How to recreate your favorite restaurant dishes at home
The Cooking with La Germania: Masterclass Series, a five-part series of virtual cooking classes, saw expert instructors demonstrating the step-by-step process of how to cook their signature dishes, giving tips and tricks along the way. Among the instructors were award-winning restaurateur and chef Margarita Forés, chef Rolando Laudico of Chef Guevarra’s and OK Cafe, and chef Lee Jose from the Standard Hospitality Group which manages Yabu and Ippudo.
Here are a couple of the recipes.
OKONOMIYAKI
Lee Jose, Executive Chef of popular Japanese restaurant chains Yabu and Ippudo, demonstrated how to make the savory version of Japanese pancake, okonomiyaki. It is best to shop at a Japanese grocery store before trying this recipe, as a lot of ingredients won’t be found in the usual supermarket.
Ingredients:
Okonomiyaki Batter
¾ cups of water
1 tsp honodashi powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
⅛ 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
⅛ 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 four 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 3 slices of bacon down 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 and spring onions. Serve right away.
LONGSILOG
Chef Rolando Laudico of Chef Laudico Guevarra’s and OK Cafe taught the audience his secret to making his elevated version of Filipino breakfast classic longsilog (a portmanteau of longanisa, sinangag, and pritong itlog or sausage, fried rice, and fried egg). His version features longanisa meatballs on creamy garlic salted egg risotto, poached eggs, and oven dried tomatoes.
Ingredients:
Longanisa Meatballs
500g longanisa ground meat
½ cup small white onion, diced
2 tbsps fresh basil, chopped
2 tbsps fresh Italian parsley
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 whole egg, beaten
1 cup bread crumbs
½ 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
1 liter chicken stock
1 cup of cream
2 salted 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 the poached egg onto a paper towel to absorb excess liquid. Repeat the process with the other 4 eggs.
5. For assembly, on a platter or plate, spread the salted egg garlic risotto then top with the longanisa meatballs, oven-dried tomatoes, poached eggs, and garnish with fresh herbs.
La Germania products are available online through La Germania’s official e-commerce website www.lagermaniaph.com and e-commerce platforms on Shopee and Lazada.
