Tortang Dulong by Chef Soc Inonog

This week, Isla Kulinarya takes you to the province located in the southernmost part of Cagayan Valley or Region II and the gateway to the world famous Banaue Rice Terraces—Nueva Vizcaya.

Also known as lowland Baguio because of its cold and pleasing climate, Nueva Vizcaya features a terrain of mountains, forests, plains, valleys. It also has several principal rivers such as the Magat, Matuno, Marang, Sta. Fe, and Sta. Cruz which leads to the Magat River that flows into the Cagayan River.

As a result of the Spanish rule during the early days, Nueva Vizcaya's named after the Spanish province, Vizcaya located in the Basque Country. Since then,it has become home to many ethnic groups such as the Ilongots (Bugkalot), Isinays, Gaddangs, Igorots, Ifugaos, as well as migrants from neighboring provinces like the Ilocanos—which make up for the majority of the people living in the Nueva Vizcaya, thus making Ilocano as the major dialect spoken among others. Majority of its people can also converse in English.

Like its neighboring provinces, Nueva Vizcaya is also blessed with a fertile soil and abundant rivers that make its natives survive through farming; raising farm animals such as cattle and swine; as well as fishing.

A fan of the healthy and simple foods, Nueva Vizcaya residents—especially the Ilocanos, boasts of delicacies such as the pinakbet--a vegetable dish defined by the distinct taste of the shrimp paste or the bagoong, and the dinengdeng—a vegetable dish with fish as the highlight ingredient and bagoong as its soup base.

Given a big gusto for fish delicacies, the natives of Nueva Vizcaya also enjoy having the tortang dulong or the silverfish omelet. It is favored by many because it requires only a few ingredients as well as simple cooking procedures.

Dulongs are caught at sea with fine nets because of its very small size. Aside from being tiny, dulongs are also identified by their small beady eyes and transparent white appearance.

To cook something in omelete or torta is to make a dish from beaten eggs quickly cooked in a pan with fillings—which, in this case, include the dulong among others.

The tortang dulong goes along with tomato ketchup very well and does not need salt because of the natural saltiness of the fish. 

Dulong Torta
( Dulong Omelette)

Yield : 8
prep : 30 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
5 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1/2 " Ginger, chopped fine
1 pc onion, small, chopped
1 pc tomato, chopped1 pc potato, grated
1/4 bell pepper, green, diced 1/2
1/4 bell pepper,red, diced 1/2
1 tsp chicken base (sysco)
6 pcs eggs, beaten
8 oz Dulong, washed and drained well

Method
1) in a sauté pan,pour 3 tbsp oil. Add garlic and Ginger,sauté for 2 minutes
2) add onion and sauté until translucent. Add tomato and cook for 3  minutes
3) add bell peppers and cook for 3 minutes.
4) In a mixing bowl, place the chicken base and eggs. Beat well with a whisk. Add sauteed items in the eggs mixture.
5) add the Dulong mix slightly
6) in a frying pan, pour 1/2 cup of the Dulong mixture and fry 2 minutes on each side.
7) continue the process until all the mixture has been cooked.

SOCRATES ZALDIVAR INONOG, AAC, CCE 
Dean and Director Emeritus, Culinary Arts College and Development
International Students Departments, Johnson & Wales University Providence, R.I.
The First Certified Culinary Educator by the American Culinary Federation (ACF)