Coming home unexpectedly + meeting a culinary guru = Twist of Fate

Before the programme started, M asked me if I was a fan of Master Chef Ming Tsai. I told her that I can’t really consider myself a fan (just a believer, the most) because to begin things with, I rarely enjoy Asian fusion. On top of that, I only caught him on tube probably thrice (including his infamous battle with Bobby Flay).

To cut the long story short, I ate my words an hour after Chef Ming stepped up on stage.

For the uninitiated, Chef Ming is awesome (a rock star even, per M). It would be safe to say that I probably met hundred and ten chefs in the past 3 years, and Chef Ming is actually part of the 25% who can talk about his equally awesome craft without the “attitude”. His entire demo wasn’t just packed with useful information to both professional and non-professional food enthusiasts but also light and fun. He even shared the story about his non-smoker mom and her little ashtray collection, his baseball bet with Bobby Flay on their Iron Chef America challenge, and how it amazes him how some people think of the unthinkable when it comes to food (cracking an oyster open, blowing up a duck to make Peking duck, etc).

On with the demo, very important when buying fish:

Smell the fish. If it doesn’t smell like the sea, it’s no good.

Chef Ming’s first dish required zero heat but lots of mixing. He also made use of a Tabasco bottle and a PVC pipe to mold his dish:

Finished product:

Ahi Tuna Parfait

Vinaigrette:
½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
½ Tbsp naturally brewed rice wine vinegar
¼ cup canola oil
1 Tbsp wasabi tobiko
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Parfait:
1 cup heavy cream
½ lb #1 grade ahi tuna, cut into very small dice
3 dashes Tabasco sauce
1 Tbsp finely chopped chives
8 whole chives
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 oz wasabi tobiko
2 oz American sturgeon caviar (if unavailable, just use additional tobiko)
Soy-Lime Syrup

Soy-Lime Syrup:
1 bottle Bango kecap manis
Juice of 1 lime

Special Equipment:
Four 1”- 1½” ring molds or cookie cutter

Directions:

1. Vinaigrette - Combine first four ingredients, season with salt and pepper, whisk lightly.
2. Soy-lime Syrup - Combine lime juice, to taste, with kechap manis and pour into a squeeze bottle for garnishing.
3. In a small chilled bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form. Reserve.
4. Fill a large bowl with ice. Place medium bowl in ice, add tuna and next three ingredients, season with salt and pepper. Mix lightly.
5. Spray insides of ring molds with nonstick cooking spray. Layer the tuna mix and caviars as follows: 1/8 tuna, 1/4 tobiko, 1/8 tuna, 1/4 sturgeon caviar. Press down lightly on parfaits after each layer with bottom of Tabasco bottle or whisk. Top the layers with a thin layer of cream, Smooth evenly. Unmold cream side up onto top of upside down martini glass. Garnish each portion with 2 chives. Drizzle vinaigrette and soy-lime syrup around and serve with demitasse spoons.

After presenting Chef Ming’s first dish, Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) Executive Chef Joanne Limoanco went up on stage to prepare her duck dish.

Errrr I don’t eat duck.

It’s not that I don’t have the heart to eat the fowl but I had this horrible experience as a kid with ducks. I think it was my Tatay Remy’s (my late grandfather) birthday when they forced me to eat this thin, white, paper like bread that had this deep brown meat aka. Peking duck. I spat it after a single munch. That must be around 17 years ago and until last Tuesday, I never had another duck.

Duck Salad with Caramelized Pears & Goji Berry Dressing

Mom was with me during the showdown and we were pointing at each other who should try the duck (she’s not a big fan too). We tried it almost at the same time with our eyes closed. I (surprisingly) loved it, she said it was ok but we agreed on the salad: we should do it at home ASAP.

Chef Ming with his sous chef, Chef Tom Woods

Chef Ming’s second dish:

Hoisin-Marinated Duck with Napa Slaw and Sweet Potato Risotto

Our jaws dropped: rare duck meat (this already feels like Fear Factor!). I only had very little of the centre but managed to cut off the tasty crust. The sweet potato risotto was definitely better than using arborio rice.

Chef Joanne’s second dish:

Braised Beef Neck with “Kailan” and Salted Egg Gremolata served with diced Potato Gratin

This tastes so much like one of the dishes I prepared in school. It’s rich, filling, and very comforting. Not the easiest dish to prepare but will definitely win hearts on gatherings.

Big kudos to the teams of Chef Ming and Chef Joanne, Kyocera, Unilever Food Solutions, and SM Hypermarket for making me and mom eat duck an awesome event!