Recipes

Photographer Romulo Yanes lets the requisite caramel sauce in this vanilla-flecked flan go a shade darker for a faint bitter edge that cuts through the dense, sweet custard. For a distinctly Cuban touch, he tops the flan with a rum-spiked whipped cream.

The addition of coconut milk, while not part of every adobo recipe, softens the bright vinegar in this version, inspired by sommelier June Rodil, who adds just enough to make the dish super wine-friendly. “I was born in the Philippines, and this is the staple there. Like, if you can’t make it, we’re talking disinheritance," Rodil says. After braising chicken thighs in creamy coconut milk, soy sauce, and vinegar, the braising liquid gets cooked down into a rich sauce. Pat down the chicken thighs before they finish cooking under the broiler to ensure deliciously crispy skin.

Lightly sweetened coconut rice pudding provides a custardy contrast to the tender masa in these dreamy dessert tamales. Drizzled with sweet and buttery goat's milk caramel, they also make a festive holiday breakfast.

This bowl of rice noodles tossed with shrimp balls, cabbage, and snow peas in a rich sauce is savory and comforting. The crushed chicharrones on top lend each bite some crunch, while the cilantro packs a punch of brightness and the calamansi juice cuts through the saltiness of the noodles to provide salty and sour balance.

We reimagined our favorite Filipino stew into a rich soup with slow-cooked beefy oxtails, noodles, and a hint of nutty flavor.

For his lumpiang sariwa recipe, 2021 F&W Best New Chef Carlo Lamagna of Portland, Oregon, skips the deep fryer and instead makes these tender spring rolls by wrapping delicate homemade coconut crêpes around lettuce leaves filled with fresh vegetables. Topped with a sauce of soy sauce simmered with brown sugar and star anise and sprinkled with crunchy chopped peanuts, these lumpiang sariwa make a nice appetizer or light meal.