Chef Claude Tayag at the Maya Kitchen

Every month, I always look forward for the invite by Maya Kitchen to attend the kitchen demos provided by well-established chefs in the Philippines.  For September, it was Chef Claude Tayag’s turn.

There are always things to learn from the demo.  Apart from the recipes, the tips are just priceless.  I deliberately missed out sharing the recipes here as I would share them once I already adapted them.  Plus, if you have time, I recommend that you join the demos at the Maya Kitchen.  They are worth it!  You learn recipes, watch them live, get to taste them after the demo and you get the chance to talk to the renowned Filipino chef!  It’s awesome, isn’t it?

Chef Claude Tayag was born and raised in Angeles City.  He’s the 9th of 12 children (8 are boys).  Chef Tayag didn’t have any formal culinary training but he learned looking from his mom.  Apart from being a chef, he’s a writer and an artist.  He even had his first one-man exhibit when he was 22 years old.  On 1989, chef Tayag went out in public with regards to his cooking.  He acted as guest chef in Anghang.  At that time, he was called an artist that cooks.

It’s always nice to hear the background of the popular chefs here in the Philippines.  Just shows that as long as we have passion in what we do, we’ll be successful with hard work & perseverance.

Here are the dishes prepared by Chef Claude Tayag at the cooking demo.  As with my previous posts, I’m noting down all the tips & trivia shared by the chef.

Lumping Sariwa/Hubad

This Lumpia mix can be used as a filling for fresh spring roll (lumping sariwa) or fried lumpia.  The mix of fresh vegetables is flexible, depending on one’s preference. Pork, chicken or shrimps can be added accordingly, or if a strict vegan dish is desired, then just avoid the meats.

• Astuete came from Mexico.
• Brown tofu first before slicing
• In cooking, adjust to your personal preference (in baking, it has be precise.  However, for cooking, you can adjust).
• The more color the food is, the most nutrition the food is.
• Veggies can be eaten raw.
• You do not need to cook with magic powders.
• Do not brown garlic.  

Sisig Terrine

• Sisig came from Angeles City
• In 1732, Spaniards created a dictionary with sisig in it.
• Sisig is a salad with vinaigrette (kilawin).
• To make it brine, restaurants put mayonnaise.
• In 1970, a lady named Aling Rising grilled pig’s heads and added liver.  Benedict Pamintuan copied the lady’s recipe and put it in a sizzling plate.
• Trellis is the first grill house in Metro Manila.
• There is a misconception that anything in a sizzling plate is a sisig.
• Pineapple is known to be a natural tenderiser.
• Use cardboard wrapped in plastic to press the marinated pig ears.
• Serve in a plate of shredded cucumber and vinaigrette.

Bringhe

• In Visayas, Bringhe is called Valenciana.
• Bring is closer to risotto because it’s creamy
• Filipinos use coconut milk.
• use half normal rice and half sticky rice to get the right consistency to the dish.
• Put broth one cup at a time.
• If you want to achieve creamy consistency, stir it more.
• My comment: this was SUPER YUMMY!  I wish I wasn’t shy enough to get more servings of this 😛

Pistu

• Sautéed ground meat is otherwise called giniling or picadillo.
• Pistu is a traditional Kapampangan morning special dish.  It’s an over the top picadillo.
• In Pampanga, they use lots of chorizo.
• Use chorizo lard versus oil.
• Use lean ground pork.
• Introduce salt at the start of cooking the dish so that the flavour will sit in the dish.
• You can use leftover pitsu to omelette & relyeno.
• Clean as you go when cooking.

Buco Pandan

• Chef Claude Tayag’s version is popularly known as Claude’s Dream.
• This has been Chef Tayag’s bestseller dessert for decades.
• When preparing gelatine, substitute water with boiled buko juice.
• Use carabao’s milk.
• Garnish with cut pandan leaves.
• For the ice cream, Chef Tayag used Arce macapuno ice cream.

Chef Claude Tayag’s Books and Products were available on sale during the cooking demo at the Maya Kitchen.

It’s really an honour to have met the artist chef Claude Tayag 🙂  For the dishes he taught us how to cook, I’ll probably adapt the Bringhe! 🙂

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The Maya Kitchen Culinary Center
8F Liberty Building, 835 A. Arnaiz Avenue (Pasay Road), Makati City, Philippines
+63-2-8921185 / +63-2892-5011 local 108
contactus@themayakitchen.com