Stewed native fruits

Wow your guests with this perfect accompaniment for lechon. Recipe by Chef Myrna Segismundo of Restaurant 9501 in Quezon City and courtesy of The Maya Kitchen:

STEWED NATIVE FRUITS

Ingredients:

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

Procedure:

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

Add fruits, juice and brandy

Simmer for 2 minutes.

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

Grilled Liver & Red Wine Sauce for Lechon

½ kl Pork liver
2 tbsp. Unsalted butter
1 tsp Garlic, minced
2 tbsp. Onion, minced
1 ½ c. Red wine
½ cup White vinegar
½ cup      Water
½ cup White sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste



PROCEDURE:

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

Add the red wine and simmer for 3 minutes

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

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

Serve this sauce with Lechon

To prepare:

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

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

Pinoy Ratatoy - a truly vegetarian dish

 If you've been to Cafe Juanita, then am sure you've seen Pinoy Ratatoy on the menu. It's this popular restaurant's take on the French dish ratatouille which is made with tomatoes, zucchini, aubergine or eggplant and other vegetables. Cafe Juanita's creation is more or less adapted from the original French recipe, we just noticed the addition of tuyo flakes. This can be a great vegetable side dish or the entree in itself. If you're going on a diet, try munching on this and think of nothing else .... it will fill you up in no time ;) Thanks to The Maya Kitchen for the photo & Cafe Juanita for the recipe.

 Ingredients:

 1 tbsp olive oil
10 g. chopped garlic
5 g. chopped onion
30 g. “tuyo” flakes
1 tbsp. zucchini
10 g. gggplant, chopped
5 pcs. fresh tomatoes, chopped
3 tbsp. wansoy, chopped
¼ tsp Tabasco

 Procedure:

 Saute garlic, onion and the tuyo flakes in olive oil. Add the zucchini, tomatoes and wansoy. Season with Tabasco. Fry sliced eggplant and mix with the cooked ratatoy.