It was a homage to the late Larry J. Cruz whose keen love of food has given birth to the LJC Group 35 years ago. Aptly titled “A Christmas Dinner Larry Would Love,’’ the cooking demo held at The Maya Kitchen was done by LJC Executive Chef George Lizares.
It was a morning filled with extremely good food that one would expect from the LJC Group. Recipes and tips interspersed with interesting stories from Chef George made for a wonderful experience. The recipes included a fresh feta and fruit salad, a chicken and mushroom dish, a lamb and couscous pairing, a seafood curry mix, sweet baklava and a mojito with just the right kick.
These are two of the recipes that were shared during the cooking demo. For more information, log on to www.themayakitchen.com or e-mail contactus@themayakitchen.com.
KINGFISH AND SHRIMP COCONUT CURRY
(Good for 4-5 Persons)
A simple yet elegant curry using kingfish fillet (Tanigue) that is fit for royalty, as it has no messy bones to deal with. The flesh is firm yet tender and has a tasty fatty skin. Adding shrimps makes it more special.
Larry loved curries and travelled to many places to enjoy them, even as far as Kathmandu.
1 ¼ cup Peeled diced onions
1 pc. Small green chili
2 tbsps. Peeled ginger
¼ cup Peeled garlic
½ cup Cooking oil
1 cup Water or fish stock
1 tsp. Turmeric powder
1 tsp. Garam masala
½ tsp. Chili powder or to taste
2-3 tbsps. Curry powder or to taste
10 pcs. Fresh curry leaves
Bunch of coriander leaves
1 pcs. Bay leaves
3 cups Coconut cream (chilled)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. Lemon juice
300 g Peeled shrimps
3/4 k Tanigue fish fillet cut into cubes
PROCEDURE:
• Place the onion, green chili, ginger, and garlic in a blender and add about ¼ cup of oil and ¼ cup water and blend all ingredients until fine. Transfer to a bowl.
• Heat the remaining oil in a saucepan over medium fire. Add the blended ingredients and cook, mixing frequently until lightly browned and aromatic.
• Now add the spices and mix well. Let aromatize.
• After about 5 minutes of gentle cooking, add 2 ½ cups of the coconut milk along with the curry leaves and mix well. Cook for about 10 minutes over low fire covered.
• Lightly season the fish and the shrimps and add them to the simmering sauce. Cover and cook until the oil surfaces.
• Rectify the seasoning with salt, pepper, plus a few drops of lemon juice to bring out the flavor
• Just before serving, pour in the remaining ½ cup of coconut milk and let simmer for a few more minutes covered.
• Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with some fresh coriander leaves.
BAKLAVA
(Good for 4-5 persons)
Freshly made baklava was one of Larry’s favorite desserts and he enjoyed it with vanilla ice cream. It’s a simple but elegant dish fit for a king.
Ingredients for the filling and wrapping
120 grams Shelled pistachio nuts
120 grams Shelled walnuts nuts
50 grams Powdered sugar
220 grams Unsalted Butter, melted
Filo pastry sheets
• Check all the nuts carefully that they have no stones, shells, or any hard object that may damage teeth.
• After checking, place them in a food processor and grind them to the consistency shown.
• Sprinkle with the powdered sugar and set aside.
• Open the box of Filo Pastry and using a scissor, cut open the plastic bag. Slide the rolled sheets out carefully and get one sheet. Keep the remaining sheets under a lightly moistened cloth.
• Brush the filo sheets with melted butter and place another sheet over it and brush again with butter. Do the same with the third sheet.
• Like rolling a big cigarette, place the pulverized nuts at the end of one sheet and roll it out.
• Bake it over medium heat until the color becomes golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and immediately spoon the syrup over them as shown.
• Transfer to a serving plate and you may serve it with vanilla ice cream
Ingredients for the syrup:
2 pcs. Orange for zest or peeling
5 pcs. Cinnamon stick (depending on size)
3 cups White Sugar
4 cups Water
• Place all the ingredients in a heavy saucepan and simmer for about 1 hour or until the syrup is thick and has the aroma of oranges.
• Strain it and set aside.
