“Everything starts with the oil,” said Chef Kalel Chan as he lovingly drizzled Doña Elena Extra Virgin Olive Oil on his appetizer trio especially prepared for a limited-edition menu of Jones All-Day Bistro in BGC.
“When you cook, you must start with using a good quality. It makes a world of a difference in creating a delicious dish,” he told Manila Standard Cravings during the press preview of the three-course menu, priced at P1,200.
Chef Kalel, Doña Elena chef ambassador, came up with the Mediterranean dishes with a distinctive Filipino twist that feature the wide range of uses of olive oil – from salad dressing to sautéing to even making desserts.
“Olive oil is very versatile. Doña Elena’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil can be used for drizzling and for salad dressings, while the Pure Olive Oil can be used for sautéing. Pomace, on the other hand, is what we use for fried dishes,” he said.
For the appetizer trio of his special menu, which can be ordered as a set or separately until November 10, 2023, Chef Kalel prepared Grilled Barbeque Gremolata Pork Iberico, Hamachi Crudo Pani Puri with Sinigang Aguachile, Adobong Pusit Arancini with Grilled Pulpo and Bonito Aioli.
Succulent and smoky, the pork rendition was inspired by the Filipino-favorite street side grill, using an intensely marbled Secreto Iberico, smothered with a gremolata sauce and Doña Elena anchovies as part of the mix.
The fresh hamachi fish, lightly drizzled with Doña Elena Extra Virgin Olive Oil, was placed on top of a fried hollowed semolina dough stuffed with minced green olives and capers and finished with a light pouring of aguachile, a zesty sinigang soup base.
The last appetizer item was inspired by the fried Italian appetizer rice balls, filled with adobong pusit and fried in Doña Elena Pomace Olive Oil to achieve a crisp, crunchy exterior and golden brown color.
“I was very conscious of the fact that even if these dishes are Mediterranean, these should appeal to the palate of Filipinos,” Chef Kalel said.
His main dish was a generous slab of Grilled Lamb Ribs laid on homemade harissa sauce with cold orzo salad mixed with Doña Elena Black Olives. As a staple Mediterranean condiment, the made-from-scratch harissa sauce heavily used Doña Elena Pure Olive Oil, blended with fiery spices such as chilies, cumin, and coriander but balanced with a lightly sweet red capsicum. The light and cold orzo salad, drizzled with EVOO, was finished with a bright and citrusy gremolata made of finely chopped parsley, garlic, and lemon – a truly refreshing balance to the tender and smoky lamb meat.
As a finale, Chef Kalel’s labneh ice cream was both rich and refreshing – an indulgent Mediterranean recipe. Its flavor note is a cross between cream cheese and yogurt with a delightful balance of tang and saltiness. For a sweet touch, it was topped with sesame-pistachio brittle for some crunch and drizzled with a fruity and fragrant rosemary oil using Doña Elena Olive Oil as its main ingredient.
“Mediterranean dishes use a lot of herbs, which Filipino food usually doesn’t have. But I love to cook Filipino dishes because it’s very homey and I infuse them with Mediterranean ingredients, such as Doña Elena Olive Oil. It’s easy to cook at home when you have good quality ingredients,” Chef Kalel said.
(The Doña Elena special set menu is available at the Jones All-Day Bistro and Bakery throughout the day at Serendra, BGC until Nov. 10, 2023. For more information, visit Doña Elena Cuisinera Club on Facebook and Doña Elena Cuisinera Club on Instagram.)