Cook like your favorite local chef by following these recipes

Missing eating out at your favorite restaurants? Well, if you’re based in Metro Manila, dining in isn’t allowed right now. The good news is that you can still enjoy food that’s restaurant-worthy right in the comforts and safety of your home.

As per Orangemagazine.ph, La Germania recently hosted La Germania: Masterclass Series, a five-part installment of virtual cooking classes held in partnership with celebrities and chefs from renowned restaurants all over Metro Manila. This webinar helped participants elevate their culinary skills and recreate dishes from their favorite restaurants. 

Want to take breakfasts to the next level? Try Chef Rolando Laudico of Chef Laudico Guevarra’s and OK Cafe’s ‘Long-ri-log’ recipe. This is basically Longanisa meatball on creamy garlic salted egg risotto, poached eggs and oven dried tomatoes.

Ingredients:

Longanisa Meatballs

500g longanisa ground meat

Half cup small white onion, diced

2 tbsps fresh basil, chopped

2 tbsps fresh Italian parsley

Half cup grated parmesan cheese

1 whole egg, beaten

1 cup bread crumbs

Half cup milk

4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

Creamy garlic salted egg risotto

1 cup risotto rice (arborio or any short grain rice)

2 tbsps butter

1 head of garlic, minced

1L chicken stock

1 cup of cream

2 salter eggs, chopped fine

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Oven dried tomatoes

6 whole tomatoes, halved

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Poached eggs

4 eggs

Sea salt

4 cups of water

Procedure:

1. To make the longganisa meat balls, begin by mixing bread crumbs and milk together in a cup and let milk absorb for 5 minutes. In a big bowl, take out fresh longganisa meat from the casing (discard casing) and mix all other ingredients together. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. Form into meatballs and fry using a non-stick pan with 4 tablespoons of olive oil until brown. Place in a sheet pan and bake in the oven at 175C for 10-15 minutes or until meatballs are fully cooked.
2. To make the risotto, heat butter in a saucepan on medium high heat and add minced garlic. Saute for 2 minutes or until garlic is golden in color, then add risotto rice or sticky rice and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken stock 1 cup at a time and gently stir until the liquid has been totally absorbed. Repeat the process until the rice is cooked. Rice should be a bit al dente. Add more stock if needed depending on the type of rice used. Finally, add cream and finely chopped salted egg then cook for another 2-3 minutes. Garnish with fresh herbs like Italian parsley
3. For the tomatoes, slice them in half then season with sea salt and pepper. Bake in a 175C oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until tomatoes have dried a bit.
4. For the poached eggs, add water in a small cup then add a pinch or two of sea salt. Break the whole egg and add to the cup being careful not to break the yolks. Place the cup in a microwave for 45 seconds to a minute depending on the power of the microwave. Spoon out poached egg on a paper towel to absorb excess liquid. Repeat the process to the other 4 eggs.
5. For assembly, on a platter or plate, spread salted egg garlic risotto then top with longanisa meatballs, oven dried tomatoes, poached eggs and garnish with fresh herbs.

Craving for a different kind of Japanese food experience? Chef Lee Jose, Executive Chef of popular Japanese restaurant chains Yabu and Ippudo, demonstrated how to make the savory version of Japanese pancake, Okonomiyaki. 

Ingredients:

Okonomiyaki Batter

¾ cups of water

1 tsp Honodashi powder

1 cup all purpose flour

â…› tsp iodized salt

¼ tsp sugar

½ tsp baking powder

4 large eggs

4 cups of cabbage

½ cup of tenkasu (tempura flakes)

1 tbsp Benishoga (pickled ginger)

Regular sliced bacon

4 tbsp spring onions

4 tbsp canola oil

Okonomiyaki Sauce

1 ½ tbsp white sugar

â…› tsp salt

3 ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce

4 tbsp tomato ketchup

2 tbsp Oyster sauce

Assembly

1 tbsp cooking oil

1 cup Okonomiyaki batter

3 slices regular sliced bacon

2 tbsp Onomiyaki sauce

1 tsp Aonori powder

2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise

Bonito flakes

1 tsp Spring onions

Procedure:

1. Prepare the Okonomiyaki batter by chopping the cabbage into 1/2″ chunks. Do not use the hard core. In a mixing bowl, add water and hondashi powder and whisk to dissolve the hondashi powder. Add the rest of the dry ingredients (flour, salt, sugar and baking powder). Whisk until the batter is smooth, then add the eggs and whisk until fully incorporated in the batter. Add the chopped Cabbage, Tempura flakes, Pickled Ginger and Spring onions. You can also add whatever fillings you desire (mushrooms, ham, pre-cooked seafood, etc.) Using a rubber spatula, fold the batter until every ingredient is coated. Cover and keep chilled until ready to cook. This recipe yields 4 portions.
2. For the Okonomiyaki sauce, put all ingredients in a bowl and mix until all the sugar has dissolved. Keep in an airtight container and set aside. Keep chilled.
3. Heat up a non-stick pan and add 1 tbsp of oil on medium heat. When the pan is hot, scoop 1 cup of batter and add to the middle of the pan. Using your rubber spatula, gently level out the batter, then cover and let the batter cook a bit for 2 minutes.
4. Remove the cover and lay down 3 slices of bacon on top of the pancake. Cover and cook for 1 minute more, then gently flip the pancake and turn the heat to low. Cover and cook for another 3 minutes, then test for doneness by sticking a knife or chopsticks in the middle of the pancake to test if it’s fully cooked. If the stick or knife comes out clean, it’s cooked.
5. Spread 1-2 tbsp of okonomiyaki sauce on top of the pancake and spread out evenly. Sprinkle the aonori (seaweed powder) and drizzle the Japanese mayonnaise. Top the pancake with bonito flakes & spring onions. Serve right away.

When preparing delectable dishes like these, it’s important to choose the best ingredients and to use good quality kitchen equipment like La Germania. They’ll surely make cooking so much easier.