Kwek – Kwek is a famous Filipino street food made by deep-frying hard-boiled quail eggs that are covered in orange batter. This is usually served with a spicy vinegar-based dip and chopped cucumber on the side. Another food similar to this is called “Tokneneng” where it is made out of chicken or duck eggs instead.
While the origins of the name and the dish have been lost, cholesterol-rich kwek-kwek is arguably the tamest of the eggy treats you’ll find on the street, which may include balut (boiled duck embryo), penoy (underdeveloped balut), fried day-old chicks, and a smattering of other tasty (or shall we say fowl?) morsels.
Where: Trust the Filipinos and their sense of humor where you can find them in each corner of the street in Cebu city. You could choose a variety of stalls in every road you passed in Cebu city.
When: This cart is open daily
Order: One order of kwek-kwek costs Php15 and arrives as four little orange-colored eggs on a disposable paper plate. Ladle out a generous amount of the spicy vinegar (found in a tall plastic container at the side of the cart) and take a pointy stick to use as skewer.
How to Prepare
Ingredients
- 12 quail eggs
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 drop yellow food coloring
- 1 drop red food coloring
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- oil for deep frying
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- bamboo skewer
Directions
- Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 2 minutes. Rinse eggs in cold water and cool to room temperature; peel.
- Combine rice vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, and soy sauce in a saucepan. Cook and stir over medium until sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
- Prepare batter by adding red and yellow food coloring to the water to get a deep orange color. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl; pour in orange water and stir until there are no lumps.
- Heat oil in a wok to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Gently roll eggs in cornstarch to coat and shake off excess cornstarch. Dip into orange batter so they are fully covered. Poke eggs with the bamboo skewer and drop gently into the hot oil. Deep fry until the batter is crispy, about 2 minutes per side. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
POSTED BY:
Gabriel Rolando Rosell
References
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/259294/kwek-kwek-filipino-street-food/
https://eatyourworld.com/destinations/asia/philippines/manila/what_to_eat/kwek_kwek
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