Why, Ulang, What a Big Head You Have!

 

The first time I tried ulang was in my college blockmate’s home in Pampanga where we used to be hosted often for quick out-of-town trips. Oh, how we loved their sprawling home tucked away in a more quiet area of San Fernando.

Now, as many of us know, Pampangos (along with Bulaqueños, Negrenses and Southern Tagalogs) are known for their gastronomic flair and impeccable hospitality. In one of our wonderful lunches at my blockmate’s home, we were served sinigang na ulang or ulang in sour broth. It was a yummy introduction to an ingredient I learned to cook and love myself.

Ulang has been mistakenly translated to “crayfish”. According to one of my idols, Market Man, Ulang is simply “Giant Freshwater Shrimp (Macrobrachium rosenbergii)”* and that these used to be in abundance in rivers and waterways, needing fresh or brackish water.

I’ve used ulang in several dishes already (except sinigang) and here below are two of my recipes featuring the said crustacean. I’ve sautéed these in oyster sauce and chili, simmered in coconut milk (ginataan) and used as a sahog for paella.

Ulang is like a giant prawn featuring meat that is juicy and tender (if cooked well) and a head that is big with runny, bright orange fat. It also has long thin blue or brown legs that can get in the way. I have them cut off from the ulang but I also include these in my dishes. When preparing, I have the antennae or hairs cut off as these are long.

Here below are my ulang pasta and baked ulang recipes.

Ulang Pasta

 

INGREDIENTS

1 and a half kilos of ulang (I buy my ulang at Jonah’s which is located along the main, middle aisle of Farmer’s Market in Araneta Center, Cubao)

Crushed garlic (about 4 cloves)

1 one red onion, sliced

4 tomatoes, diced

1 medium-sized bell pepper, sliced in squares

Tomato paste and a bit of tomato sauce

Capers and olives

Spaghetti noodles

White wine

Basil leaves

Pecorino cheese

First, I washed the ulang and sliced it open, belly-side, through the middle. I rubbed these will salt and pepper. After about 30 minutes, I began to sauté these in a combination of butter and olive oil. It took a while longer than prawns to cook them through but once I saw the shell getting a bit crisp, I removed the ulang and set it aside. Oh, don’t fret as the heavenly fat slowly seeps out through the neck of the head. Let it ooze!

In that aromatic mixture, I added the tomatoes first, which I sautéed just until before they became totally wilted. Afterwards, I added the bell pepper, garlic and onions. Before the garlic turned brown, I already added the tomato paste, capers and olives. Deglazing with white wine, I then added tomato paste and sauce. When the mixture was showing signs of drying up, I added half a cup of water and a shrimp bouillon cube. I put back the ulang to infuse it with the flavors, and again removed them to toss in the pasta noodles. I added cheese, more olive oil, basil leaves and tossed in the ulang. Careful, this part can be unwieldy because of the big heads and claws.

Baked Ulang

INGREDIENTS

One and a half kilos of ulang

2/3rds kilo of French beans

20 pieces of baby tomatoes

Minched garlic (7 cloves)

One whole sliced white onion

Capers

Worcestershire sauce

Lemon zest and juice

Butter and olive oil

A dash of Spanish pimentón dulce

This recipe is terribly easy.

First, I preheated the oven at 240 C. I then sliced the ulang’s head down the middle and marinated these with Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper as well as slivers of butter, capers and lemon juice.

On a Pyrex, I put the aromatics, beans and tomatoes together with salt and pepper and slathered these with olive oil. I got my hands dirty as I mixed everything together. I then proceeded to put the ulang on top and then topped these with a dash of pimentón and lemon zest (probably half a table spoon).

It came out as a fragrant success, the meat, juicy, the fat amazingly sweet. The bottom of the Pyrex was replete with flavors and my family and I relished the French beans bathed in a glorious juice.

Boy, we had to tell ourselves to watch our servings of rice!

*http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/ulang-giant-freshwater-shrimp

Grilled Scallops: That Delicious Beach Dish

Slightly burnt at the sides, these saltwater mollusks are such delectable treats!

Being an archipelago, the Philippines is fortunately surrounded by seas, traversed by rivers and dotted with lakes rich in marine life. This summer, I enjoyed one of those seafood dishes that spell “Summer in the Tropics”, and that for me was grilled scallops.

Grilled scallops topped with cheese from D’Talipapa, Boracay

Grilled scallops are so simple yet they’re so delectable. All of the scallops I’ve tried have been prepared in such a no-frills fashion typical of how we we like to eat our seafood in the Philippines. Banking only on the freshness of the ingredients, the scallops are grilled, topped with minced garlic and some melted butter and/or cheese.

A closer look at the scallops from Boracay

The best I’ve had were from my recent trip to Bantayan, Cebu, prepared by our boat man, Yolly. Plump, the scallops were cooked to tender perfection. The melted butter and garlic made the scallops fragrant, saucy and super yummy!

Our sumptuous lunch at Bantayan Island. Simple but hearty.

Posing with the lowly mollusk hahaha!

It was difficult to limit our consumption of rice because the scallops were just so good!

Another view of our meal from Bantayan.

Look at those plump scallops!