One of my favorite ice cream flavors when I was growing up is Langkasuy.  If you're not from the Philippines, then probably you haven't heard of it! Langkasuy is the shortcut for Langka (Jackfruit) and Kasuy (Cashew).  It was made popular by Magnolia Dairy Ice Cream.  Jackfruit is a popular tropical fruit in the Philippines which when fully ripe, has a delightfully sweet flavor. Langkasuy Ice Cream captures the full flavor of this tropical fruit with the added crunchy texture and nutty flavor of cashew nuts. I tell you, their flavors complement each other so well...and I'm pretty sure you'll fall in love with it!

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For more mouth-watering recipes, please visit me at Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner.  Salamat foodipino.com- Mabuhay!

While most people believe that eating in between meals can cause obesity, Filipinos love to have a hearty snack out of these 5 Tempting and Genuine Treats for “Merienda”. Try reading them and I’m sure that by the time you reach the last word of this article, you would find your taste buds craving for these 5 tempting treats that are found “Only in The Philippines”.

1. Champorado (Rice Porridge in Chocolate) and Tuyo (dried and salted fish) – Do you feel cold on a rainy day? A steaming bowl of this snack could help keep you warm and comfortable. What makes this food amazing is the fact that even locals of the Philippines find this snack strange as the mixture of the sweetness of chocolate and saltiness of the dried fish leave a tingling sensation into your taste buds which you won’t forget for a life time. In addition, this authentic Filipino food is not just perfect for snack but also for breakfast as the rice porridge and sugar is fine enough to jump start your day.

2. Batac Empanada (Local Taco with Veggies and Local Sausage) – If you have some time to visit the Northern Part of the country, try passing by Batac City, Ilocos Norte. There you would find this enticing food made from sautéed beans, grated unripe papaya, egg and “longanisa” (local sausage) wrapped in a  deep-fried rice flour.  A piece of this distinctive local taco which is  usually orange or white in color can already make you burp and feel satisfied as it is a good source of protein, carbohydrates and vegetable.

3.  Halo – Halo (Milk Shake with Assorted Ingredients) – People with sweet tooth won’t resist this inviting snack especially on a very humid day. Made from various ingredients like boiled bananas, sweet beans, sweet gelatin, ube halaya (purple sweet yam jam), sweet corn, milk and many more, this food is topped with a lot of grated ice and sometimes ice cream. Halo-Halo has been an iconic summer food because this represents Filipinos' sweetness towards other people.

4. Tira- Tira (Muscodavo Candy) – I am not pretty sure if you still remember this snack but this known as the local “Tootsie Roll candy”. Children would always love to lick this candy stick made from molasses or hardened muscovado sugar.  It used to be wrapped in recycled milk or chocolate drink wrappers which makes it eye-catching not just for younger generations but for adults who are young at heart as well.  This snack is already rare in the market but homemade tira-tira is just so easy to do.

5.  Manggat- Suman (Ripe Mango with Rice Cake) – Old folks love to have this as a part of their dessert. The creamy taste of “suman“ (rice cake cooked in coconut milk) and the sweet and sour impression of ripe mango taste almost like, if not better than, the Japanese Maki. As a trivia, this food used to be Dr. Jose Rizal’s Favorite snack (Philippines' national hero). An ample serving can provide carbohydrates and vitamins from mangoes.

So if you would want to figure out what makes these snack really special, try tasting them and you won’t regret instead you would ask for more.

Image Credit: KAOKO

If you came here and saw the title Morcon, but it looks like the picture did not match it then don't freak out as this post is not about the Spanish morcon but more of the Philippine morcon dish. Yes we have the same name dish, but both are prepared differently. While we know that most of the Philippine dishes originated from the Spanish, this one might have only inherited the name as the Spanish morcon is a type of a thick sausage.

The Philippine morcon is nowhere near a sausage, but it's more of a beef roll or roulade that is stuffed with ham or bacon, eggs, cheese, pickles, raisins, strip of fat and liver. It is then braised, baked, roasted or boiled slowly then served in a thick tomato-based gravy. It is one of the special dishes in Philippine cuisine which is nearly similar to the stature of leg roast in the Western world where it is served on family lunch gatherings, Christmas dinners or feast days (fiestas). I remember as a kid I barely tried this dish as I said it is not your daily dinner as it takes a lot of time to prepare, but this weekend I have some spare time so I will give it a try.

Ingredients (Beef Roulade)

700 g rib eye of round, whole then sliced into 1/3 inch thin single sheet 150 g beef liver, ground 2 pcs pickles, cut lengthwise divided into 4 pieces 6 pcs streaky bacon 4 pcs hard boiled eggs, sliced half lengthwise 4 pcs 1/2 in x 5 in strips tasty cheddar cheese 1/2 cup raisins 1/4 cup flour

Ingredients (Marinade)

1/4 cup lemon juice 3 tbsp soy sauce

Ingredients (Morcon Sauce)

2 cups beef stock 1 cup red wine 2 large red onions, cubed 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 red capsicum 1 can chopped tomatoes 3 tbsp tomato paste 1 tsp dried oregano 2 tbsp chopped basil freshly ground black pepper bay leaf salt olive oil

Method

1. Marinate beef in lemon juice and soy sauce for at least 3 hrs. 2. In a flat surface, lay down the beef and start placing your ingredients, starting by spreading the ground liver over the beef. 3. Place the rasher bacon. 4. Line up the cheese and pickles. 5. Place eggs on top of the lined strips and drizzle raisins on top. 6. Start to roll the meat enclosing the contents in the middle, making sure that all the fillings inside are intact and that the meat will not open. Now using a cooking yarn or a thick thread secure the meat vertically and horizontally. 7. Sprinkle flour all over the beef then set aside. 8. In a pan, add oil and brown the beef roll. Remove the beef and set aside. 9. In the same pan, sauté garlic, onions and capsicum. Add wine to deglaze. 10. In a pot, place the deglazed wine, beef stock, chopped tomatoes, bay leaves and the beef. Make sure that the beef is covered entirely with liquid. Otherwise, add water. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. 11. Add the tomato paste, black pepper and salt (according to your taste) and simmer for additional 30 minutes. 12. Remove the beef then set aside, remove the bay leaves then using a hand blender. Blend the remaining sauce to make a thick gravy. If its too runny because of the water, then reduce it further by simmering in medium heat uncovered. If you find the sauce is rich then add some water. Season with salt and pepper then turn off the heat. 13. Slice the beef roll crosswise at least 1.5 inch thick and place them on a plate, then pour tomato gravy on top. Garnish with olives and cherry tomatoes.

Note : this recipe also appears @ Ang Sarap, original post can be seen here Morcon

Knowing that Philippines is surrounded by waters, it is given that most of our grilled dishes comprises of seafood and the popular ones are squid, prawns, mussels and fish.

If in America, you do your barbecues at the backyard, the common practice in Philippines is to do this on summer outings which are commonly held in beach resorts. Usually seafood is bought fresh from fishermen who just finished fishing overnight, it is fresh and cheap as you get it directly from the supplier (sometimes you can also haggle).

After getting hold of the fresh seafood next task usually is preparing the things you need namely the 1) charcoal barbecue (which is available to use in beach resorts),2)  a knife to clean the seafood and 3) your sauce . But sometimes salt is enough as you don’t want to mask the flavours of a fresh seafood. Steamed rice is also prepared as well as the side dishes that will accompany the grilled dish, usually its some sort of a salty or sweet side salads like Ensaladang Talong, Ensaladang Mangga or Salted Duck Egg and Tomato Salad.

While the preparation is on its way, usually kids and adults (who do not partake in cooking) are enjoying a dip in the warm ocean, but it won’t last long as cooking time is also quick compared to meats. So after 30 minutes to an hour, a feast usually is served. And did you notice I never mentioned plates and spoons? I did not miss it out as we don’t usually use one. A banana leaf, clean hands and the company of family and friends is all we need.

For this post we will not be making all of the seafood variants, but I will be sharing a personal favourite: the “inihaw na pusit” or Grilled squid. Usually, squid is a bit pale in taste so we will be using some savoury sweet style sauce to enhance its flavour.

Ingredients

4 medium sized Squid (well cleaned) sea salt oil

Ingredients (Basting Sauce)

1/2 cup                  soy sauce 1  and 1/2              cup water 1/2 tsp                   ginger, minced 2 cloves                  garlic, minced 1                            small shallot, minced 1/2 cup                   brown sugar 2 and 1/2 tbsp         cornstarch

Method

1. Rub salt on squid inside and out then set it aside. 2. Mix together soy sauce, 1 cup water, ginger, garlic, shallot and sugar in a sauce pan. Place in medium heat then simmer. 3. Mix cornstarch with 1/2 cup of water and then pour it in the sauce pan, simmer sauce until thickened. 4. Make several scores halfway through to the squid on one side, add/pour some oil then start grilling on a charcoal barbecue. 5. While grilling, continuously baste squid with sauce until cooked. (Cook squid quickly on high heat, it might take 2-5 minutes on each side depending on the size of squid, do not overcook otherwise it will be tough)

If you enjoy this recipe you will also definitely enjoy other fabulous grilled recipe from World on a Plate members, please click on the link below to view them.

Note : this recipe also appears @ Ang Sarap, original post can be seen here Inihaw na Pusit

Growing up, this is one of my favorite veggie dishes which my Mom used to make at least once a week. It’s healthy, budget-friendly, and easy to recycle into another dish for the next day (should there be left-overs).

If Ilocanos have Pinakbet, Tagalogs I think have Lumpiang Gulay. A mix of hardy, common vegetables all in a pot. It can be purely vegetarian or can lend itself to a little pork and shrimp flavor. My Mom who likes sauces, would add freshly chopped garlic for zing. I prefer to add chopped peanuts. If you don’t have it, ordinary peanut butter will do just fine.

What sets this apart from its Chinese counterpart (which I also love), are 3 things: it doesn’t have tokwa (tofu), gets it’s sweet-ish flavor from the sweet potato and garbanzos, and doesn’t really need springroll or lumpia wrapper thus called “lumpiang hubad”.

We used to make extra, because you can wrap it with store-bought spring roll, deep-fry and serve crispy-hot with a heavenly mix of vinegar, shallots and garlic.

Ingredients:

• 2 T vegetable oil
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/8 k ground pork
• 1/8 k shrimps, shelled and rinsed. Separate heads to make shrimp broth*
• 1 medium size potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 1 medium size carrot, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 1 medium size sweet potato (kamote), peeled and cut into small cubes
• 1 small singkamas (jicama),peeled and cut into small cubes (only when in season)
• 1 small can garbanzos (chickpeas), optional
• ¼ kilo baguio beans, sliced ¼ inch pieces
• 2-3 cups thinly sliced pechay baguio and or cabbage
• Patis or salt
• Pepper to taste
• lumpia or springroll wrappers, curly lettuce

Cook’s Tip:  For a more flavorful shrimp broth, sauté shrimp heads in a little oil till it turns orange. Add about 1 c water, cook until boiling point. Strain and discard shrimp solids.

Prepping is about the only thing that you will have to put an effort on. In a wok or big pot, sauté onion for about 3 minutes, add pork and sauted till the pinkish color is gone. Finally add shrimps. Add all the starchy vegetables like potato, carrot, sweet potato, singkamas and garbanzos. Add shrimp broth and cover.  Let veggies cook till soft then season to taste. Add leafy veggies last and put on cover for 5 more minutes.

To serve: on a spring roll or lumpia wrapper (which resembles a crepe), put fresh lettuce and on top of it, about 1/3 to ½ c of lumpia mix. Roll and place on platter, seam side down.  Serve with peanut sauce on the side.

Sauce:

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8- 1/4 cup soy sauce (depending on the saltiness)
• 1 cup chicken stock (or water)
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp. water
• 5 T of finely chopped fried peanuts/adobong mani without skin or peanut butter

In saucepan mix the first 4 ingredients and bring to a boil. Bring the heat down to low and whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Turn off the heat and add the peanuts or peanut butter last. Mix well.

Cook’s Tip: Make sure to bring the heat down and whisk vigorously to avoid starchy clumps. Should this happen, just strain.

I was literally stuck.  I was staring at my laptop, not knowing what to write for my next post. Until I saw this post on the page of The Breakfast Store.

For the child in all of us...

“When you wake up in the morning, (Winnie the) Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"

"What's for breakfast?", said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"

"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?", said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "Oh it's the same thing," he said.

Oh the wisdom of Winnie the Pooh, of course breakfast is always exciting!  And oh how apt, as the dish I'll share with you today is a breakfast meal.  This plate is what I served my husband when he asked me that question "what's for breakfast?".

I answered: "Tapsilog!"

The love for pork is universal. How many countries revel on pork and munch on crispy pork skin like popcorn?

Pork is the most preferred meat of the Filipinos. The number one pork dish is the whole roast pig called Lechon. Yes, speared in a bamboo stick, spit-roasted whole from the snout to the tail. Fantastic! Next favorite is roasted or fried pig parts.

Crispy Pata is a firm favorite in restaurants and beer gardens (Filipino equivalent of pubs). If pork rind is the favorite munchies in pubs and bars, Crispy Pata is the equivalent in beer gardens. Similar but more: crispy pork skin from the pork shank with the pork shank still attached to it. You've got the scratchings plus the fried meat plus the gelatinous sinew and tendons. Doesn't that sound so much better?

This is one of the best things Andrew Zimmerman has ever eaten. As told by the man himself, it is  the best messy food he's ever eaten. Actually, it is not supposed to be eaten in a messy way. Andrew, perhaps overcome by excitement, picked up the whole shank and munched on it like a turkey drumstick. It is actually meant to be chopped before serving.

The pork shank is simmered with seasonings until transformed to a wobbly gelatinous mass, then deep fried. It is actually a very simple operation that even a deep frying klutz like me can manage to do it without mishap. The secret is drying and freezing the joint so it doesn't spatter in the oil. You'll end up with crispier skin, too.

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Tiramisu is an Italian dessert made out of Savoiardi (ladyfingers) dipped in coffee, layered with a custard-like mixture, mascarpone and chocolates or cocoa.  A dessert that is very popular that the flavours have been adapted into many types of sweet dishes such as puddings, cakes, breads and other desserts.

The origins of this dessert might have originated from the Zuppa Inglese due to its similarity.  But again, like any other popular dishes, it has some several claims on who invented it.  One example is that several sources claim that Tiramisu was invented by Francesca Valori in Treviso at Le Beccherie restaurant.  It was then named by Roberto Linguanotto the confectioner in the said restaurant and the Francesca’s godfather to honour her culinary skill; it was named after her maiden name “Tiramisu”.  Some said it was invented in the city of Sienna by confectioners who created it in honour of Cosimo III when he visited the city.

Tiramisu, if directly translated, means “pick me up” which metaphorically means “make me happy”. That makes perfect sense as that’s what the caffeine and cocoa content in this dish makes to you.  And as a final thought, can you imagine what sort of reactions Francesca has when she was still single and people asks her Surname.

Ingredients

6 egg yolks 1 cup white sugar 250g mascarpone cheese 250ml fresh cream 2 packets lady’s finger 1 1/2 cup very strong espresso 1 cup dark chocolate, shavings cocoa powder, for dusting

Method

1. In a double boiler, mix together egg yolks and sugar in low heat, cook for about 10 minutes while constantly stirring. Remove from heat and whip yolks until thick. 2. Add the mascarpone into the yolk mixture and beat until combined. 3. In another mixing bowl, whip cream until it forms stiff peaks. 4. Fold the whipped cream and mascarpone mixture together then set aside. 5. Put the coffee into a shallow dish or plate, then dip in a lady finger one at a time, soak only for a few seconds and make sure they are not soggy. 6. Place a layer of coffee soaked lady fingers into the bottom of your serving dish, then scoop some of the cream filling, and then place chocolate shavings on top.  Repeat this process until you have 2 to 3 of these layers then finishing it with a cream filling on top and garnishing with chocolate shavings. 7. Chill well, top with cocoa powder then serve.

"The grass is greener on the other side of the fence."

This is what this image seems to say to me when I walked to the park today.  My friend Rowena commented that it is human nature to always think that way.

We should change this mindset, I responded.  The grass is greener where you stand, because you have a better view of it. We always think that the grass is greener on the other side only to find out when we get there that the grass has patches, needing to be mowed and leaving us to do a whole lot of work.

This applies to many facets of our lives, Rowena went on, like our relationships, career, health, etc.  Instead of always looking at the other direction (out of curiousity, discontentment, uncertainty), why not stay focused on what is at hand and make the most of what we have.

Bravo, very well said Rowena!

My husband and I come from different regions in the Philippines.  Growing up, I always wanted to live in the city, while he always wanted to live in the province.  Life throws some humor in our lives that yes, we had lived on both sides - experiencing life in the city and in the province. We learned how to appreciate the beauty of a simple, provincial life in my hometown and also the fun and excitement of living in the city.

So I was thinking out loud on what to cook tonight and he suggested, Why not make dinakdakan?

I was surprised with the request, for dinakdakan is a dish common in my hometown but not in the city.  It was endearing because it felt like my husband grew up with the dish, like it was very familiar to his palette.

Guided by my husband's suggestion, I made dinakdakan and paired it with a simple veggie dish of dinengdeng.  Both dishes are simple staples from the small town of Tuguegarao.

Dinakdakan is an Ilocano (although I am not Ilocano, but Ibanag) dish made of grilled pig's ear and face laced with pig's brain.  Ok, before you fall off your chair, no I didn't cook my version that way.  Instead I used pork steaks and added mayonnaise in lieu of the soft nervous system organ.  You could use pork belly too if you'd prefer.  Dinengdeng is a simple vegetable dish that is cooked in fish sauce broth.  You could use a variety of veggies but in my version I used spinach.  So I'm sharing the recipe of dinakdakan below and if you want to get its partner here's my version of dinengdeng recipe.  For comments and suggestions, you may get in touch with me in  Facebook and Twitter! Enjoy!

• ¼  k liempo, cut into cubes
• ¼ k kasim, cut into cubes
• ¼ c soy sauce
• ½ c vinegar
• ½ T whole peppercorns
• 2 laurel leaves, torn into pieces
• 3-4 T sugar
• 6-8 pieces saging na saba/plantains, sliced or whole
• ½ c water

•  3 cups dessicated coconut
• 1 can or tetrapack of condensed milk (250 ml)
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 c butter, melted
• 2 t vanilla extract
• 1/2 c flour mixed with 1/2 t baking soda
• optional: 1 zest of dayap (local lime) or lemon

Inihaw na Pagi in Tagalog, Ikan Pari Bakar in Malaysian, or Grilled Stingray in English,  are marinated stingrays grilled in banana leaf seasoned with a special  hot and spicy sauce. A very unusual fish to grill, but trust me, this is really good. Once cooked correctly, imagine tuna which have a very tender and juicy texture. It flakes so easily, and you won’t have problems with fish boned. There is none obstructing the meat, and it’s all located in the middle like a soft pork cartilage.

Ingredients

1 big chunk of stingray large piece of banana leaf aluminium foil 6 cloves garlic 1/2 thumb sized ginger 1 small shallot 2 stalks lemongrass 2 tsp Belachan or bagoong (shrimp paste) 3 tbsp chili paste 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp tamarind paste or powder juice from 1 lemon 1/4 cup water salt oil

Condiments

Soy Sauce with Lemon Juice Chilli Garlic Sauce

Method

1. Rub stingray with lemon juice and salt then set aside for 15 minutes 2. In a stove top or grill, run the banana leaf in heat until it releases its natural oil and soften, be careful not to burn the leaf. Set it aside. 3. In a food processor, blend together garlic, ginger, shallots, lemongrass, Belachan/bagoong and chili paste to form a paste. 4. Heat up a wok on medium high then add oil. Once it’s hot ,add paste and stir fry until caramelized and fragrant. 5. Add stingray then sear on one side for 2 minutes, then do it again on the other side. 6. Place the banana leaf in a sheet of aluminium foil, fold edges to form a packet. Remove the stingray leaving the sauce in the wok then place on top of banana leaf. Set it aside 7. Back to the wok, add tamarind paste, salt, sugar and water to deglaze then simmer until sauce thickens. Remove from heat then pour on stingray. Place stingray on grill or barbecue and cook for 5 minutes on each side or more depending on the thickness of the stingray. 8. Serve with rice while hot.

Bibingka is a native Filipino cake not unlike the native cakes of the other Asian countries. The original recipes used rice flour and coconut milk and were baked in special "ovens" specially intended for it. It was made of clay and was fired with charcoal both at the top and at the bottom. Lining with banana leaf is the authentic way of lining the pans. It not only makes a non-stick lining, but also imparts a distinct flavour and fragrance. Non-stick baking paper may be used instead of the banana leaf. When cooked, parts of the leaf becomes singed by the heat of the charcoal and gives it a toasted look and taste. 

This recipe is a quick and modern version, with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses as the toppings.

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I ran out of ice cream in the fridge, and I found myself craving for something cold and sweet to beat the weather. “What else can I make?” I wondered. “Oh, of course, Halo-halo!” (pronounced ha-loh ha-loh and NOT halo like angel halo). Growing up in Digman, where Halo-halo originated from, I terribly missed this drink. Not that it’s hard to re-create. Most Asian and Filipino stores carry the ingredients. So without much contemplating, I drove to the store and bought the ingredients as well as an ice shaver (only $8.99 for the shaver, core!).

By the way “halo” is Tagalog for “mix”, which pretty much describes the drink: a mix of sweetened tropical fruits, milk, and ice. Halo-halo is similar to the Vietnamese jelly drinks except the Filipino version has more ingredients mixed with evaporated milk and topped with purple and yellow flan.  To veganize it, I incorporated the Vietnamese component of using coconut milk. Soymilk and Almond milk can also be used. For the purple flan, I used Will Peji’s recipe for “Ube Halaya“.

Instead of having to buy all the sweetened fruits separately which can be expensive, I found a Halo-halo mix that has all the needed fruits in one jar. The fruits were sweet coconut jelly, red beans, jackfruit, bananas, and white beans.

Makes 1-2 servings, Ready in 5 minutes!

INGREDIENTS:

• 5-6 tbsp. Halo-halo sweet fruit mix
• 1/4 cup coconut milk (or soymilk or almond milk)
• 1/4 cup shaved ice
• 2-3 tbsp toasted rice flakes (or rice crisps)
• 1 slice of Ube Halaya (optional) (see below for recipe)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add about 3tbsp. sweet fruits in a glass.
2. Add a little bit of shaved ice
3. Add another 3 tbsp sweet fruits
4. Add the rest of the shaved ice
5. Carefully pour the milk all over the drink
6. Add the rice flakes/crisps
7. Top with Ube Yam
8. Enjoy!

After carefully putting the ingredients in layers, now you can destroy by mixing them well! hehe The layering is for the eyes, the mixing is for the tummy.

And here’s Will Peji‘s recipe for Ube Halaya Yam:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb frozen grated Ube (Purple Yam) Thawed
• 1 cup Turbinado Sugar/Brown Sugar
• 1 can Coconut Milk (I used light one for this)
• 1/4 cup Vegan Butter
• 4-6 Servings

Directions

1. Heat cooking pot then put in butter and let it melt
2. Add coconut milk and let it boil
3. Add Brown Sugar stir well
4. Lower the heat then add the ube mix well
5. Stir occasionally until the ube becomes thick about 15-20 mins.
6. Put Ube in a mold or container and let it cool  I used soup bowl for this one
7. Refrigerate to 2hrs and serve

My husband is not a Filipino but a pure Chinese from Malaysia. When he first visited the Philippines, he immediately fell in love with the cuisine. Among his favourites were Crispy Pata (crisp fried pork shank), Bulalo (bone marrow soup), Kari-kari (a stew with peanut gravy), grilled pork, clam soup, everything with ube (purple yam), mangoes, the list goes on and on. One dish, though, stands out. It is Lechon manok. This is the poultry counterpart of roast pig. Lechon manok is Filipino rotisserie chicken cooked in an outdoor pit. As with all of our food, it is well seasoned and very tasty. Every time we visit home, there is a lechon manok on the dining table to welcome him.

Although cooked on a spit, lechon manok is so unlike rotisserie chicken. It has an aroma and taste that it quintessentially Filipino. I haven't yet come across a recipe that gives out the secret of the famous Andok's (a famous chain) lechon manok but this is my way of cooking it. What I'm going for is a very fragrant and extremely tasty chicken that is evocative of warm climes and rural settings. 

My method of cooking lechon manok is nothing like the usual way it is cooked. After seasoning the chicken, I wrap it in banana leaves and kitchen foil before roasting. The cavity is also stuffed with garlic, ginger and pandan leaves. This results to a highly scented, flavourful and succulent chicken. Instead of the usual liver sauce that it is usually served with I opted for a fresher, zestier sauce using his favourite fruit: mango. I hope people get to like this recipe because my husband wishes to open up a lechon manok chain in the future.

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See the original post here.

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