(the ones i get from HK are much "sweeter" in flavor - it does not have any of that bitterness.)Though I am crazy for everything squid, I have never liked “daing na pusit” – dried squid fried in boiling-hot oil. It is too salty and slightly bitter. Perhaps because it cooks and toasts quickly, the adherent skin always ends up slightly burned. Then it is eaten dipped in vinegar – my arch enemy! (but I do eat paksiw! And cook with it to come up with sweet and sour stir-frys!)
One December morning, while on a hunt for dried shrimp and preserved pigeon legs at Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong we chanced upon a stash of so-called “premium” dried squid. I was told it is special because of the extra cost of labor of having to skin them individually prior to drying. I bought one catty to bring home to Manila. That began my love affair with this dried seafood.
When raw, it has an ivory-beige color. Fried, it has a golden color (not brown) and sweeter taste compared to what we get locally. Crisp, but not as salty or burnt-flavored as the local variety. And it does NOT curl up on cooking!
It is also good cut up finely or otherwise (I use kitchen shears) to flavor seafood broths. The local type simply will not work as it will only impart a fishy bitter flavor.
I am still dumbfounded why no one has thought of making this locally. Skinning the squid takes it to a level of its own in the dried seafood world!
I bought a kilo of this goodie and ran out of it in less than a month!
(the local version is always dried with its skin on, making it slightly bitter when fried.)
No comments:
Post a Comment