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LEZIMA GOMES
Doha
In an effort to introduce the rich flavours of Filipino cuisine to locals and expatriates, InterContinental Doha-The City, in cooperation with the Philippines Embassy, has brought in celebrity Filipino chef Michelle Adrillana, who will be serving a special menu through the festival that runs till October 25.
Adrillana is a restaurant consultant, and a member of LTB (Les Toques Blanches Philippines the only WACS accredited chef organisation in the Philippines). She was one of the four Filipino chefs featured during the World Street Food Congress 2016 in Manila and constantly promotes authentic home cooking through her TV show. Together with Executive Chef Emmanuel, she is offering authentic Filipino dishes here in Qatar.
Adrillana, who trained in French cuisine and Western cooking, said she applies Western techniques to Filipino cooking. ''While people know Indonesian, Thai, Korean, Indian and Japanese, they wonder what Filipino cuisine is. If prepared well, the global market would be ready to accept it. I haven't changed the taste or flavour of the cuisine. I have just given some dishes a more modern twist to appeal to the Middle East market.''
She has been an advocate of Filipino food since she began her career. ''Filipino cuisine is amongst one of the most underrated, when, in fact, it has a rich history. Just as the Filipino people are part Malay, Chinese and Spanish, so is the cooking of the Philippines. Filipino cuisine is a blend of the exotic and familiar,'' she said.
Speaking about the history of Filipino food Adrillana said,"Phillipines was colonised by the Spaniards for over three centuries. So, we were introduced to tomatoes and garlic along with various cooking techniques. Most Filipino dishes are a delectable blend of native and foreign cuisines that have evolved through centuries of foreign influences. One can see that we use a lot of vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, bay leaves and whole black peppercorns, sugar, Kalamansi (Philippine lime) and fish paste. Recipes and techniques have been adopted and then adapted to Filipino taste.''
Describing the tastes and textures of the cuisine, Adrillana said, ''Filipino cuisine centres round sweet (tamis), sour (asim), and salty (alat) as the base cooking flavour with a variety of textures. Most dishes are served alongside glutinous rice. We have rice in almost every course, from appetisers to desserts. Filipinos like their food sweet. Even the Filipino style spaghetti is on the sweeter side. Filipino cooking is tasty without being too spicy. So, I would say the taste profile is clean, layered, rich, and leaning on the sweet side.''
Since the Philippines is blessed with abundant seafood shrimps, crabs, squid and fish it forms the mainstay though meat, poultry and vegetables are used almost equally.
Adrillana said some of the must-try items on the menu include:
Adobo ''It can be made in different ways, based on the region. You can cook it with ginger, coconut cream, or chillies. The classic one has basic ingredients like garlic, onion, bay leaf, whole black pepper corns and, of course, vinegar and oil. We will be serving adobo using balsamic vinegar instead of the usual vinegar it is still adobo, it still keeps its character, but it is very versatile. We are preparing it with chicken but the taste will still be Filipino. It is about the flavours, and you can enjoy our food,'' said the chef (Adobo is a popular dish in Philippine cuisine that can be cooked with various types of meat, marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic, which is browned in oil, and simmered in the marinade.)
Sinigang: It is a sour tamarind soup made with shrimps, string beans, green chilly peppers, radish and seasoned with fish sauce.
''It is similar to Tom Yum Goong of Thailand and you can cook it in so many ways, with beef or seafood. The taste varies from region to region. I wanted it to have a richer character so I saut` prawns and tomatoes in crab fat, which gives it a bright orange colour. It is a clear broth,'' she said.
Kaldereta: It is a beef stew with tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, green peas and sausages. Adrillana said, ''It also has cheese that's the Filipino thing about it. It's not a speciality cheese, but local processed cheese. Instead of beef for the Kaldereta, I am thinking of using a lamb shank to make it richer for the a la carte menu, which will be very interesting for the palate.''
Bulalo: It is a light coloured soup that is made by cooking beef shanks and marrow bones with vegetables, and slow cooked to make a clear broth. ''It has a layer of sweetness and is a simple comfort food with a clean taste,'' the chef said.
Beef Sisig: Usually made in the Philippines with pork meat and seasoned with red onions, kalamansi, soy sauce and chilli peppers. ''I am using oxtail instead, as well as beef cheeks and beef brisket, so there will be enough layers of fat in there. Of course, the taste will be different, though the use of spices and other ingredients to keep the heritage of the food, wouldn't take it that far from the original flavour,'' she said.
Kare-Kare: It is a stew complemented by a thick savoury peanut sauce almost like a curry. It is made from a base of stewed oxtail, beef hocks, beef stew meat served with shrimp paste. ''I have tried to keep a perfect balance in the sauce,'' she said.
Desserts
Halo Halo: This is a mixture of shaved ice and evaporated milk, to which are added various ingredients, including boiled sweet beans, coconut, sago, gulaman, tubers and fruits. ''It is a crowd-pleaser dessert. It has something similar to plantain bananas, and sweet potatoes, red beans, and coconut. Then there is shaved ice, evaporated milk which is another local flavour and it is topped with purple yam ice cream.
Suman sushi: It is a rice cake made from glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, often wrapped in banana leaves. Adrillana's twist on the rice cake is that she coats it with roasted sesame seeds and flamb`ed mango.
She calls herself a true-blooded Filipino. ''As a chef and a Filipino, it is my duty and obligation to the culinary industry to promote our cuisine. I have learned to embrace my roots and where I come from. So, I was able to put my heart into traditional Filipino recipes. If you are presenting fusion dishes then you have to ensure that the flavours are still there; they have to still be Filipino ingredients with a modern flavour. Our food is delicious on its own much more if done with the right cooking techniques, proper cuts, and attractively presented.''
