check "yes" on all counts.

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  17. I have never heard of this but I am very adventurous and know I would enjoy it. You photos today are wonderful. I hope you have a great weekend. Blessings...Mary

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  18. Oooooohhhhh! I love this appetizer! I remember I used to buy those squids in a pack and my jaw would be sore because they were kinda leathery. I bet this will be crispy , sweet and salty...now you're talkin' !

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  19. Wow- this looks incredible and sooo cholesterol laden! :) Really great post, yum!

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  20. Malou, this sweet and salty squid dish screams pure decadence and leaves me longing to taste some! I think we have our own version of pusitcharon sold here, but I've never tried to cook it. After seeing your recipe, I'm dying to go out and get some so I can make -and eat - this!

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  21. love the picture.. not much experience with squid

    new to ur space n happy to follow u for more wonderful recipes..

    do visit me when u get time..
    http://comeletseat.blogspot.com

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  22. looks exotic and yummy....make it a lil' bit more spicy and it's simply ooohhhh sinful......goes well with a long cool swig of beer......

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  23. Goodness me. Shall have to try this.

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  24. I love reading about your creative genius. This sounds absolutely delicious and I love that it hits every taste bud!

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  25. I've just bought a pack of dried squid from Thailand last week :) I will give this recipe a swirl :)

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  26. Beautiful dish. Thing is that I am allergic to sea food(can you believe it?)but for some reason I can eat squid....love your recipe and twist on the dish:)

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  27. the photo says it all...awesome image....awesome dish!

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  28. malou, i'm glad you decided on pusitcharon, because this is just irresistible! it's sweet, salty, crunchy, spicy and savory in one bite. love it!

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  29. Wow, it's awesome, makes my mouth water so early in the morning.:)

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  30. Oh..ang sarap nito!!! Brings back memories, this is definitely an acquired taste...but i love it. Thanks for the post...now i want to make some. Can't wait 'til i'll be able to open my windows, or grill so i can cook these;)

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  31. This looks like the most awesome beer snack EVER.

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