Cheesy Sisig Loaded Fries with Calamansi Garlic Mayo
Oven-crisp fries with melted cheddar, piled with tangy, savoury sisig and zigzags of calamansi garlic mayo: a pub-style sharing plate.
Method
Scrub the potatoes and cut them, skin on, into 1 cm thick sticks. Soak in cold water for to rinse off surface starch, then dry them very thoroughly with paper towels; any water left stops them crisping.
Add in this stepFloury potatoes (large) 500 g
Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Toss the potatoes with part of the oil and part of the salt and spread them in a single layer on a lined tray (use 2 trays for larger amounts). Bake (oven) for , turning once halfway, until golden and crisp.
Add in this stepVegetable oil 1¾ tbspSalt 0.4 tsp
ovenWhile the potatoes bake, slice the pork belly 1 cm thick and season with the rest of the salt and the pepper. Heat the rest of the oil in a 24 cm pan on medium-high heat and fry the pork for , until golden on both sides with crisp edges, in batches if needed. Lift out and chop into 0.5 to 1 cm bits.
Add in this stepPork belly (skin-on if possible) 200 gVegetable oil 1¼ tbspSalt 0.6 tspCoarsely ground black pepper ¼ tsp
medium-high heatPour off all but 1 tbsp of fat from the pan. Fry the diced red onion, half the minced garlic and the sliced chillies on medium heat, then add the chopped pork, soy sauce and most of the calamansi juice and stir-fry for to make the sisig.
Add in this stepRed onion ½Garlic cloves 1½Bird's eye chillies (siling labuyo) 1Soy sauce 1 tbspCalamansi juice (or lime juice) 1¾ tbsp
medium heatMix the mayonnaise with the rest of the garlic, finely grated, and the remaining calamansi juice to make the calamansi garlic mayo. A piping bag or a zip bag with the corner snipped makes drizzling easy.
Add in this stepMayonnaise 4 tbspGarlic cloves 1½Calamansi juice (or lime juice) 1¼ tbsp
Scatter the cheddar over the baked fries and return them to the oven (oven, 220 °C) for , until the cheese melts. Straight away, pile on the sisig, zigzag the calamansi garlic mayo over the top and finish with sliced spring onions. Serve hot.
Add in this stepGrated cheddar 60 gSpring onions 1
oven
Cook's tip
Short on time? Use frozen fries baked as the packet says. An air fryer at 200 °C for 18 to 22 minutes also gives crisp fries. If you have leftover classic sisig, reheat it and use it instead of steps 3 and 4.
Cooking it at camp
At the campsite, crisp the potatoes in a cast-iron pan with plenty of oil, turning often, or bake them in a Dutch oven with coals above and below. Make the sisig at home and reheat it in the pan, and cover with a lid to melt the cheese.