I make your very basic Chao Fan (Fried Rice) at least once a week. It’s easy, balanced and only requires one pan to cook everything in it. The kids always look forward to it, and so do I.
But growing up, longsilog along with bangsilog, dangsilog and tok-si-log were my breakfasts of choice. The components are as such: a protein (your first syllable), sinangag (garlic fried rice), and itlog (fried egg). Some of the typical sides are tomatoes, atchara (pickled vegetables), a slice of fruit and of course, spiced vinegar. The most common vinegar you can find in the Philippines are made with cane, but there are also some made with palm, and my absolute favorite, pinakurat, which is made from coconut. When fermented with chilis, onion, garlic and ginger… there really is nothing that compares to it (sorry, rice vinegar, I really like you too… just not for Filipino dishes).
So in this mashup, I deliver the best of both worlds, where I swap Lap Cheong for Longganisa. Longganisa (pronounced as long- gah- nee- sah) is a broad term for Filipino sausage. Every region in the Philippines has their own version and since the country is made up of over 7,000 islands, you can just imagine how many versions there are.
When I was twelve, I watched my mom’s cousin make longganisa from scratch and wondered “Why bother when you can buy them pre-made?”. As an adult, I appreciate that experience more and I highly recommend making your own. Not only is it incredibly fast to make, but also way more economical than purchasing them from your local Filipino market. They also taste infinitely better. I use Bebs of Fox Folksy’s recipe; though I don’t use casings or the ascorbic acid (preservative). To prevent them from oxidizing, skip the marinating process overnight and toss them in the freezer directly after shaping and packaging in between sheets of parchment.
Flavor-wise, the only similarities lap cheong has with longganisa is a fraction of the sweetness. But otherwise, longganisa is garlick-y, tangy and juicy. Don’t throw that “juice” away after cooking it, fry your rice in it to lap up all those flavors!
And if you ever find this recipe and you don’t have time to make and freeze the longganisa overnight, feel free to use store-bought! Just don’t skip the vinegar *wink, wink*
Longganisa Chao Fan
Serve: 8
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
6 eggs, beat with a pinch of salt
½ head of garlic, chopped
¼ cup+ 2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
2 cups (measured uncooked) of rice, cooked and allowed to cool overnight
⅛ cup soy sauce
6 pieces longganisa, I like this homemade version
1 12 oz bag of frozen mixed vegetables
⅛ tsp white pepper
1 tbsp sesame oil
Scallions, chopped, for garnish
Spiced vinegar to serve
Instructions:
Coat a non-stick pan heated to medium with 2 tbsp oil . Add eggs and fry into an omelette. Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, add garlic and longganisa. Fry until golden. Remove longganisa, leaving the garlic in the pan.
Add ¼ cup oil to the pan and fry the rice on medium heat. Add mixed vegetables and continue stirring until completely heated through.
Pour soy sauce and mix to combine thoroughly.
When soy sauce has been absorbed by the rice, add the omelette, shredding it into pieces.
Chop longganisa into small chunks and toss into the pan. Add white pepper and sesame oil.
Give your chao fan a final toss to combine the rest of the ingredients.
Serve while hot, with scallions and spiced vinegar on the side.
Hey It's Jen Lou 