The Filipino recipes you’re not cooking – but should be

If you’re hoping to cook something a little different this week, then look no further then the criminally under-appreciated cuisine of The Philippines. UK-born Filipino chef Rex De Guzman has made it his mission to share his culture’s bold flavours and exciting dishes with a British audience, and his restaurant Turo Turo has won a host of fans since it opened in 2024. Now, his new book Kamayan is packed with ideas that are easy to get on the table and exciting for all the family. Here are some of his favourites… Shorts Fried pork hash with onions and egg (lechon pork belly sisig) Serves up to six for sharing 200g chicken livers Vegetable oil, for frying 500g leftover lechon pork belly or pork roast 250g white or red onions, diced 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper Juice of ½ lemon 30g salted butter 2 eggs (optional) 3 tbsp sliced spring onions 2 tbsp finely chopped red chilli (optional) Sawsawan (dipping sauce) 60ml light soy sauce Juice of 1 lemon 2 red bird’s eye chillies, seeds in, chopped Fry the chicken livers in a hot pan with a little oil for two to three minutes on each side until caramelised and just cooked. Remove and cool. Rex de Guzman wants to share his gastronomic heritage with the UK (Photo: Yuki Sugiura) Once cooled, finely chop the liver, place it into a large mixing bowl and set aside. Using a sharp knife, slice the leftover pork belly into strips, then roughly chop the pork into a fine dice and place into the same mixing bowl. Add the diced onion, lemon juice and ground black pepper to the mixing bowl to form a sisig hash mixture. Heat a suitable-sized grill pan or frying pan with a drizzle of vegetable oil. Fry the sisig for four to seven minutes, stirring regularly until lightly browned and starting to crisp. Be careful, as the pan may spit hot oil. Add the butter and allow it to foam. If using eggs, make a well in the centre of the pan and crack the eggs in. Allow them to cook for one minute. To make the sawsawan, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Serve immediately, garnished with the spring onions, chopped chilli and the sawsawan on the side to spoon over the sisig for added flavour. Serve with jasmine or garlic fried rice. Prawns cooked in coconut milk, or ginataang hipon (Photo: Yuki Sugiura) Prawns cooked in coconut milk (ginataang hipon) Serves 4-6 7 garlic cloves, finely chopped 20g ginger, peeled and julienned Vegetable oil, for frying 100g white onion, diced 500g sweet potato or butternut squash, peeled and cubed 1 red bird’s eye chilli, halved 2 tsp fish sauce, plus extra 400ml tin coconut milk 230ml water 1 bay leaf 100g green beans, trimmed and halved 450g frozen medium prawns, peeled, defrosted Squeeze of lime (optional) 2 tbsp sliced spring onions In a large pot on a medium heat, fry the garlic and ginger in some vegetable oil for two to three minutes. Add the diced onion and bird’s eye chilli and cook on a lower heat for three to four minutes until softened. Add the sweet potato and turn the heat to medium. Add the fish sauce and cook for one minute. Pour the coconut milk, water and bay leaf into the pan. Boil for 12–14 minutes until the sweet potato is tender. Add the beans and boil for two to three minutes until cooked but still a bit crunchy. Add the prawns and simmer for three to five minutes until cooked through. Season with extra fish sauce or salt and a squeeze of lime. Top with spring onions, serve. Condensed milk crème caramel leche flan (Photo: Yuki Sugiura) Condensed milk crème caramel leche flan Serves 8-12 10 egg yolks 2 eggs 400ml tin condensed milk 410g tin evaporated milk 215g caster sugar 50ml water Preheat the oven to 140°C/275°F. Whisk together the egg yolks, whole eggs, condensed milk and evaporated milk until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve and set aside. To make the caramel, heat the caster sugar and water in a saucepan on medium heat, stirring gently until the sugar has dissolved. Stop stirring and increase the heat to high. Cook until the mixture turns into a dark caramel, being careful not to burn it. Immediately pour the caramel into a non-stick ovenproof dish, swirling the dish around to coat the bottom and sides evenly, at least 4cm high up all sides. Cool it completely. ‘Kamayan’ by Rex de Guzman (Photo: Yuki Sugiura) Pour the egg mixture into the prepared dish. Place the dish in a roasting tin halfway filled with hot water and bake for 40–60 minutes or until the flan is just set with a slight wobble in the centre. Check every 15–20 minutes to prevent overcooking. Remove the dish from the roasting tin and let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled, run a knife around the edge of the flan and carefully invert it onto a serving dish – you can refrigerate the flan, however, it will make the texture firmer This keeps well in the fridge for three to five days. Kamayan by Rex De Guzman is out now on Penguin Michael Joseph, RRP £28