Hello Everyone! Only 2 more days to Christmas and just one more sleep until Noche Buena! I know it’s only a Sunday but I would just like to share a Christmas Special with everyone for a Christmas morning breakfast idea for the table.

I first came across a small single serving of a ‘Breakfast Bilao’ while scrolling through the world of Instagram and then an idea clicked into mind. What if I went BIG with the idea of a Breakfast Bilao? From there I also added a small twist to it, based on creative presentation that I drew inspiration from a couple that I have been following on Instagram for about 3 years now known as @symmetrybreakfast. If you haven’t heard of them before, please do take the time to check out their beautiful feed and give them a follow! (Not sponsored) *cheeky grin* Anyway, I know my Breakfast Bilao may seem very far away from being precisely symmetrical, but that’s where I drew my inspiration from.

So what is a bilao? Well traditionally it is used in the Philippines for winnowing rice, tossing and turning the grains for the purpose of removing unwanted particles such as dirt and small stones. These days, you’re more likely to see a bilao used as a food container lined with banana leaves where food is arranged.

Of course, feel free to get even more creative with your own version of a Breakfast Bilao – the combinations are endless! I put my Breakfast Bilao together after our weekly market day with freshly bought ingredients, but you can most definitely also whip this up with leftover ingredients lying around in your fridge or pantry.

PREP TIME 20-30 MINS | COOKING TIME 30-45 MINS | SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

For the corned beef

• 250g fresh corned beef
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small potato, diced
• 1 small red onion, halved and sliced
• Ground salt and pepper, to taste

For the eggplant omelette

• 2 medium-sized Lebanese eggplants
• 2 large free range eggs
• Ground salt and pepper, to taste

For the garlic fried rice

• 3 cups of day old cooked rice
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• Ground salt and pepper, to taste

For the lato salad

• 1/2 kg green caviar seaweed (lato)
• 2 salted eggs, cooked and roughly chopped
• 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• Fish sauce, to taste
• Fresh calamansi juice, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 2 large free range eggs
• 2 pcs dried salted fish (tuyo)
• 2 pcs smoked salted fish (tinapang tuyo)
• 1 bunch lady fingers (okra), rinsed and trimmed
• Assorted longganisa (I used Vigan and sliced tocino longganisa)
• Assorted fruits such as mangoes and oranges

Condiments

• Dark soy sauce with calamansi
• Spicy vinegar with fresh chillies, garlic, and peppercorns
• Sweet chilli sauce

• Banana leaves

METHOD

Get ready for some more one-pan action!

1. Preheat oven to 90C (190F) just hot enough to keep each element of the dish warm as we work through each one of them individually.
2. Prepare the banana leaves by wiping them down with a damp cloth. Quickly pass them over an open flame to make the leaves soft and pliable so that they are easier to work with. Arrange them over the top of your bilao and set aside.
3. Eggplant Omelette: Grill the eggplants until the colour of skin turns almost black. Let the eggplants cool for a while before peeling off the skin. Set aside.
4. While waiting for the eggplants to cool down, you can prepare the condiments for your dish.
5. Crack one egg per grilled eggplant into a deep dish and beat. Add the eggplant to the beaten egg mixture and flatten using a fork.
6. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat with about a tablespoon of oil. Pour the egg mixture together with the eggplant into the pan and fry for about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Once done, place on a heat-proof plate and set aside in the oven.
7. Fried Egg: Pour and heat a little bit of oil if needed in the same frying pan. Crack the eggs gently into the pan to keep the yolks intact. Don’t overcrowd the pan, so if needed, fry the eggs in batches.
8. Cook until the tops of the whites are set, but the yolk is still runny. Browned and crispy on the edges with a golden liquidy yolk is how I like my fried eggs! Transfer to a heat-proof plate and set aside in the oven.
9. Tinapa & Tuyo: In the same pan once again, add a little bit more oil if needed. Heat until the oil is hot, but not smoking. Place the dried fish into the pan and fry until its scales are crisp and start separating from each other, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
10. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heat-proof plate lined with a paper towel to soak up any excess oils. Set aside in the oven.
11. Longganisa: Wipe down the pan with a kitchen towel tissue and place the longganisa in the pan. Add about a quarter cup of water to the pan and bring to a boil. Roll and flip the longganisa occasionally and continue to boil until the water in the pan evaporates.
12. When the water has fully evaporated, let the longganisa fry in its own oil. Continue to fry the longganisa for about 5 minutes while constantly rolling or flipping them around to cook evenly on all sides.
13. When the longganisa is slightly crisp on the outside, it’s done! Set aside on a heat-proof plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Place in the oven to keep warm.
14. Corned Beef: Wipe down the same pan, and add about a tablespoon of oil. Sauté the minced garlic until fragrant and golden brown, about 30 seconds. Add in the onions and cook until soft for about 1 minute before adding in the corned beef.
15. Continue to cook for 5 to 6 minutes, seasoning with a touch of fragrant and golden brown, about 30 seconds. Add in the diced potatoes and cook further until the potatoes are soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Once done, place in a small heat-proof bowl and set aside in the oven.
16. Garlic Fried Rice: Wipe down the pan once again and heat about a tablespoon of oil. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant and golden brown, about 30 seconds.
17. Add the cooked rice and season with salt and ground pepper to taste. Give it a good mix and continue mixing for about 4-5 minutes to avoid the rice sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning. Turn the heat off and cover to keep warm.
18. Lato Salad: In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, salted egg, and lato.
19. Toss through the fish sauce, calamansi juice, and season with freshly ground black pepper. Adjust to your liking. Set aside for at least 10 minutes before serving.
20. Okra: In a small saucepan, combine water, okra, and season with a touch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, leave the okra to cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.
21. Plate Up: Remove all the cooked elements from the oven and plate up accordingly – feel free to get creative with your plating. As I mentioned above, I drew my inspiration from @symmetrybreakfast eventhough it’s not a clean-cut symmetrical. Serve with coffee or any hot beverage of your choice and there you have it!

Note: You may end up having this Breakfast Bilao for brunch (depending on what time you get up in the morning) as it may take a while to whip together.

Now, I also know that this is hardly festive or Christmassy for a Christmas special, but I had whipped this up a few weeks back and I really wanted to share this with everyone. I didn’t want it to go into my archive file of recipes that may (will) never get posted because it does not suit with theme. Since we’re still all about Breakfast until the end of the year, why not? Maybe you can whip this up for a delightful Christmas morning while the kids are busy opening their gifts. If you don’t have kids, then make it for yourself!

I’ll see everyone again on Christmas Day with the last recipe for the year so stay tuned for that. Hint: Christmas/Simbang Gabi would not be complete without the recipe I’ll be sharing on Wednesday!

For now, I would like to wish my family, friends, visitors, and loyal followers of Amcarmen’s Kitchen a very Merry Christmas!

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx