Crispylicious Juicylicious

I was watching TV earlier when i chanced upon a commercial and caught sight of a nice, juicy crispy pata. For those unfamiliar to what it is, it's pork hocks boiled, dried, and then deep fried.  Something that dieters dare not touch and only a few of us have the willpower to resist. :P

I've tasted the cripy patas of Grilla, Congo Grill, Max's, and a host of many others in my quest to find the perfect crispy pata but nothing comes close to the one they have in San Pablo, Laguna -- Fat Crackles.  The skin is crisp, and the meat, tender and moist.  The sauce - a concoction of vinegar and spices complements the meat's taste to perfection.  

Which also reminds me of a neat fried chicken recipe that I have, it's kinda like the one they have at Max's if you do it right.  It's a work in progress, but feel free to throw in any suggestions that you may have to improve its taste.  

Here's how it's done.

Daddy's Fried Chicken

• Rub chicken with rock salt and put it in boiling water along with a few star anises, whole peppercorn, chicken stock, and some laurel leaves.
• Add a tablespoon of baking soda
• Cook in low heat until the chicken floats.
• Pat the chicken dry
• Rub the skin with cornstarch (optional)
• Deep fry
• Brush skin with a mixture of patis and kalamansi
• Enjoy

I've always wondered what the outcome would be if i usepata instead of chicken, but i'll be sure to give it a shot one of these days.  :)