One of my all time favourite seafood dish is Adobong Pusit (Squid Adobo). I happen to spot some baby squids in Inala and can’t resist on making Squid Adobo. The baby squids were just a bit bigger than my thumb and it was a killer cleaning them out, removing the mouth and guts, taking out carefully the ink sacs (very important for the broth). Took me awhile just cleaning a small bowl of baby squids but it reminds me of the small fresh squids that my “Lola C” (grandmother) cooks in Navotas were I spent most of my elementary school vacations. I remember fondly, seafood vendors that drop by in my Lola C’s Sari-sari Store, offering freshly caught assorted seafood stored in their plastic buckets, sometimes I get lucky and get the chance to observe live fish swimming in a bucket before it becomes our lunch for that day.
This baby squids are easy to cook, very tender and melt in your mouth. I love to drizzle the ink broth over my steamed rice and pair the meal with a can of Coke.
Adobong Pusit (Squid Adobo)
INGREDIENTS:
½ kg baby squids, cleaned
⅛ cup white vinegar
¼ cup water
4 peppercorns, whole
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small onion, sliced
1 med tomato, sliced
2 tspn soy sauce
1 tspn sugar
2 tbspn cooking oil
*used U.S Measuring Cups & Spoons
COOKING PROCEDURE:
~ Rinse and clean the squids, be careful not to burst the ink sacks and keep it separate in a small bowl (add a tablespoon of water and extract the ink). Bring to boil squids in a mixture of water, squid ink, vinegar, peppercorns and ½ garlic and let it simmer for a minute or so. Drain the squids and set aside the broth.
~ Heat oil, sauté ½ garlic, onion and tomato till mushy. Add squids and slightly stir it to combine with the mixture. Pour in broth, soy sauce and then add sugar, cook for about 1 1/2 minutes.
~ If you find it too saucy, drain the squids and put the broth back in the saucepan and let it simmer till it reduces half of its original volume.
~ Add back the drained squid mixture and stir till the broth is well combined with the squid, turn off the stove.
~ Ladle out your Adobong Pusit into a medium bowl and serve.
NOTES:
- The reason why I take the squids off the sauce during the broth reduction is to avoid overcooking the squids.
- If you are interested in other Adobo dishes, I have previously posted Adobong Sitaw (Snake Beans Adobo) and also Adobong Manok (Chicken Adobo).
Adobong Pusit is the best.. Especially the sauce on the rice. Ayyy I miss it.
ReplyDeleteyum! sarap naman..makes me hungry, I haven't had pusit in a long time, my husband is allergic to seafoods.
ReplyDeleteI'm salivating just by looking at those pusit! I love this dish - and the darker the better!
ReplyDeletewe just had this last week.. loved it :D
ReplyDeleteHi! Where in Navotas? I grew up and went to school there. May I know your Lola's name?
ReplyDelete@Marlen~ In San Roque, Navotas..her name is Cita=)
ReplyDeleteGood to see this blog about squid adobo.
ReplyDeleteI've been looking to compare my recipe to improve my next cooking.