How to Make Kamayan: The Ultimate Filipino Feast

How to Make Kamayan: The Ultimate Filipino Feast

Kamayan is a traditional Filipino way of eating with your hands, usually served on a communal table lined with banana leaves. This feast-style meal is a celebration of Filipino cuisine and culture, showcasing a variety of dishes that are meant to be enjoyed together. In this recipe, we’ll explore how to create a Kamayan feast at home, including some of the most popular dishes served in this style of dining.

Ingredients:

For the Banana Leaves

  • Fresh banana leaves, washed and dried

For the Main Dishes

  • Adobo Chicken
  • Chicken thighs or drumsticks
  • Soy sauce
  • Vinegar
  • Garlic
  • Bay leaves
  • Whole peppercorns
  • Pork Lechon
  • Pork belly
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Garlic
  • Lemongrass
  • Grilled Fish
  • Whole fish (like tilapia or bangus)
  • Soy sauce
  • Lemon or calamansi juice
  • Garlic
  • Pepper
  • Pancit
  • Rice noodles
  • Chicken breast
  • Shrimp
  • Mixed vegetables (carrots, bell peppers, snow peas)
  • Soy sauce
  • Fish sauce
  • Garlic
  • Fresh Lumpia
  • Spring roll wrappers
  • Ground pork
  • Shrimp
  • Mixed vegetables
  • Garlic
  • Soy sauce
  • Fish sauce
  • Brown sugar
  • Peanuts
  • Bagoong
  • Fermented shrimp paste

For the Sides

  • Sautéed shrimp paste (bagoong guisado)
  • Sliced tomatoes and onions
  • Salted duck eggs (itlog na maalat)
  • Steamed rice

How to Make Kamayan Feast

  1. Prepare the Banana Leaves
  • Rinse the banana leaves under running water.
  • Wipe them dry with a clean cloth.
  • Lightly heat the banana leaves over an open flame to make them pliable.
  1. Cook the Main Dishes
  • Adobo Chicken: Marinate chicken in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Simmer until chicken is tender.
  • Pork Lechon: Rub pork belly with salt, pepper, garlic, and lemongrass. Roast until skin is crispy.
  • Grilled Fish: Marinate fish in soy sauce, lemon or calamansi juice, garlic, and pepper. Grill until cooked through.
  • Pancit: Sauté chicken, shrimp, and vegetables. Add soaked rice noodles and season with soy sauce, fish sauce, and garlic.
  • Fresh Lumpia: Sauté ground pork, shrimp, and vegetables. Fill spring roll wrappers with the mixture and roll them up. Serve with a sweet and savory sauce made from garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, and brown sugar, topped with crushed peanuts.
  1. Prepare the Sides
  • Sauté shrimp paste (bagoong guisado) until fragrant.
  • Serve sliced tomatoes and onions, salted duck eggs, and steamed rice on the side.
  1. Assemble the Kamayan Feast
  • Lay the banana leaves on a large table.
  • Arrange the main dishes and sides on top of the banana leaves.
  • Gather friends and family around the table and enjoy eating with your hands!

About the Main Ingredients

  • Banana Leaves: Used as a natural, eco-friendly plate in Filipino cuisine, banana leaves impart a subtle flavor to the food.
  • Adobo Chicken: A quintessential Filipino dish, adobo is a cooking method that involves marinating meat in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns before simmering until tender.
  • Pork Lechon: A festive dish, pork lechon is a whole roasted pig traditionally cooked over charcoal until the skin is crispy and the meat is tender and flavorful.
  • Grilled Fish: Grilling whole fish with a simple marinade of soy sauce, lemon or calamansi juice, and garlic highlights the natural flavors of the fish.
  • Pancit: A noodle dish that symbolizes long life, pancit is made with rice noodles, chicken, shrimp, and vegetables, seasoned with soy sauce, fish sauce, and garlic.
  • Fresh Lumpia: A type of Filipino spring roll, fresh lumpia is filled with a savory mixture of ground pork, shrimp, and vegetables, then topped with a sweet and savory sauce and crushed peanuts.

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