Chef Boy Logro reveals dish that gave him 'royal' status
MANILA, Philippines — Who does not know Chef Pablo ‘Boy’ Logro? He is not just a celebrity chef, but a professional one whose cooking prowess cannot be questioned.
His passion and dedication to his craft have made him constantly strive for excellence, an effort that landed him a much coveted job as the personal chef of the Sultan of Oman despite his humble beginnings. His success story is one for the books and serves as an inspiration for everyone dreaming of becoming a chef.
Chef Boy started working at a young age. He was 13 when he worked as a houseboy, cleaning floors and washing dishes. Hailing from Leyte, where he finished his elementary studies, he did not know how to speak Tagalog but he still pursued his dream of moving to Manila and working in the big city.
Despite the language barrier, he landed a job in the food industry. He did not mind being a dishwasher, but from where he was, he strived to better himself, silently admiring and watching the chefs do their work and learning from them, too.
An executive chef he worked for saw his eagerness to learn and his potential as a cook and offered to take him in as a protégé. Eventually, he gained enough knowledge and courage to seek work in Oman.
Life-changing recipe
“It was like a dream,” said Chef Boy, when he recently guested in an episode of Solane Kitchen Moments.
Arriving in Oman, Chef Boy was brought to the palace and introduced as the sous chef. He was given the responsibility of preparing the menu for Sultan Qaboos bin Said al-Said, who is now deceased.
He initially thought that he was only joining the catering department, and so he was surprised to learn that he would be catering to the Sultan himself. But he did not back down from the challenge.
With a positive mindset, he resolved to be good at his job and did a lot of studying to expand his repertoire of recipes to serve the Sultan. In doing so, he chanced upon an interesting recipe — that of Avocats aux Crevettes, a cold French hors d’oeuvre, which has avocados and shrimps as main ingredients. He experimented with the recipe, tweaked it until he perfected it, and served it to the Sultan. Little did he know that this recipe would change his life.
The first time he served the dish to the Sultan, the Sultan called for him. He thought he would be sent home. But he was wrong. Instead of being sent home, he was commended for the dish and told, “Effective today, you have to prepare this every day for as long as you’re in the palace.”
Since then, Chef Boy served as the personal chef of the Sultan, accompanying the latter in his travels and serving world-renowned guests, including Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana of Wales, US President George Bush Sr. and Philippine President Fidel Ramos.
“Doon ko naisip na pwede pala ang ganun. Elementary graduate ka pero okay pa rin, walang discrimination. Sabi nga nila, kapag may tiyaga ka sa ginagawa mo, may nilaga (That was when I realized that it was possible for an elementary graduate to turn out well and not be discriminated against. As they say, if you persevere, you will reap the fruits of your labor),” Chef Boy recalled.
Recreate Chef Boy’s Avocats aux Crevettes, and feel like royalty right in your own home. Here’s the recipe:
Avocats aux Crevettes
INGREDIENTS:
1 kg. large shrimps
12 pcs. medium-sized ripe avocados
100 grams cream cheese
100 grams feta cheese
2 tbsps. hot sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. white pepper
2 tsps. olive oil
1 sachet unflavored gelatin
1 pc. carrot
1 pc. cucumber
6 pcs. tomatoes
2 pcs. Iceberg lettuce
2 pcs. lemon, juiced
200 grams onion leeks
300 grams parsley
PROCEDURE:
1. Devein shrimps. Skewer to straighten them. Boil water in pan. Drop the skewered shrimps. When done, remove and peel.
2. Slice avocados in half. Scrape avocado meat into a blender. Set aside empty half shells.
3. Add cream cheese, feta cheese, hot sauce, salt, pepper, olive oil and unflavored gelatin into blender. Process until pureed.
4. Scoop puree into empty avocado half shells until full. Even out surface with knife or spatula.
5. Slice lettuce into strips. Place in big bowl. Arrange avocado shells around the bowl. Top avocado with shrimps, tail side up.
6. Cut carrot, cucumber, tomatoes and leeks into sticks. Arrange around avocado shells. Fill empty areas with parsley. Serve.
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