Updated: Mar 3
Mother's Day is around the corner and I miss my mum.
My mum, a woman of 83 years, is a petite lady standing at 5' tall. She dedicated her life to my dad and me by being a full-time housewife. A person of great inner strength, she is the tie that binds our family together. Like any mother-daughter relationship, we were at odds when I was growing up. She was my most staunch critic but my most loyal defender.
I've watched my mum through all the trials and tribulations our family had to go through over the years. She quietly goes on and fights with gentleness and compassion. Now, I'm watching my mum go frail with age. She is no longer the woman I was at odds before.
This Mother's Day, I wanted to celebrate with her but travelling to the Philippines amid this virus pandemic is an option that is not available. Nevertheless, I will make this day special as if she was here with me.
My Mum's Cooking
My mum is the youngest and sickly among her siblings, and because of this, she hardly did any house chores, including cooking. She always defers to her sisters as the better cooks. My mum is not a very confident cook but she makes hearty, tasty and simple dishes.
Her gift is knowing how to combine flavours. This is what I learned from her.
Estofadong Manok (Chicken in Red Wine Sauce) - The Dish I Would Have Liked to Cook for My Mum
Estofado simply means stew, hot pot or pot roast. This version uses red wine and lardons. It is very similar to the French Coq Au Vin.
This is a dish that celebrates our Spanish heritage by using ingredients that became popular during that era.
Red wine, olive oil, olives and bacon came from Spain through the galleon trade.
This is a celebration dish, which I wish I could share with my mum on Mother's Day.
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New Estofadong Manok (Chicken Stew in Red Wine)
Ingredients 1-kilo chicken thighs 250 ml red wine 1 bay leaf 1 tbsp sea salt 1 tsp ground black pepper 75 ml of olive oil 100 g lardons (smoked, if preferred) 1 tbsp minced garlic 100 g shallots 250 g chopped tomatoes 100 g garlic sausage (or any sausage you like) 100 g chestnut mushrooms 50 g black olives 500 ml chicken stock 3 fried plantains (cut in half diagonally) Instructions
Marinate the chicken in wine, bay leaf, salt and pepper for at least 6 hours, then drain and reserve marinade
In a skillet, brown the chicken in olive oil set aside. Add the lardons and allow the fat to render, set aside.
Add garlic, shallots and tomato and saute for 2 minutes or until fragrant and soft.
Add the sausage, mushrooms, olives and return the chicken and lardons. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Add stock and marinade and bring to a boil.
Cook for another 30 minutes or until chicken is tender.
Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with parsley and the fried bananas/plantains.
Serving
Serve with rice and dip made with our garlic chilli oil, lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
Serve hot. Enjoy!