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GLOSSARY:
atchara: papaya pickle bagoong: shrimp paste calamansi: a hybrid citrus fruit embutido: Filipino-style Christmas meatloaf halo halo: ‘mix mix’ (a dessert) kare kare: peanut curry lechon manok: roast chicken with lemongrass, onion, bayleaves and garlic porchetta: crispy rolled belly pork siopao asado: steamed bun, filled with sweet and salty pulled pork
as a comfort dish: meaty, filling and flavoursome, it’s a definite favourite of the evening. The lechon manok has Spanish origins, and Ana’s version saw a whole chicken dressed in a dark, well-flavoured skin, with soft, pearly white flesh underneath, while the porchetta sported an amazingly crunchy crackling, as well as delicate, melting layers of fat and a complementary mix of Asian flavourings (lemongrass, garlic and chilli) inside. It was so good, in fact, we’ve made Ana cough up the recipe for you... Pickled carrots and papaya pickle cut through the richness of all that wonderful meat, and provided fresh, tangy relief. There was also a crunchy corn salad, containing a great mixture of textures and colours. The kids – okay, and adults – became pretty excited for dessert, as Ana brought out a selection of vivid-coloured homemade creations, including a green jelly containing macapuno coconut string, and a purple leche flan made with a type of purple yam, popular in the Philippines. There was also meringue, honeycombe, tapioca pearls and swirls of whipped cream being piled into sundae glasses by the young ’uns.
“We call this ‘halo halo’,” says Ana. “It literally means ‘mix mix’. It’s a really traditional way of doing dessert, we use all sorts in it in the Philippines.” It’s no secret that Filipino food isn’t as widely offered or celebrated on these shores as that of its Asian neighbours. But the uniqueness and diversity of its fusion of flavours, techniques and ingredients make it an exciting and intriguing cuisine – one which deserves to be enjoyed on a far larger scale than it currently is around here, we reckon. This all said, then, we’re pretty chuffed that a knowlegable and experienced cook like Ana is helping to rep it on our patch.
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