I remember your lolo Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista's passion for cooking. As Lola Betang insisted, with the stuffed roast fowl (Pava Rellenado), choose only the female hen (inaheng manok ng Batangas of about 1-1/2 kilos) or turkey for full flavor at walang lansa (no gamey aftertaste.) After dressing the freshly-killed hen, slit the center of the back, debone carefully the breast cavity, leaving the meat and skin intact. Remove the big bones of the wings and thighs, leaving only the bones of the wing tip and the drumstick. Do not debone the turkey however. Rub the skin and inner cavity with rock salt, wash, drain and wipe dry. Soak the chicken in calamansi juice and soy sauce (toyo) for 30 minutes. .

As Tita Topy says, "In frozen turkey or hen, look for the round breast and short round legs. The cock has pointed breast and long thin legs". Defrost frozen turkey for two days in the refrigerator. For freshly killed turkey hang on its legs to dry.

(1) 1 kilo freshly ground pork (giniling na baboy)
which you can get in most Korean / Oriental stores here]

(2) 1 piece diced chorizo de Bilbao (the original Marca Rey which comes embedded
in fat in bright green cans, which Vin's wife, Ludette says is readily available in New York Chinese market and in Quinta Market, Quiapo, Manila which sold at P180 each piece in 2000]

(3) 1/4 kilo strips of raw thinly sliced Hoc Shiu ham (Canned Yunan ham slices available in Oriental supermarts are even tastier. Also available at Rustans supermarket)

(4) 20 pieces green Spanish olives (aceitunas with pit not pimiento), pitted then diced

(5) 1/2 small bottle capers (alcafaras)

(6) 1 cup Del Monte sweet mixed pickles, minced

(7) 2 (145 grams) cans Libby's Vienna sausage (salchichas), sliced diagonally

(8) 2 small cans Libby's potted meat

(9) 1/2 cup carrots (zanahoria), cubed

(10) 2 tbsps. kinchay stems without leaves, minced
(or a modern substitute, 1/2 cup diced celery stems first stripped of its stringy outer covering
to remove any vestige of dirt. However, 2 tbsps. of kinchay gives a more pungent aroma
na naka-aalis ng suya and prevents stomach gas formation says the Chinese)

(11) 1 medium-sized onion, minced

(12) 1/3 cup Sun-Maid raisins, black

(13) 1/2 cup grated queso de bola [marca Gallo, Pina from Holland]

(14) eggs [about 5 pieces]

(15) flour, all purpose

(16) rock salt as iodized is a bit bitter

(17) black pepper, freshly ground

Preparation

On the kitchen table, arrange the ingredients in individual containers around a big mixing bowl or palanggana. For base, scoop onto the mixing bowl, a cup of ground pork, then sprinkle by a spoonful (as needed) the next 13 ingredients, an unbeaten egg, a little flour, salt and pepper. Add another layer, repeating the process of mixing layer by layer, starting with the ground pork as base, until finished. Mix thoroughly with wooden spoon. {Layering ensures even distribution of ingredients and prevents mashing) Put a teaspoonful of the stuffing onto a saucer (platito) and microwave. When done, taste then correct seasoning.

Before filling the turkey/hen with both hands, scoop enough stuffing to drop forcefully onto a cutting board. {Doing so prevents the stuffing from disintegrating when sliced} Then fill in the breast and neck cavities with the stuffing. Sew the necks, the back of the deboned hen and the bottom of the turkey. Rub skin with butter. (About 1/3 more of this proportion would be enough to stuff a 7 kg. turkey}

Cooking:

1. (a) Wrap turkey/hen in muslin cloth (katsa), then lay on its back in a steamer (i.e. bamboo lansungan on a kawa, or regular metal steamer). Steam for 1-1/2 hours till tender. Unwrap muslin cloth. Deep fry till skin turns brown. (This method remains popular in the rural areas where refrigerator/oven are not common, as the Relleno keeps longer from spoilage. Hindi kaagad napapanis.) (b) Or steam turkey/hen for an hour, unwrap muslin cloth, lay fowl on its back on rack over roasting pan and bake till golden brown and done when the wings could be easily moved. (Steaming first the turkey/hen and when cool, deep fry or bake, ensures a firm stuffing}.

2. Lay turkey/hen on Foley folding rack on roasting pan, breast down, cover with aluminum foil and bake in 350•F. oven (about 1 hour for hen) or till half done. Remove foil and continue baking till golden brown and wings are easily moved. {Bonus - All the flavor of the stuffing seeps down to the breast, such that every slice becomes tasty.)

3. Or, send to local bakery (panaderia with wood-fired oven) for baking till done.

GIBLET GRAVY: In saucepan, boil giblet [gizzard till tender, then add the heart and lastly the liver of the turkey/hen till cooked. Chop gizzard and heart, dredge in flour, mash liver to a paste. In a frying pan, saute in 2 tbsps. of oil drippings from the roasting pan, 3 cloves crushed garlic till golden brown, 1 small onion (minced) till translucent. Add 1 tbsp. toasted flour, 1 cup chicken broth from steamer, chopped gizzard, heart, mashed liver paste, ground pepper and salt to taste. Cook over low fire for 10 minutes till thick, stirring constantly so no lumps are formed. Strain before serving.

Serve Chicken Relleno in platter, cutting off wings and thighs, then cut thinly crosswise into round slices, with Giblet Gravy in sauceboat neaby.

Carve turkey into white meat (from breast) and dark meat (wings, thighs and drumsticks), arranging slices on a platter with mound of stuffing. Serve with Cranberry and Giblet Gravy Sauce.

For any buche remainder, roll in tinfoil as in embutido, steam till done. OR put in loaf pan, cover with foil and bake 45 minutes before the Turkey is done

For the buche of the chicken Galantina, almost all of the above ingredients are used, except that pimientos morrones replace the aceitunas.

The above buche is also used for Beef Morcon de Relleno. Choose the kabilugan of a vaca machora as this part calls for long stewing in its sauce.

Happy Cooking!

ABOUT THE WRITER
Anjelica Cabanero writes as a retiree after a career at the Philippine National Bank as its librarian.