t0430reggie_1 — Seared Prawns with Guimaras Mango Salsa and Vanilla Dressing

The heat was unbearable while cooking the 10-foot giant paella over charcoal at the recent Festival de la Paella Gigante in Greenbelt 3, Makati.

We had a good time, and there was nothing else on our mind but to eat and drink.

Each participating chef had his own idea of what food will cool down the body, which was how these summer recipes were compiled. I love how easy they were to prepare and just reading through them was refreshing enough!

Chef James Antolin, Pastry Alliance Philippines: Mango Watermelon Popsicle

1 cup yellow mango, blended into a puree

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup whipping cream

1 piece yellow mango, diced

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

1 cup watermelon, blended into a puree

Combine mango puree, 1/2 cup water, whipping cream. Mix well. Refrigerate.

In a saucepan, combine sugar and water to make a syrup. Cool.

Add cooled syrup to the watermelon puree and mix well. Refrigerate.

Prepare popsicle molds and fill each one halfway with yellow mango mixture, then add 1 tablespoon of the diced yellow mango per mold.

Fill remaining half of the mold with watermelon mixture.

Freeze until firm.

t0430reggie_2 — ARACAMA’S Oyster Kilawin

Chef Fernando Aracama, Aracama Filipino Cuisine: Oyster Kinilaw

12 pieces fresh oysters, shells washed and cleaned

50 grams sea salt dissolved in 500 milliliters ice water

4-5 pieces calamansi

1/3 cup fresh coconut milk (first extraction)

3 tbsp tuba or coconut vinegar

1 tbsp minced ginger

Garnish:

Green mango, peeled, and brunoise

Red onions, sliced

Cherry tomatoes, sliced

Crispy pork fat or crumbled chicharon

Chopped green onions and flowers, chopped siling labuyo

Shuck oysters; keep in the shell. Soak oysters in ice-cold salted water for 8-10 minutes to rinse off sand and dirt, also to plump up oysters. Drain.

Squeeze calamansi over oysters. Set aside, chill. Make coconut-milk dressing.

Combine fresh coconut milk, tuba vinegar and minced ginger.

Spoon coconut-milk dressing over the oyster.

Garnish. Serve cold.

Chef Mikel Arriet, Club Punta Fuego: Gazpacho con Ali-oli y Jamon Iberico

4 pieces big tomatoes, ripe

1 cucumber, peeled

1 white onion, peeled

2 cloves garlic

1 each red and green pepper

half baguette, day old, torn

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

8 tbsp Sherry vinegar or to taste

Salt to taste

6 slices Jamon Iberico

6 teaspoons ali-oli

Ali-oli

3 garlic cloves

salt, pinch

1 espresso cup (approximately 1/4 cup) fresh milk

3 espresso cups olive oil

Gazpacho

Cut vegetables in big chunks and add bread, olive oil, vinegar and salt. Mix. Add water just enough to moisten the bread. Leave in chiller overnight.

The following day, blend it and let mixture pass through a chinois. It will be slightly thick. Keep in the chiller.

Adjust vinegar, salt, olive oil to taste.

Ali-oli:

Chill all ingredients before combining in a blender to blend.

Season to taste.

Chill.

Presentation:

Pour gazpacho in chilled glasses. Drizzle with 1 tsp ali-oli. Garnish with Jamon Iberico. Makes 6 servings.

Chef J Gamboa, El Cirkulo: White Sangria with Ramon Bilbao Monte Blanco

1 bottle dry white wine (preferably Spanish like the Ramon Bilbao Monte Blanco), 750 ml

1/2 cup sugar syrup

1 piece lemon, sliced

1 piece each red and green apple, julienne

12 pieces each red and green grapes, halved

Ice cubes

1 can soda water

In a pitcher, combine white wine with sugar syrup and refrigerate until cold.

Fill 6 large wine glasses with ice. Add mixed fruits and pour in chilled white wine.

Top off with soda water for a little sparkle.

Chef Carlo Miguel, 71 Gramercy and Draft: Seared Prawns with Guimaras Mango Salsa and Vanilla Dressing

6 pieces large prawns, peeled and deveined

1 small shallot, fine dice

1 small vine ripened tomato, peeled and diced

1 ripe Guimaras mango, peeled and diced

1/2 bunch of coriander sprigs picked for garnish, and remaining leaves and stalks chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp Chardonnay vinegar

1 piece fresh vanilla pod, split and scraped

1 tsp cream

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Dressing: Put all ingredients in jar and shake well to emulsify

Salsa: Combine shallot, tomato, mango and coriander. Season and dress with half the dressing.

Season and sear the prawns until cooked.

Divide salsa on 2 plates. Top with 3 prawns each. Garnish prawns with coriander leaves. Drizzle the remaining dressing.

Enjoy with a glass of Chardonnay!

Chef Sito Senn, The Country Club: Chilled Spiced Melon Soup with Crispy Jamon Serrano

1 cantaloupe, peeled and cubed

2 tsp ginger

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp honey

Pinch of salt

Pinch of chili flakes, optional

Drizzle of Spanish Sherry vinegar

3 slices Jamon Serrano (substitute with prosciutto or bacon)

In a hot pan, put Jamon Serrano and cook until crispy. Remove and drain on paper towel.

In a blender, put cantaloupe, ginger, lemon juice, honey, salt and chili flakes until smooth. Add lemon juice, ginger, chili, salt and honey to taste. Adjust consistency with a little water.

Refrigerate cantaloupe mixture until ready to serve.

Pour into cocktail glasses, drizzle with a touch of Sherry vinegar and top with crispy Jamon Serrano. Makes 4-6 servings.

Chef Jerome Valencia, Tambai Yakitori Snackhouse: Soft Shell Crab on a Stick

3 pieces soft-shell crabs

Batter:

1/2 cup rice flour

1 egg

1 tbsp water

1 cup Japanese breadcrumbs

To taste, salt and pepper

Oil for deep frying

3 pieces barbecue stick