Uses for Ginisang Bagoong (sauteed shrimp paste)?

Last night, I was cooking some black beans. They were pretty boring, so I looked in my cupboard for something to give them some flavor. I found a jar of Sauteed Shrimp Paste from the Phillipines (Ginisang Bagoong). I had bought the jar on a whim a few months ago, and never used it. I put a couple of spoonfuls in the beans. Man, that stuff is tasty (who knew?). I would like to make it a regular ingredient in my cooking. I know it is served with Kare-Kare, but how else is it used? Now that the jar is open, how long will it keep in the refrigerator?

Bagoong was a staple in my house growing up. A very simple preparation, my favorite after kare kare, is just to slice some green mango and dip it in the bagoong. I've never tried any non-Filipino preparations of bagoong, but I imagine it would be good with anything that needs a good shot of saltiness. Maybe added to some sauteed vegetables...bok choy? Bagoong keeps forever, say, 6 months to be safe???

I don't know if you have any interest in fish bagoong or Filipinio cuisine more generally, but pinakbet, a very common dish, is made with the fish stuff and is very tasty--pork, ginger, onions, bitter melon, green beans...

Thanks for the info. I have not tried pinakbet, although I have seen it on menus. I will make a point of trying it. Pork, ginger and bitter melon sounds good to me. What I liked about the flavor of the bagoong is the toasty, almost popcorn-like flavor beneath the saltiness. I think it would make a good alternative for boullion cubes.

Speaking of Kare-Kare, is there any place local that makes a good version of this dish ? I tried it from a buffet once, but it was a simplified cafeteria version. Pretty boring. I want to try some made with fresh banana blossoms, ox-tails and tripe. Does such a place exist in Chicago, or am I just going to have to make some Filipino friends who will invite me for dinner?

Unfortunately, I don't eat Filipino food out. The only place I've tried in the Chicago area, don't know if it's still there, is the place on Golf in Niles (?) in the Value City strip mall--not the small prepared food place but the bigger sit-down restaurant.

My mom could make kare kare for you. She doesn't use banana blossoms because they're not easy to find at local stores, but always ox-tail and usually tripe (one of her all-time favorite foods). Her version is somewhat simplified, adapted enough to be made for regular dinners at home, but it's probably better than what you'd get at a buffet. I eat less Filipino food now that my mom doesn't cook for me, but when I have the chance, kare kare and dinuguan are the ultimate comfort foods.

happy_stomach wrote:Unfortunately, I don't eat Filipino food out. The only place I've tried in the Chicago area, don't know if it's still there, is the place on Golf in Niles (?) in the Value City strip mall--not the small prepared food place but the bigger sit-down restaurant.

That would be Filipiniana Restaurant. Decent food for filipino restaurant (although nothing beats home cooked meals!)

As for the shrimp paste, its mosting used as a salty condiment in meals... my favorite being lechon kawali (roasted pork, fried in a wok). I prefer making a small condiment plate of a dollop of ginisang bagoong, sweet grape tomatoes, sliced green onions and a hard boiled egg. Delicious and fresh!

Other uses for bagoong would be in the kare kare as previously mentioned. Another version is bagoong terong or bagoong monamon which is made with fermented fish. This is the type that is commonly used in the pork pinakbet I make. The shrimp paste bagoong is best with shrimp or vegetable pinakbet. I also find the bagoong terong and bagoong monamon to be more versatile in cooking, much more so than the shrimp version. The saltiness of the terong and monamon is perfect to use as a salt substitute whereas the shrimp paste is a bit too salty and course.

foodie1,

Thanks for the additional insight. I have been dipping carrots and celery in the bagoong to try to curb my life-long addiction to chips and crackers. The vegetables provide the crunch and the bagoong provides the salty toasty flavor that I crave (the MSG doesn't hurt either). The taste has been growing on me. I can see why it is used as a condiment in lieu of plain salt.