The inspiration for this dish was David Chang’s roasted brussel sprouts with fish sauce dressing at a recent lunch we enjoyed at Momofuku in Las Vegas. We don’t often see brussel sprouts on offer in Manila, so I thought I would experiment with other brassica relatives — cauliflower, broccoli and red cabbage.
Cut cauliflower and broccoli into medium sized florets. Wash or soak well and drain and spin dry.
Slice red cabbage so that the central stem holds the leaves together. Heat up your oven to 400F. Into an ovenproof pan, heated on top of a burner, add some vegetable oil (grapeseed, canola, etc.) and add the brassicas and let them be. Once they start to brown slightly, place them into the oven and let them roast on high heat. After about 10-12 minutes, check on the veggies and turn them over for even browning. Cook for a total of 23-25 minutes (cabbage less) until well caramelized and colored.
This is what the veggies looked like after I took them out of the oven… I could have left them in a few more minutes.
Make a dressing of fish sauce, a touch of water, fresh lime (dayap) juice, sugar, chilies and chopped cilantro. Sprinkle dressing generously over warm vegetables and add some chopped wansoy or cilantro, thai basil, mint and green onions.
This was delicious. Not quite the wonderful dish we enjoyed at Momofuku, but brilliant for a first attempt.
28 Responses
Now that you mention it, I don’t recall ever picking up Brussel sprouts to cook at home, I’ve had rare occasions tasting them though in Western restaurants. My preferred Western brassica is red cabbage not only because of its lovely colour but mainly for its sweet mild flavour and even sweeter low price compared to those of green, white or Savoy cabbage and nowadays, heaven forbid, cauliflower which is gaining unprecedented popularity as ersatz rice at unlumpenproletariat price. When in Brazil, chiffonnade of kale is simply unavoidable. I’ve been a longtime dribbler of patis in vinaigrette so no jump of faith needed there. I favour high grade Vietnamese patis which I find astoundingly tasty in spite of its brandname, Three Crabs which is somewhat daunting for someone such as me who came of age at the tail end of the Vietnam War.
Hi! I’m doing my research for my business. I had an idea and was fascinated with Capiz shells. I searched online for suppliers or locations in Manila where I could buy but I was disappointed because I didn’t find anything. I found your blogpost which you published in 2012 but I wasn’t able to comment on the post itself because I think the comment section is closed? So, I thought on commenting on your most recent, instead. You bought yours in Cebu for P1 each, but I wonder where can I get that in Manila? Thanks!
Joy, sorry, I am not aware of any sources of raw capiz in Manila.
Roasted brassicas are an absolute mainstay of our home dining. Brussels sprouts, rapini, broccoli (peeled stem too), cauliflower (pieces or slabs or even a whole head), broccolini, kohlrabi (tops and bottoms), turnips (tops and bottoms)… Even those who claim to “hate” brassicas are usually converted by this method of cooking.
We have never bothered to soak them (what is the reason for that step?), and if home-grown or from a local farm where we know no pesticides have been used, all that’s needed–if at all–is a quick rinse to remove stray soil or dust. The brassicas should be as dry as possible when roasted, or they’ll steam, which spoils the effect. Generally we cut them into pieces (or slices, in the case of cauliflower or brassica stems/roots) of even thickness, toss generously in olive oil (or, if available, duck or goose fat), and roast quickly in a quick oven–at least 425F–or even under the broiler. Flip the pieces once or twice for even caramelisation. Depending on the size of the pieces and the oven heat, these will be cooked in about ten minutes. We usually eat these as is, or sometimes with dukkah sprinkled over (this makes addictive munchies).
Hmm, there are a few kohlrabi stems (“roots”) in the fridge that need roasting. Last night we had the kohlrabi greens sauteed in olive oil with a good two fistfuls of green garlic scapes, served with enormous king trumpet mushrooms sauteed in butter. Delicious!
Joy, you can get in touch with CITEM. They have an extensive directory of raw materials suppliers from all over the country. I’m sure they’ll be happy to provide you contacts.
I am trying to contact you but your contact page is not working. How can I email you?
its looks very tasty, and images showing that you made with lots of efforts. I would try once. Thanks for this recipe.
Hello, MM!
Thank you for a wonderful dining experience at Zubuchon. You have excellent service staff and food!
Sorry I wasn’t able to stop by your kiosk at Terminal 3. I was assisted by the airline staff and asked him to make a short stop at your kiosk. He said he doesn’t know where your Zubuchon kiosk is and he asked another ANA employee who didn’t know either.
At any rate, there is always a next time. Who knows, I might go back there in January if given surgeon’s clearance to travel. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.
Great to see you here again, BettyQ! Looks like you were in the Philippines for a visit. Hope that you get back to health and allowed to travel again. I am planning to go in November and for sure will visit Zubuchon. By the way, Happy Birthday MM!
BettyQ went back for a visit! Does not sound as though there was an eyeball meet with any of her MarketManila fans. Did she meet up with even one friend of the site, ConnieC? On ne sait pas, unless she lets out and share a little bit more.
good evening, mm! your contact page seems to be not working so i am sending this here. would just like to bring to your attention my concern regarding my order at zubuchon through food panda earlier today.
i order the same items at least once a month (small boneless, but small zubu if the former is unavailable plus kalabasa soup).
today i ordered the small boneless with the soup. what i got with the lechon was a sizable chunk of bone and two smaller pieces. my roommate said it looked like tira-tira but my issue really is just the bones that shouldn’t be there. they could easily be 3-4 pieces of meat instead. i could send you a photo and the receipt if you wish.
please understand that i am not a nitpicker or a random troll. i have been reading your blog since 2008 and you have even responded to some of my comments. i am the one who says i would vote for you if you ran for president and that still holds true today. :)
if your staff remembers, we were the ones who returned to your store a few days after getting some takeout food and paying for an item that was not included in the takeout bill. this was a few weeks after you opened in makati.
anyway, that is all. just expressing my disappointment. but i’m still a believer.
thank you.
good day, mm! i would like to bring to your attention my concern regarding our zubuchon through food panda this week. we order the small boneless zubuchon (small bone-in if boneless is not available) and kalabasa soup at least a couple of times a month.
however, i was disappointed that upon receiving my most recent order, the boneless zubu included a chunk of almost-meatless bone and two smaller pieces which weight-wise could have been equivalent to 3-4 pieces of meat. my roommate said the order looked like leftovers but i was actually ok with it save for those bones that shouldn’t have been there. maybe they were meant to be discarded or to be used for stock or something but were placed by mistake in the container meant for my order? i could send photos if needed.
i assure you i am not a troll or troublemaker. have been a daily blog reader since 2008 and you have occasionally replied to my comments on marketmanila.com. we were the ones who returned to the makati store to eat (march 25, 2017, if my record is right) and also pay for an item that had not been included in our previous bill some days prior; perhaps someone on the staff still remembers this. have also been saying that i’d vote for you if you ran for president and that still holds true to this day. :)
i just want to bring this to your attention in hopes that we will not experience this again in the future.
thank you for your time.
sincerely,
jj
Hi i saw your fig plant post in 2015, i am so curious as to its condition now. I am also from Batangas and have almost same conditions as yours in Nasugbu. I will be buying some fig plants in a few days and would love to hear your updates. Thanks much.
Big fan. IG follower.
But I always come back here to see if there’s something new.
Missing your posts Mr. MM.
hello marketman, just emailing to say i ordered zubu from foodpanda again yesterday (could’t resist, as i do have zubu at least once a month). happy to say the boneless zubu was entirely bone-free (!!) and even arranged in a non-haphazard manner. ;) faith in zubu restored! thank you!
MM, you must be so busy with Zubuchon…but, have you given up on blogging?
there really is something enchanting about the fresh tartness of citrus, the salty umami of patis, a hint of sweetness backed by the kick of chili over roasted veggies. tried it over roast carrot, zucchini & bell peppers once on a family reunion and even the family carnivores deigned to try a spoon or two!
on an unrelated note, your contact page doesn’t seem to be working. Would you mind sharing for your recipe for putong ube from a post 10 years ago. I’ve tried my hand at wheat-based puto but nothing tickles the nostalgia in our family than the balance of density and softness in rice-based puto. my email is ohmyghulay2002@yahoo.com. thank you in advance!
MM I just bought a new Dutch oven light cast iron enamel pot – 900 here at snr iloilo – and i will cook ur recipe may 2018 , pochero bulalo.- miss u n the pipol in this blog- if u notice I am not into internet.
Yummy article! Miss a really good recipes made of greens. Most are meat with the meat, adding more meat and desserts…
Hi MM,
I am new to your blog. I was looking for a puto bumbong recipe and saw your website. I would like to thank you for encouraging foodies worldwide to explore new horizons. I am based here in North America (BC) and had been trying different ways of cooking Filipino food using available ingredients here. I am looking for fellow foodies that can help me in my quest in learning how to substitute ingredients both in cooking and baking. I would like help in making pancit palabok and ukoy.
Many thanks to you and this wonderful website. It lessens the homesickness a bit. May God bless you!
Looking so Awesome Roasted Brassica Salad with Fish Sauce and Lime Dressing. Really mouth watering Roasted Brassica Salad.
Totally off topic, but would want to know is Former Senator Mar Roxas still worthy voting for? httpss://www.thinkingpinoy.net/2019/01/fact-check-mar-roxas-ekonomista.html?m=1
Hi Marketman! What’s up? Hope you’re fine. We miss your posts.
Following IG but came back here to check for new posts and the comments of longtime readers. Delighted to see that Footloose and bettyq are still around. :)
I am IG follower and I really love your work, keep posting :)
Yo MarketMan what’s up??? Missing You and Hoping that you’ll come back soon. Hope everything is Good with you and your family. Regards
Malen…maybe I can help you! I am in BC for the last 40 something years and know of sources where you can find ingredients. If I cannot find what I am looking for, I can easily substitute the necessary ingredient.
I can also assist you with your cooking and baking quest. I was trained in classical French Pastry and became a pastry chef before I got married having worked in high end restaurants as their pastry chef like THE CANNERY, FISH HOUSE IN STANLEY PARK as well as dessert restaurants in the West End. I was also featured in Seattle on TV did a demo, have been asked so many times to do a cooking and baking demo but our house is not equipped to do so. I have asked my husband to convert our basement into an industrial kitchen…maybe in the near future he will once we are empty nesters!
I think I can be of assistance to you in your pancit palabok or pancit Malabon and okoy journey. Is this for home use or business venture?
I also have a source now for CARABAO’s MILK AND MAKE THE TIBOK TIBOK which can rival the famous Tibok Tibok Pampangga is known for! This is my most requested kakanin at pot lucks and family gatherings!
With MM ‘s very busy schedule and random posts now, I might not answer your comment right away. I only check his Instagram to see what he is up to unlike back in those days when I write comments so often! Gardening and volunteering also takes up the bulk of my time. At the moment, I am also very busy writing a family recipe book I can leave behind only for my children and my relatives for time will come when there will be no more Tita T. to ask how to make this and that.
I love this and will try for my kids for sure.