Hello Everyone! We’re taking a little detour on our Flavours of Southeast Asia. My initial plan for the year is to go down the list of Southeast Asian countries alphabetically, but since April is a special month for Amcarmen’s Kitchen, I thought it would be fitting to travel through my home country, the Philippines.

Yes I am aware that it’s only Tuesday, those who have been following me for a long time now know that my regular posting schedule is every Wednesday night (GMT+8), but I decided that I would make a separate post for this recipe, leading up the the main recipe I have originally planned for tomorrow. The reason is because the recipe that I will be sharing tonight can be used as a base for many other Filipino dishes, or as a condiment to other savoury dishes.

I don’t think the word ‘bagoong’ even has a direct English translation to it. Rather, the term refers to a condiment local to the Philippines that is partially or completely made of either fermented fish (bagoong isda), krill, or shrimp paste (bagoong alamang) with salt.

The recipe that I will be sharing tonight uses neither fish nor shrimp, instead mushrooms for a vegan-friendly alternative. I first came across mushroom ‘bagoong’ when I was browsing around in an artisanal market about a year ago. I didn’t buy a jar of it though at that time only because I had no idea what I would make/do with it, but I did think that it was an interesting alternative to the bagoong we’re used to here in the Philippines. It wasn’t until I decided to make the dish that I will be sharing tomorrow night, that I also decided to attempt making mushroom ‘bagoong’ as an accompaniment to that dish.

PREP TIME 5-10 MINS | COOKING TIME 15-20 MINS | MAKES 1 CUP

INGREDIENTS

• 100g fresh oyster mushrooms, minced
• 2-3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 red bird’s eye chillies, finely minced (optional)
• 1 small red onion, finely minced
• 1/2 cup white miso paste
• 2 & 1/2 tbsp white granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp grated ginger

METHOD

1. Add cooking oil in a medium-sized pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, sauté the garlic until golden brown and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Follow with the onions and cook for a further 30 seconds before adding the grated ginger and chillies, total 1 and a half to 2 minutes.
2. Add the minced mushrooms and continue to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes before adding the sugar and then miso paste into the mushroom mixture. Mix until well combined and continue to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Taste and adjust according to your liking.

Add more sugar if you want it a little sweeter, or more chillies if you want a spicier kick. At this point, I added both dark and light soy sauce a tablespoon at a time for added umami flavours and for colour as well.

4. Cook further, a total of 15 to 20 minutes, until the mushrooms are completely cooked through. Turn the heat off and set aside to cool down before storing in a jar and keeping it tightly sealed.
5. Refrigerate until ready to use, and can be stored for up to 3 months!

Use for dishes such as pinakbet for a completely vegan alternative to using shrimp bagoong, or as a condiment for other dishes. Enjoy!

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx