Let's Cook Pinoy: Food Magazine's Second Food Tastings at Sarsa

Traditional yet refreshing, fun and creative. Two of the metro's best chefs present their inventive take on Filipino cuisine...

Lifestyle Chef Sharwin Tee and Sarsa's Chef JP Anglo recreate Filipino flavors for the second leg of Food Magazine's "Food Tastings" held last June 6, 2015, at Sarsa. Dubbed "Let's Cook Pinoy," Chefs Sharwin Tee and JP Anglo infuse their very own unique and creative spin on Filipino cuisine.

Chef Sharwin Tee (L) kicks off the cooking demo with his own localized burger, the BB, juicy pork belly patties with bagoong on pan de sal. The combination of pork and bagoong has long been a staple of Filipino cuisine, and Chef Sharwin transforms this distinctly local flavor combo into a creative slider.

A cool twist on local flavors, the BB Sliders highlight truly unique Filipino flavors with pan de sal draped with a creamy bagoong mayo dressing. The richness of the juicy pork belly patties are perfectly balanced by the sharpness of the bagoong, leaving a layer of saltiness that just makes you go for yet another bite. A whisper of heat from the chili rounds out the flavors.

In between the cooking demos by Chefs Sharwin and JP, Kathryn Jao (L) of Pepper.ph shared tips on food styling, highlighting the principles of volume and color as key components in any plating. Kathryn also advised that "less is more" and that "odd numbers work" in creating the perfect plate. And nothing beats natural light. 

Chef JP Anglo then prepared some of Sarsa's signature dishes. Everything just looks so easy when master chefs prepare their dishes, and maybe it is. The recipes for all the dishes featured at the second "Food Tastings"  are detailed below so you can take a crack at some classic Filipino dishes.

Chef JP Anglo's Pancit Canton with Pork Leg is a hearty and comforting dish packed with so much flavor, and the flavors really come to life when served fresh from the pan.

The Baked Lapu-Lapu with Pinoy Sambal infuses Asian flavors to the dish, for yet another refreshing take on traditional flavors. The delicate flavors of the tender and soft lapu-lapu are perfectly enhanced by the sharp notes of the sambal as the freshest ingredients provide all the flavors you need.

The classic Sinuglaw, with fresh and raw tanique cooked and cured in calamansi paired with pork liempo, delivers traditional Ilonggo flavors. A simple dish with rich flavors, this one's great with an ice cold beer.

At Sarsa, Chef JP Anglo's kinilaw dishes remain one of the popular dishes, like the Tanigue Kinilaw...

...and the Pasayan sa Gata, both highlighting the freshest seafood for pure and clean flavors. Now, it's your turn. You can find the recipes for the featured dishes by Chefs Sharwin Tee and JP Anglo below, and discover Filipino flavors in new and refreshing ways.

BB
by Chef Sharwin Tee

Ingredients (serves 4):
For the Burger:
250 g ground pork belly
2 tbsps minced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
3 tbsps bagoong
Salt & pepper
8 Pan de Sal

For the Eggplant Mash:
5 eggplants
2 tbsps olive oil
1 tbsp sugar
1tsp pimenton
Salt & pepper

For the peppers
2 large siling mahaba (sliced thinly)
1/3 cup coconut vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
Salt & pepper

For the dressing:
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp bagoong
1 calamansi
125 ml vegetable oil
Salt & pepper

Directions:
1.  Combine all pepper ingredients to make pickled peppers. Pickle overnight.
2.  Roast the whole eggplants in a 200 degree C oven for 30 minutes. Let it cool.
3.  Remove the skin and seeds and mash the eggplant combining the rest of the ingredients.
4.  To make the dressing, whisk yolks and bagoong together with salt and pepper.
5.  Slowly pour oil as you're whisking to form the dressing. Add the juice of one calamansi.
6.  Combine all the burger ingredients and form 8 patties.
7.  Cook the burgers over high heat for two minutes each side. Shut off heat to cook 1 minute more.
8.  Toast pan de sal and assemble the sliders.

Pancit Canton with Pork Leg
by Chef JP Anglo

Ingredients (serves 5):
1 kilo egg noodles, fresh
200 g carrots, julienne
200 g Baguio beans, julienne
200 g pork liver
200 g cabbage, julienne
60 g red onions, chopped
160 ml pork stock
3 cans Maling Pork Leg
15 ml cane vinegar
30 ml soy sauce
30 ml light rum
30 g gawgaw (thickener)
10 g sugar
15 g chili garlic hoisin sauce
salt and pepper
cooking oil

Toppings:
1 pack tofu
5 g onion leeks

Directions:
1.  Simmer noodles for a quick 5 minutes
2.  Saute in order, carrots, sitao, onions, garlic, pork liver and pork leg.
3.  Deglaze with light rum, then add soy sauce then cane vinegar, let it still for 20 seconds.
4.  Add in your chili garlic hoisin sauce and cabbage slices.
5.  Add in you stock then bring to a boil.
6.  Strain out your vegetables and set aside.
7.  Add your gawgaw and let your sauce thicken while stirring.
8.  Once thick, set aside.
9.  In a large pot, mix noodles and sauce. Then top with crispy tofu and onion leeks.

Baked lapu-Lapu with Pinoy Sambal
by Chef JP Anglo

Ingredients (serves 5):
800 g lapu-lapu fillet
10g banana leaf
40 g sili labuyo
40 g sili sinigang
30 g red pepper flakes
60 g minced garlic
80 g garlic
45 ml oil
20 ml rice wine vinegar
30 g sugar
10 g salt
60 g lemongrass stalks
45 g ginger
20 g tamarind

Toppings:
cherry tomatoes
red onion
spring onions
fried garlic

Directions:
1.  In a blender, add in all your vegetables, oils, and vinegar, create a nice thick paste.
2.  Get your banana leaf, place your lapu-lapu fillet and top it with your sambal paste.
3.  Oven it for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.
4.  Serve it by opening your banana leaf, and topping it with freshly sliced onions, whole cherry tomatoes, chopped spring onions, and fried garlic.

Variations: You may add cream, yogurt or ricotta cheese if desired.

Sinuglaw
by Chef JP Anglo

Ingredients (serves 5):
Sinugba of Sinuglaw
300 g pork liempo
40 ml calamansi juice
45 ml soy sauce
10 ml liquid seasoning
20 g sugar brown
4 g salt
2 g black pepper

Directions:
1.  In a bowl, mix all ingredients and let the pork marinate for 2 hours minimum.
2. Pre-heat grill for 15 minutes then grill liempo whole for 12 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of your meat.

Ingredients:
Kinilaw of Sinugba
250 g tanigue or your favorite fish
20 ml calamansi
45 ml datu puti vinegar
45 ml cane vinegar
10 g sugar
5 g salt
4 g ginger

Directions:
1.  Cube fish to your liking (1x1)
2.  In a bowl, mix all ingredients and toss your tanigue cubes in for at least 3 minutes. Do not overcure fish.

Directions for Sinuglaw:
1. Once both your sinugba and kinilaw are ready, slice your sinugba na liempo into the same size as the tanigue and toss it.
2.  Top it with fresh red onions and tomatoes.

The next series of classes of "Food Tastings" will run throughout the year, featuring recipes on health and wellness, hearty breakfast meals, and delectable sugar rush ideas. Stay tuned for more updates...

Sarsa Kitchen + Bar is located at the Second Floor, Entertainment Mall, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.

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