How to Cook Longanisa Like A Local
Filipinos pride themselves on their mastery of meat dishes. As their cooking techniques have been influenced by Mexican and Spanish cuisine, Filipino foods are the most savory and diverse in Southeast Asia. Longanisa is such a Spanish originated pork sausage with some Filipino twist to it. It is the heart of Filipino breakfast, served along with fried rice and sunny side up eggs. If you have ever been to the Philippines and tasted their golden trio of Longanisa, fried rice, and eggs as breakfast, you know it is delicious. If you want to recreate the exact taste of authenticity at home, we have got you covered. And for those who never had the chance to taste the delicacy of Longanisa, you might never want other sausages after you have tried these recipes.
What Is So Special About Filipino Longanisa?
Filipino cuisine leans heavily on garlic and ginger flavor. One of the distinct features of Longanisa is that it is sold fresh, with no added preservatives. With just a change in condiments, Filipinos create a myriad of variations in Longanisa- there is Hamonado, the sweet and the savory, sour version, Derecado. Where Spanish Longaniza is solely made of pork, in the Philippines, you can find beef, chicken, and even with tuna .
However, every store in the Philippines adds its twist in making Longanisa, making them slightly stand apart in taste. You can find different variations of it in other parts of the Philippines.
How to Cook Longanisa
Longanisa can be found both skinless and encased in a wrapping. If you are up to sausage making, you can even make homemade with just a few ingredients, right in your kitchen. Apart from simple frying for breakfast, you can make various recipes out of Loganisa. Here are three simple Filipino breakfast recipes that you can try at home.
How to make Longanisa fried rice
Longanisa Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 2 pieces Longanisa
- Vegetables of your choice, green peas, tomato, or carrots
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 egg
- minced garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
- vinegar
Equipment
- Wok
Instructions
- Heat some oil in a wok and fry the garlic.
- When the garlic turns color, crack the egg and fry it.
- Add the rice and Longanisa; toss and fry them well.
- Add the vegetables, salt, and condiments.
- After 3-5 minutes of cooking, transfer them to a serving bowl.
- Enjoy!
How to make Longanisa casserole
Longanisa Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 onion, minced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 cup bell pepper, sliced, red and green
- 1 lb sweet Longanisa, hamonado
- 1 cup chopped tomato
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- salt to taste
- 3 eggs
- 7 oz tomato sauce
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 2 cups potato, sliced and fried (optional)
- fresh herbs for serving
Equipment
- Oven safe skillet
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Heat oil in an oven safe pan and fry the Longanisa; cut them into chunks after frying.
- Fry onions in the pan until translucent; add the garlic and bell pepper, sauté them.
- Add the chopped tomato and sauté also.
- Add a splash of water and add all the dry spices- cumin, paprika, salt, and coriander.
- Add the tomato sauce and cook all together.
- Top the dish with eggs and layer it with cheese.
- Bake the dish in the preheated oven for 10 -15 minutes.
- Serve with fresh herbs and fried potatoes.
How to make Longanisa Eggs Benedict
Longanisa Eggs Benedict Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 2 pieces of Longanisa
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 pieces pan de sal, (Filipino bread)
Hollandaise Sauce
- 3 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup butter
- lemon juice
- salt to taste
Equipment
- Skillet
- Blender
Instructions
- Poach eggs in simmering water, add drops of vinegar.
- Sauté spinach and garlic in butter.
- Add salt and pepper to the spinach.
- Toast the pan de sal.
- Fry the Loganisa as instructed in the package.
- Make hollandaise sauce by blending egg yolk, salt, lemon juice in a blender at high speed for 1 minute, add melted butter.
- Portion spinach, poached eggs, Longanisa on each bread, and spread some hollandaise sauce on top of it.
On a final note, as Longanisa is made of raw meat, you can boil them before frying for even cooking. Boiling will ensure you don’t over fry it to cook it thoroughly. There are many variations of these recipes that you can try at home. To bring some authentic Filipino taste to it, try experimenting with the portion of ginger and garlic; you will be amazed by the difference it can make. And if you have tried these recipes, don’t forget to try other delicious breakfast recipes from here!
Hey John, sorry for the confusion. You want to use tomato sauce, but you can use tomato paste and add a bit of water to thin it out if needed. We’ll update the recipe so it’s more clear. Thanks for the feedback!
Confusing recipe in that Ingredients call for tomato sauce while instructions call for tomato paste. Which is the correct one?
We used tomato sauce and were very pleased with the results but perhaps it would have been even better with tomato paste.
Please clarify.