Anyway, when we arrived at the venue there were already more than fifteen attendees, all of whom I learned were paying students at P1,500/head. The woman beside me, Nini, is the cook of a prominent family from SanLo. I was even surprised when she told me that she had already attended several Maya Kitchen cooking classes, courtesy of her "amo" who chooses and pays for what cooking class they wanted the cook to take. This time its the Seafood class because according to Nini the family likes seafood especially fish.
Btw, the recipes came with handouts from MIDA Food Distributors (www.midafood.com/tel. 524-0006 to 07), and our guest chef was no other than Chef Enrique "Rikks" Valles, the Chief Commercial Officer of MIDA. I didn't get her name, but I think she's the head of the MIDA sales team present that day at the cooking class. She talked about how their products especially the cream dory, is being processed from the fish pens to the processing plant. The presentation gave us insights on how fresh their products are, even though they are already processed and frozen.
MIDA 'S TIPS TO REMEMBER:
What to look for when buying FRESH FISH:
SHEEN. The fish should be shiny and sparkling. Any film or mucus on the fish should be transparent or glistening.
STIFFNESS. Most fresh fish should not hang limply but should stick out somewhat when held by the head.
FIRMNESS. Fresh fish should be firm, and the skin should be taut. When you press tour finger against the side of the fish, it shouldn't leave an imprint. Avoid fish with wrinkled skin.
ODOR. Fresh fish should not have a fishy smell, it should smell like the ocean or if its freshwater fish, it should have the smell of a clean pond. if you can, lift up the gill cover and give a sniff.
SCALES. The scales on a fresh fish should adhere tightly. Loose scales indicates that the fish is not fresh or improperly handled.
GILLS. Lift the gill cover and inspect the gills. The gills of a fresh fish should be cherry red and should not have any white slime.
EYES. The appearance of the eyes depends on the type of fish, but in general, look for clear protruding eyes.
TAIL. The tail of a really fresh fish should not be dried out or curled up at the end.
BRUISING. Look for red bruises, which may mean the fish was injured when it was caught. These are especially easy to spot on the white side of flatfish.
FROZEN FISH:
Fish can be easily cooked from the frozen state. If time allows, fish can be thawed before cooking. For best cooking results, follow this 10-minute rule: Measure the steak or fillet at its thickest part and allow 10 minutes of cooking time per inch of thickness. Double the cooking time per inch of thickness. Double the cooking time if cooking product from its frozen state.
Pre-thaw: Remove the frozen fish from the vacuum package. Place fish in a drain pan or other container that prevents the build-up of liquid. Thaw slowly (overnight) at 32-35 degrees F. Never thaw at temperatures above 40 degrees F. Cook fish wiuthin two days of defrosting. Do not refreeze.
Emergency Quick Thaw: If it is necessary to shorten thawing time for small amounts of products, seal the frozen fish in water tight plasctic abg and immerse in very cold water until fish is thawed. Never soak fish directly in water.
COOKING:
Fish maybe cooked by baking, broiling or grilling. When baking fish, place greased fish in a greased baking dish. Brush with butter oil, or sauce to keep it moist. Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. If you're broiling fish, arrange fish on a single layer, well greased broiler rack. Broil fish four inches from source of heat. Baste with melted butter or oil before, after, and during broiling. Do not turn: fish is done when it flakes easily when tested with folk. I love grilled fish. And here's how grilling fish is done. Grease grill well. For smaller fillets, use a fish grill. Barbecue basket or an aluminum foil tray with several holes in it. Place fish approximately four inches from source of heat. Baste frequently with marinade or barbecue sauce. Fish is done when it flakes easily when tested with a fork.
There are several brands of processed seafood out there in the supermarkets, but for freshness and quality of your seafood, we can always look for the MIDA Food Distributor labels. They also deliver right on your doorstep, that is, if your order exceeds P5,000. For small purchases, you can drop by their place at 2219 Singalong Street, Malate, Manila. (tel. no. 524-0006, FAX no 525-5058)
And now after all this pep talk, I am now ready for the cooking demo (and the tasting)!
MY FIRST-EVER MAYA CULINARY KITCHEN COOKING EXPERIENCE
In between the chopping, slicing, etc., the still quite young Chef Enrique Rikks Valles shared with us some personal snippets about himself. A graduate from Les Roches in London, he is also the Chief Commercial Officer of Mida Food Distributors, Inc. Although allergic to seafoods, and has to take antihistamines, he is in charge with concocting seafood recipes as per client's requirements. He also cited several fastfood chain that use their seafood products. What I want to know is how old is he, but I was too embarrassed to ask. he he he
For this session, there are five (5) mouth-watering recipes that CHEF RIKKS shared with us.
1. Crabcakes with Aioli Dill Sauce
2. Poached Salmon with Dijon Cream Sauce
3. Honey Sesame Glazed Prawn with Arugula & Raspberry Vinaegrette
4. Pan-Grilled Sea Bass with Port Wine Reduction
5. Cream Dory Tandoori with Raisin Couscous
Personally I like all of them, after Chef Rikks showed us how easy to cook them and after eating the portions we were given. It's not the traditional tasting, because the sampler came in big portions unlike in other cooking demos I have attended. But what keeps me wishing to have a go at cooking them are the Crabcakes with Aioli Dill Sauce, the Honey Sesame Glazed Prawn with Arugula and Raspberry Vinaegrette, and the Cream Dory Tandoori with Raisin Couscous.
Crabcakes with Aioli Dill Sauce
Ingredients:2 eggs
Fresh ParsleyWorcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 piece lemon and zest
salt and pepper
1 lb Blue Swimming Crab Lump Meat
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
half stick butter
for Aioli:
1 piece garlic clove
sea salt
Black Ppper
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
around 600ml extra virgin olive oil
lemon juice and zest
Fresh Dill
Method:
1. Beat eggs in a bowl and add parsley, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, lemon juice and seasoning. Mix well.2. Gently fold in crabmeat and normal breadcrumbs until mixture is no longer moist.
3. Gently make 6-8 balls out of the mixture. Then flatter into thick patties.
4. Ligtly coat the patties in panko breadcrumbs and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Fry in butter until golden brown. Squeeze lemon when done.
For Aioli:
1. Smash garlic and salt in a large bowl (or pestel and mortar)
2. Combine with egg yolk and mustard. Mix together.
3. Start adding the olive oil little by little, whisking continuously.
4. Add the lemon juice/zest, and dill.
5. Season to taste.
Honey Sesame Glazed Prawn with Arugula and Raspberry Vinaigrette
Ingredients:500 grams peeled prawns
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
Canola Oil
1 piece Birdseye chili (labuyo)
1 bunch mixed salad leaves and arugula
For Vinaigrette:
Raspberry Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Grainy Mustard
Salt and Pepper
Method:
1. Stir fry prawns in oil for 2 minutes. Add chili and sesame seeds. Let simmer for 10 seconds.2. Add honey and mix well. Set aside to cool.
3. Combine raspberry vinegar, mustard and olive oil. Mix well until emulsified. Season. Serve over salad.
Cream Dory Tandoori with Raisin Couscous
Ingredients
2 Cream Dory fillets, cut into cubes
1 tbsp Garam masala, cumin powder, turmeric, curry, nutmeg, coriander seeds, cardamom, cinnamon seeds
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup couscous (dry)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
a handful of raisin
1 lemon/box of couscous
Method
Marinade:
1. Mix yogurt and all dry spices together.
2. Skewer the fish cubes and season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour over yogurt mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Bring chicken stock to a boil.
5. In a large bowl, pour heated stock over couscous mixture. Add lemon zest.
6. Cover and let set for 10 minutes.
7. Mix with a fork to ensure couscous is nice and fluffy. Add raisins.
8. Place skewers over a grill on high heat.
9. Serve over couscous.
After plating, each dish was taken to a designated table where the invited food photographers could take pictures without disrupting the class. We had picture takings, too, with Chef Rikks. Wonder if Tess will send me a copy for posterity.One thing is sure, though this is my first, it certainly won't be the last Maya class I'll attend.So MTL, be ready.
To those who are interested, just like me,The Maya Kitchen Culinary Arts Center also offers regular cooking courses. You may want to check them out via www.themayakitchen.com or email contactus@themayakitchen.com or visit The Maya Kitchen Culinary Centerlocated at the 8/F Liberty Building, 835 A. Arnaiz Avenue (Pasay Road ), Makati City every Tuesday to Saturday or call 892-1185 and 8925011 local 108
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