Sizzling Balut takes our classic balut to a whole new level of yum! Battered, fried and finished off in a spicy sauce, it's a tasty appetizer or dinner meal.
G and I watched a Top 10 weird foods from around the globe video on YouTube yesterday and balut, not surprisingly, was at the top of the list. Watching the guy on the video gingerly sip the flavorful juices and bite into the succulent embryo, I had a mad craving for this classic Filipino delicacy.
Unfortunately, balut is not something I can readily buy here in California so I guess updating this sizzling balut I first posted in 2014 is the next best thing to eating one.
When I went home to the Philippines in 2103, a cousin of mine treated me to dinner along with a few other cousins and friends at a popular balikbayan destination in Gerona, Tarlac. Although I found the restaurant's ambiance, food, and service good but not great, I was very impressed by the sizzling balut on their menu.
The lightly-battered duck eggs slathered in a spicy mixture of oyster sauce and chili peppers were such a delicious experience, I actually scoured dozens of Asian supermarkets when I came back to the U.S. to find balut and make my own version of the appetizer. May I say, the extra effort was well worth it as the dish turned out so tasty and has been my favorite appetizer since.
What is Balut
For the uninitiated, balut is a fertilized duck egg boiled and eaten in the shell. It's a popular street food in the Philippines as well as other Southeast Asian countries, such as Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
This unique delicacy is usually eaten with a sprinkling of salt and traditionally enjoyed as a snack or appetizer with ice-cold beer.
More Sizzling Appetizer Recipes
Sizzling Balut
Ingredients
- 4 balut, cooked and peeled
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 2 shallots, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 thumb-size ginger, peeled and minced
- 3 Thai chili peppers, minced
- ½ small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon green onions, chopped
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a shallow plate, lightly dredge peeled balut with flour.
- In a wide pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add balut and cook, turning once or twice, until lightly browned. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.
- Remove oil except for about 1 tablespoon from the pan. Add shallots, garlic, ginger, chili peppers, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring regularly, until softened and aromatic.
- In a bowl, combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, and water. Stir together until blended. Add to pan and bring to a boil.
- Add balut and continue to cook, gently turning to coat in sauce, until heated through and sauce is thickened. Season with pepper to taste.
- Remove from pan and arrange on sizzling plates. Garnish with green onions and serve hot.
Nutrition
Hi, Lalaine! I forgot you live in CA. Whereabouts because I love near the capital. I am able to find balut readily in various Asian stores including Seafood city. I hope you are too!
I am not as adventurous to eating balut as you but have known to eat them on a dare. Lol The younger the eggs are, the better! I don't know if I can handle a more mature egg.
Thanks for your recipes!
Hi Eileen
I am in Orange County, Southern California. Do you live in Sacramento? Quite a drive from me 🙂
Yes, I prefer balut with small chicks, I guess they call those sa puti? WHen they get too big, they can be a little scary to eat hahaha