After a lengthy hiatus, Lasang Pinoy, the Filipino food blogging event is back! Lasang Pinoy, meaning Filipino (pinoy is slang for Filipino) taste, focuses on Filipino dishes revolving around a certain theme chosen each month. I make it a point to participate because: 1. I am a Filipino (ok, that was obvious), and 2. I feel I am sadly (embarrassingly) lacking in Filipino food knowledge and cooking skills. So I use this event to really think about the local foods I like, and then go about the fun of learning how to make them.
This month’s round is hosted by Eat Matters and the theme is eggs. I’ve already mentioned that the humble egg is much beloved by me, so I was particularly excited to come up with something for this round. Try as I might though, I was coming up blank. Aside from all the different silogs (rice meals with a meat/fish and egg usually served for breakfast), I couldn’t think up of a single Filipino egg dish. Shame on me!
When I stopped thinking of an “egg dish” and started thinking if a “dish using egg” it came to me – tortang talong (eggplant/aubergine omelet)! Strange that I hadn’t thought of it sooner…it is one of my favorites. I make it here exactly the way I like it: no meat and just a thin coating of egg crisping golden brown all over.
Tortang Talong…the way I like it
- 2 Filipino eggplants (or other Asian eggplants…or any eggplant that is long and thin)
- 1 egg, beaten
- Vegetable oil
- Sea salt
- Roast and peel the eggplants. This is most commonly done over the flame on the hob until black and kind of charred, after which it is fairly easy to remove the skin. However, I like to do it under a hot grill/broiler in the oven just because I find it easier. Leave the stems on.
- After peeling, lay the eggplant in a colander and flatten gently with a fork, being careful not to break it.
- Beat your egg in a flattish bowl and then lay your eggplants in, turning to coat evenly.
- Heat the oil in a skillet. Once hot, gently place the eggplants in the pan. Leave to sizzle until golden brown and season with salt. Flip to brown other side. (since you have left the stems on you can do this whole operation without a spatula or flipper…just use the stem to move the eggplant around).
- Drain on paper towels when done. Serves two.
This can be served hot or at room temperature. I prefer it straight from the pan with some cold ketchup. I don't normally take a lot of ketchup (I like my fries with mayonnaise), but this is the one thing I must have with it. We had this with some adobo fried rice (a fantastic way to use leftover adobo), but I’m sure it would make a perfectly good light meal on its own. You can also slice it up to top a salad. Next I want to try it in pan de sal, with some thinly slice tomatoes, onions, and kesong puti (local fresh white cheese), then stick the lot in a contact grill for some native paninis.
Welcome back Lasang Pinoy and thanks Eat Matters for hosting!