In the newest episode of On The Fly, chef and TV personality Frances Tariga is challenged to make a cohesive breakfast out of frozen hash browns, octopus, celtuce, eggs, guanciale, and spring roll wrappers. A master sushi chef, Tariga decides to forgo the obvious answer of spring rolls and opts to make a breakfast sushi.
As many great meals do, Tariga’s breakfast sushi starts with onions. She caramelizes a trio of red, Spanish, and white onions to make an onion jam. After chopping her onions, Tariga slices the guanciale and renders it for a relish. “Mmm, smells Italian,” Tariga says as she works with the pork. “But I don’t know how Italian smells, to be honest with you.”
As the pork and onions cook off, Tariga starts quick pickling the celtuce in a flavorful mix of salt, sugar, water, champagne vinegar and spices. “Do you guys have any idea this is gonna be sushi?” Tariga quips while making her way around the kitchen. “But it’s gonna be sushi!”
At each step of her process, Tariga references her Filipino background. At one point she notes how raw fish is not found in Filipino cuisine, at another point, she notes that Filipino people enjoy sweet foods. In the end, the meal Tariga makes pulls from Japanese, Filipino, Chinese, and Middle Eastern inspirations.
Watch the new episode of On The Fly to see how Frances Tariga expertly makes breakfast sushi out of unconventional ingredients.
