Anyway, this Crusted Guinataang Halo-Halo is a sosyal way of presenting guinataan Prepared by Chef Myra Segismundo of Restaurant 9501 at The Maya Kitchen Culinary Kitchen last April 2013, Crusted Guinataang Halo-Halo is definitely a comfort food that reminds me of home, family and love.

CRUSTED GUINATAANG HALO-HALO

(Serves 4)

¼ kl                 Glutinous rice dough

3 cups                        Coconut milk

1 pc.               Pandan leaf

½ cup             Sweet potatoes

½ cup             Purple yam

1 pc.               Ripe cooking bananas (saba)

¼ cup             Fresh or bottled jackfruit (langka), cut into strips

½ cup             Cooked tapioca pearls (sago)

½ cup             White sugar

½ cup             Coconut cream

1 sheet           10 x 10 puff pastry crust, cut into 4 squares

1 pc.               Whole egg, beaten (egg wash)

PROCEDURE:

1. Take 1 tsp of the dough and roll with the palm of the hand to shape into a ball.  Do this with the rest of the dough.  Set aside.

2. In a preheated pot, simmer coconut milk, pandan leaf or extract over medium heat.  Add the sweet potatoes, taro and purple yam and continue simmering until half-cooked.  Add the bananas, jackfruit strips, tapioca pearls, rice dough balls, sugar and coconut cream.  Stir and simmer another 5 minutes.  Serve warm.

3. Transfer cooked guinataan into  small serving bowls or containers, cover bowls/containers with puff pastry and brush with egg wash.  Place covered bowls in a pre-heated oven (350ºF) and bake for 5 – 7 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

I tried this recipe at home using pork liempo or country style pork strips. I asked the staff at Monterey Cherry Foodarama to cut the strips thinly for me which he did. It was not the same with the recipe posted below but it was good enough. The slices should have been thinner though.

Boneless Lechon with Grilled Liver and Red Wine Sauce was prepared by Chef Myra Segismundo at The Maya Kitchen Culinary Center last April 2013.

BONELESS LECHON
With Grilled Liver and Red Wine Sauce

Stewed Native Fruits
(Serves 8 – 10 pax)

1 pc. 14-21 days suckling pig, head and legs removed, deboned, trimmed and
halved lengthwise (yield 2 – 3 kls)
½ cup Olive oil
pinch Salt and pepper
Fresh sampalok leaves
2 tbs. Garlic, minced
Butcher’s thread for tying

PROCEDURE:

1. Preheat oven to 300ºF.

2. Brush both sides of the slabs of the deboned suckling pig with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

3. Lay the half portion of the suckling pig with the flesh side up on a tray and line the center of each slab with sampalok leaves and garlic. Roll each of the pork slabs with both ends of the skin slightly overlapping each other to form a cylinder. Bind with butcher’s thread.

4. Roast the suckling pig in the preheated oven for 1 hour and baste with olive oil. Raise the temperature to 350º F and continue basting occasionally for another hour or until the lechon skin is golden brown. Remove from oven and rest on a tray. As the lechon cools down, it will start to get crisp. Remove the thread binding.

Grilled Liver and Red Wine Sauce
½ kl Pork liver
2 tbs. Unsalted butter
1 tsp Garlic, minced
2 tbs. Onion, minced
1 ½ cups Red wine
½ cup White vinegar
½ cup Water
½ cup White sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Grill the pork liver until medium doneness. Coarsely chop liver and saute in butter, garlic and onion.

2. Add the red wine and simmer for 3 minutes

3. Add vinegar, water and sugar and continue simmering another minute. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Pour into blender and process until smooth. Strain. Keep warm.

To serve the Lechon

1. Slice the lechon into 1 inch slices with a serrated bread knife and allot about 2 – 3 slices of lechon per person.

2. Place in the center of a plate and drizzle the liver sauce around it.

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STEWED NATIVE FRUITS

¾ cup White sugar
¼ cup Pickled santol, coarsely chopped
¼ cup Dried kamias, coarsely chopped
¼ cup Dried pineapple
¼ cup Dried mango
¼ cup Ripe green mango
Juice of one lime or lemon
2 tbsp Brandy
½ cup Water

1. In a heated sauté pan, add sugar to caramelize. Then add butter.

2. Add fruits, juice and brandy

3. Simmer for 2 minutes.

4. Add water and allow to simmer for another 10 minutes or until fruits are soft and mushy.

TIP: wet the barbecue sticks before skewering the chicken to avoid any untoward incidents.

This is a great lunchbox filler for the kids to enjoy:

CHICKEN INASAL
(Serves 4)

350 grams Boneless chicken breast (skinless), cut into 1 x 1 x ¼ inch pieces
4 cloves Garlic, minced
½ tsp Black peppercorns, cracked
Juice from 1 lemon or lime
¼ cup Vinegar (palm, cane or white)
2 tbsp Annatto water
12 pcs. Skewers/barbecue sticks
Sinamak vinegar

PROCEDURE:

1. In a bowl, combine chicken meat, garlic, pepper, lemon juice, vinegar, annatto water and salt. Cover and marinate chicken overnight.
2. Remove chicken from the marinade. Thread in skewers. Cook marinade for basting the chicken during cooking. Set aside.

3. Grill skewered chicken over hot coals until all sides are cooked, basting occasionally with the cooked marinade. Serve warm with sinamak vinegar.

UBOD SALAD

With Turnips and Pomelo

(Serves 4)

½  kl.               Very young ubod, (heart of palm) cut into- julienned and

soaked in water with calamansi juice, then drained

½  pc.             Turnip, julienned

½  pc.             Carrot, julienned

½  pc.             Red bell pepper, julienned

½  pc.             Green bell pepper, julienned

4 pcs.             Pomelo segments, peeled and seeded

½  cup            Honeyed patis dressing  (see recipe below)

PROCEDURE:

1. In a mixing bowl, toss the ubod, turnip, carrot, red and green bell peppers into the dressing and chill.

2. Chill all vegetables before serving.

Honeyed Patis Dressing

¼ cup             Dayap juice

2 tbs.               Patis

1/3 – ½ cup   Honey

Dayap zest, julienned

White pepper, to taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Combine the dayap juice, patis, honey and dayap zest.  Season with pepper.

Chill before serving.

2. To serve, toss vegetables in a serving platter and arrange nicely on a serving platter.

Photo taken during the cooking lessons conducted by Chef Myra Segismundo at The Maya Kitchen Culinary Center. I also did this at home but forgot to take photos.

RECIPE:

DULONG IN OLIVE OIL

(Serves 4)

½  kl                            Fresh dulong, washed and drained

1 head                       Garlic, peeled

½ cup                         Olive oil

Juice of two lemons

2 pcs.                          Bird’s eye chillies (siling labuyo), optional

Salt & pepper, to taste

PROCEDURE:

1. In a pan, pour olive oil and simmer over low heat.

2. Add garlic and poach until soft and tender.

3. Add dulong, lemon juice, bird’s eye chilies, and season with salt and pepper.

4. Simmer for 5 minutes until dulong is cooked .  Do not stir.

1. Serve warm with melba toasts or crackers.