MANILA, Philippines - From being a dishwasher, Irish-American chef Jason Stacy worked his way up and cooked for the world.

Currently working for the Institute of Culinary Arts and Food Service-Far Eastern University (ICF@FEU), a newly opened culinary school at the heart of the Makati business district, Stacy wants to take his cooking skills up a notch by learning more about the Filipino palate.

"An educated palate, like a chef's, not just has basic standards. He considers what others like," he said during a cooking demo for media guests at the launch of ICF@FEU held recently.

Stacy prepared a mouthwatering curry seared Ahi tuna with kaffir lime vinaigrette, one of the specialty appetizers of ICF@FEU's Loop restaurant.

While doing so, he gave us quick tips on how to cook food not only for personal consumption, but also for other people's enjoyment.

Mise en place

The recipe required fresh (or frozen) sashimi tuna loin, Thai red curry paste, enoki mushrooms, long bean sprouts, red bell pepper, cucumbers, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, shallots, kaffir lime leaves, dried Espada fish, a lumpia wrapper, and soy sauce.

Preparing the dish usually takes 20 minutes, but Stacy only spent half, thanks to his mise en place (pronounced as meez-ahn-plahs).

A French term which literally means "putting in place," mise en place refers to organizing and arranging the ingredients beforehand to make cooking time faster -- from marinating meat to preparing sauces.

In his case, Stacy already had his tuna bars brushed with curry paste, covered with plastic wrap, and chilled.

His vegetables were already julienned (cut into long, thin strips), and his lumpia wrapper deep-fried into a ring shape.

"In cooking, sanitation is key. Prepare everything carefully. There shouldn't be any shortcuts. As a chef, you should start well in the industry," he said.

Perfect searing

As the star of Stacy's appetizer, the Ahi tuna should be cooked perfectly, the chef noted.

"If you want a nice tuna, you want to capture the nutrients and the flavors. So don't overcook it," he said.

The recipe required a quick pan sear of the tuna, which was already coated with Thai red paste. Searing is a technique that cooks the surface of the food at a high temperature, resulting in a caramelized crust and a "rare" (raw) core.

Stacy noted that searing his tuna only takes "a few seconds," so it's important to keep an eye -- and an ear -- for signs that the crust is already caramelized.

"When you hear a loud 'tss' sound, it's done. You also have to observe the color of the outside (of the tuna)," he explained.

He continued, "Always put a little oil, even if the pan's nonstick, to even out the cooking. (Searing) usually takes a few seconds only."

After exposing the tuna (or any other meat) to higher temperatures through searing, it should be allowed to rest before cutting or serving, Stacy said.

Seasoning and plating

Stacy left the tuna to rest and started to plate the other components of the dish -- from the salad and garnish to the soy sauce glaze.

As he tossed in the bell pepper, bean sprouts, cucumber and enoki mushrooms into the vinaigrette, the chef gave these tips.

"The vinaigrette should be just enough to coat everything. If something seeps at the bottom, you're doing something wrong," Stacy said.

He continued, "After seasoning, wait first and allow the seasonings to go into the ingredients. Then taste it. And when you think it's not enough, that's when you season it again."

Meanwhile, Stacy gave these quick reminders on plating a dish. "Think of all the flavors. There should be a balance of tastes and textures playing in the dish. It's also great to put a little color (to make it more appetizing)."

The verdict

The audience, mostly Filipino, clapped as Stacy presented his curry seared Ahi tuna with kaffir lime vinaigrette.

As promised, the dish had a variety of textures, from the smoothness of the tuna to the crunchiness of the lumpia wrapper and the fried Espada garnish.

Flavor-wise, there was a lot going on, too -- from the strong curry taste to the vegetables that are delicately coated in the vinaigrette.

With his first dish, Stacy may have been a step closer to his goal of getting to know the Filipino palate.

Photos courtesy of Dodie Legaspi Photography