Longganisa and Dipping Sauce Preparation by Mia P. Manansala @MPMtheWriter (2024)

Longganisa with garlic rice, fried egg, steamed broccoli, and vinegar dipping sauce

Longganisa is a Filipino sausage that I love so much, I used it as the name for the Dachshund in ARSENIC AND ADOBO (check the book cover at the bottom of the post to see how adorable she is)!

This is more of a procedure than a recipe, but longganisa (sometimes spelled “longanisa”) is one of my favorite foods in the world, so I wanted to make sure you all know how to prepare it.

There are many regional varieties, but the one I grew up with is short, fat, and lightly sweet. It can be eaten any time, but is a popular choice for breakfast as longsilog: longganisa, sinangag (garlic fried rice), and itlog (egg), and is often served with a spicy vinegar dipping sauce, known as sawsawan. I’m including the dipping sauce below, but you’ll have to wait for my next recipe post for the garlic fried rice.

I know this may seem heavy for breakfast, but it's not that different from most Western breakfasts in that it includes sausage, eggs, and carbs. Longganisa is an anytime food, so I most often prepare this for an easy, delicious spin on breakfast for dinner. Are you all big breakfast eaters or do you tend to ease into your day with lighter fare? Let me know in the comments!

Ingredients:

• Longganisa
• Water, to cover

For serving:

• Cooked white rice or garlic fried rice
• Fried egg
• Green onions, fried garlic, crispy shallots, hot sauce (optional)

Sawsawan (dipping sauce)

• ½ cup cane vinegar*
• 1 ½ tsp fish sauce/ patis**
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Red pepper flakes or chopped red or green chiles, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp water, add more as needed (optional)
• 1 tsp sugar or to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the dipping sauce together in a small container. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside while longganisa cooks so the flavor can develop.
2. Cut the connecting links so the sausages are all separate.
3. Poke holes in all the sausages using a knife or fork so the sausages don’t explode while cooking.
4. Place in a wide, shallow pan and add water until almost covered.
5. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer on low/medium-low, turning the longganisa occasionally, until all the water evaporates (about half an hour).
6. Once the water is all gone, there should be a good amount of fat that’s been released from the longganisa. Fry the longganisa in the fat until it’s reached your level of doneness--some like their sausages soft, while others like a bit of char and snap to the skin.
7. Watch the longganisa very carefully at this stage--the fat also contains sugar, which is susceptible to burning.
8. Serve with rice, eggs, and dipping sauce, if desired.
9. Enjoy!

*Filipino cane vinegar is less harsh than distilled vinegar. You can use distilled vinegar if you want, but you'd likely need more sugar and water to dilute the flavor. Apple cider vinegar is a good substitute--just omit/reduce the sugar.

**Patis has a strong scent, but the flavor is not fishy. It adds saltiness and depth to many dishes, and is one of my favorite condiments. However, if you don't have/can't eat fish sauce, soy sauce or salt are OK substitutes.

This is the kind of longganisa I'm used to eating

The sausages come linked together, so cut to separate them.

Place longganisa in a wide, shallow pan and poke holes in the casing using a knife or fork.

Cover the longganisa with water.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and let the longganisa simmer until the water fully evaporates.

Once the water is all gone, fry the sausages in the leftover fat until it reaches your desired level of doneness. They're already cooked inside, this step is mostly to crisp the casing.

Serve with rice/garlic fried rice, fried egg, and spicy dipping sauce. A simple steamed green veggie makes a nice accompaniment as well.

If you liked this recipe, make sure you sign up for my newsletter! I include a Filipino-themed recipe every month, as well as giveaways and book recommendations!

One of BuzzFeed’s Highly Anticipated Mystery Novels of 2021!

The first book in a new culinary cozy series full of sharp humor and delectable dishes—one that might just be killer….

When Lila Macapagal moves back home to recover from a horrible breakup, her life seems to be following all the typical rom-com tropes. She’s tasked with saving her Tita Rosie’s failing restaurant, and she has to deal with a group of matchmaking aunties who shower her with love and judgment. But when a notoriously nasty food critic (who happens to be her ex-boyfriend) drops dead moments after a confrontation with Lila, her life quickly swerves from a Nora Ephron romp to an Agatha Christie case.

With the cops treating her like she’s the one and only suspect, and the shady landlord looking to finally kick the Macapagal family out and resell the storefront, Lila’s left with no choice but to conduct her own investigation. Armed with the nosy auntie network, her barista best bud, and her trusted Dachshund, Longanisa, Lila takes on this tasty, twisted case and soon finds her own neck on the chopping block…