Maskara
Ingredients
To boil the maskara :
1 whole maskara (about 11/2 kilos), cleaned
1 whole garlic
1 whole onion
a thumb-sized piece of ginger
10 peppercorns
a bay leaf
water
salt
To complete the dish :
2 tbsps. of finely minced garlic
2 tbsps. of finely chopped ginger
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, julienned
2-3 stalks of celery, cut into slivers
1 bell pepper, cut into slivers
dark soy sauce
2 tbsps. of oyster sauce
3 tbsps. of cooking oil
1 tsp. of sesame seed oil
Instructions
Place the maskara in a large saucepan or casserole. Cover with water. Add all the ingredients for boiling and a teaspoon of salt. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for an hour to an hour and a half or until very tender. Alternatively, pressure cook for about 40 minutes, counting from the time the valve starts to whistle. Drain and cool. Strain the broth, cool and freeze for future use.
When the maskara has cooled completely, cut into 1” wide by 3” long pieces.
Heat a large skillet or wok. Pour in the cooking oil and heat until smoking. Saute the garlic, ginger and onion until fragrant. Add the carrot, celery and bell pepper. Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Add the cut maskara and cook over high heat for about 2 minutes. Season with soy sauce. How much soy sauce you will need depends on how much salt you used when boiling the maskara. Normally, about 1/4 cup should be enough. Cook, stirring, for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the oyster sauce and stir a few more times. Turn off the heat, drizzle the sesame seed oil over the maskara and vegetables and stir a few times.
Serve hot.
