Quintessentially French at Mandarin Oriental

Recently held at The Tivoli of Mandarin Oriental Manila last Oct. 1 to 6 was a “Duck Foie Gras (liver) and Mushrooms” promotion prepared by executive sous chef Remi Vercelli. This was done in partnership with Rougié, Bolla Wines, Werdenberg International Corp., Philippine Wine Merchants and Säntis.

To highlight the six-day food promotion, a foie gras cooking demonstration inside Tivoli’s spic-and-span kitchen was conducted on the second day by visiting French chef Jocelyn Deumie, Rougié’s Japan-based culinary advisor dedicated to Asia. Right after, a seven-course foie gras dinner followed at The Tivoli’s timeless, elegant dining area, prepared by chef Vercelli and paired with Bolla wines from Italy.

The quintessential French delicacy was exquisitely prepared five ways: foie gras crème bulee with fig jelly; foie gras terrine and pickled mushrooms; pan-fried foie gras with smoked eel, white beans and trompete de la mort mushrooms; roasted veal tenderloin with potato foie gras cake and truffle sauce; white chocolate mousse with apricot compote and foie gras ice cream (!); interspersed with sweet miso wild mushroom cappuccino with grilled chestnut mousse and pancetta (Italian bacon), consommé and enoki (golden needle mushrooms).

Going back to the cooking demo earlier, chef Deumie showed some 15 of us very eager “students” how easy it was to prepare foie gras at home. There is no need for sophisticated equipment, just down-home basic utensils starting with an electric burner, non-stick pan, turner (a fork will do), sharp knife, chopping board (or any flat surface), plastic cling wrap, rock salt, peppermill, beef stock in a pan, and of course, frozen lobes of Rougie’s foie gras from Säntis. (The good news is, a more affordable a small four-piece pack is now available for those who want to surprise a partner with an intimate dinner). Noting how 80 percent of the market in France prefers their foie gras in the form of terrine or paté, the reverse is true in the foreign markets, especially in Asia — Japan, in particular — where the majority prefer it pan-fried or poached first in beef stock and then pan-fried (likened to silken tofu in texture).

Visiting French chef Jocelyn Deumie

Nevertheless, chef Deumie demonstrated three ways of cooking it: pan-frying directly the half-inch flash-frozen slices, cooking them in their own fat, resulting in a crisp brown crust and buttery-soft inside (doneness can be rare, medium or well-done); poaching the whole lobe in beef stock over low heat, then slicing it into half-inch pieces, and pan-frying those until brown and crisp on the outside, resulting in a creamy, evenly cooked inside; and lastly, de-veining the thawed, uncooked lobes ever so gingerly, seasoning the soft mash with salt and pepper, rolling it in plastic cling wrap (this technique is called ballotine, or terrine if placed in a container called a tureen), and then poached, steamed or baked in a bain-marie pan (the same manner as our leche flan is cooked). The chef must have felt elated upon hearing us students swoon as morsels were passed around for us to sample. 

Essentially spanish at InterContinental Manila

Meanwhile, ongoing at the InterContinental Manila’s Prince Albert Rotisserie is a Spanish food festival until Oct. 15. Simply dubbed “Cucina Española,” visiting chef Victor Armero Torres from InterContinental Madrid’s fine dining restaurant El Jardin presents his interpretations of contemporary Spanish cuisine.

Filipinos are naturally predisposed to liking Spanish cuisine, our country having been a former colony of Spain for more than three centuries. Although more than a hundred years have passed since the Americans took over the reins as colonial master (and they too, are gone), traces of Spanish influence still persist to this day, not only in the language that we speak (40 percent of everyday informal Tagalog is made up of Spanish loanwords, i.e. bintana/ventana, tinidór/tenedór, la mesa/mesa, tasa/taza, baso/vaso, days of the week, months of the year, etc.), the Catholic religion the majority believe in, and most especially in the food that we love to eat collectively as Filipinos. Mention the dishes adobo, caldereta, lengua, salpicao, embutido, empanada, callos, puchero, longganisa, chicharon, etc., to any Filipino, and chances are we think of them as Spanish, or at least Spanish in origin, and that they have been modified and adapted through the centuries to suit our taste buds using whatever locally available ingredients there were. And, just like the loanwords mentioned above, we may have borrowed the Spanish names and cooking techniques of these dishes but ultimately, they are 100-percent Filipino.

Visiting Spanish chef Victor Armero Torres

Likewise, the popularity of such Spanish restaurants in the metropolis like Alba, Casa Armas, Cirkulo, Dulcinea, Mario’s, Tapella, Terry’s Bistro, and Dos Mestizos in Boracay, are just an affirmation of the enduring culinary legacy that Spain has left us with.

I was recently interviewed by a travel magazine and asked what my favorite foodie destination in the world is. Without batting an eyelash, my reply was Madrid. Aside from my familiarity with the city and the different Spanish regional cuisines in general, I just love its tapas culture. One can dine alone or with a group without having to spend so much, trying different dishes and wines, hopping from one bar to another at one’s own pace. One doesn’t have to go through the formality of having to sit down and have first an appetizer, salad/ soup, main course and dessert, and pay a king’s ransom, like in other cities such as Paris or London.

Sometime in January of last year, I was at the Spanish capital staying at InterContinental Madrid, my home for five days. Finding the breakfast buffet spread at its El Café restaurant so irresistibly inviting, I simply surrendered to its delectable offerings. It had an unmistakably Spanish flavor to it, quite different from the predictable international spreads one sees in five-star hotels. There was jamon serrano and several kinds of salchichas, including different dried chorizos and fried fresh longganisas (less garlicky and sweet than ours, but definitely not the usual bland English links), local quezos from different regions, anchovies, bottles of extra-virgin olive oil, and fresh tomato puree to drizzle over crusty toasted country breads, and not to forget, Spain’s iconic churros con chocolate.

Though the usual blob of scrambled eggs was available in a chafing dish, one could actually request for tortilla Española or potato omelet, another iconic Spanish specialty, which I ordered. To put it simply, everything that is essentially Spanish was in one spread. I could have remained seated there the whole day had it not been for the breakfast service ending. Needless to say, I also had my fill of tapas the five nights I stayed in the city. The hotel’s strategic location on Paseo de la Castellana was a plus factor, too. It’s just minutes away from the Prado Museum, Serrano shopping street and Puerta del Sol, where a lot of the tapas joints are concentrated. 

Upon receiving an invite from good friend Jennifer Peña, public relations consultant of the InterContinental Manila, to try their Spanish food festival with a guest chef flown in from my favorite hotel in Madrid to boot, my wife Mary Ann and I dropped all plans so as not to miss it. To put it simply again, everything that I was hoping would be served was served to us, and a lot more. Essentially Spanish dishes like the cold, refreshing soup Andalusian gazpacho; Spanish omelet “in toast” with fried green peppers and Iberico ham; braised Catalan monkfish; chicken Extremadura in Pepitoria sauce, prawns and Cava vegetables; and Alicante almond ice cream.

A taste of Spain: Chicken Extremadura in Pepitoria sauce at The Spanish Food Festival in InterCon Manila

Other dishes in chef Torres’ interpretations of contemporary Spanish cuisine include Santoña anchovy toast with peppers marmalade; white garlic with smoked codfish and peach from Aragon, octopus Galicia style; seafood soup; Madrid hot soup with poached eggs; stewed hake with shellfish Bilbao style; golden fish with garlic and stewed potatoes; candied lamb at a low temperature with grilled potatoes and peppers; and desserts like chocolate crepes with passion fruit; Catalan cream; rice with milk and vanilla ice cream; red fruit yogurt with honey; and fried bread with sugar and coco ice cream.

Catch visiting Spanish chef Victor Armero Torres’ interpretations of contemporary Spanish cuisine at InterContinental Manila’s Prince Albert Rotisserie in an ala a carte-style lunch and dinner until Oct. 15. Today, Oct. 11, a set dinner menu will be specially prepared by the guest chef, which includes Spanish wines at P2,500++ per person. For reservations, call 793-7000.