Many restaurants and home chefs take pride in making almost everything in-house. From stocks to sauces and everything in between, creating them from scratch allows for strict control of quality. However, this has also led to the perception that packaged items are of inferior quality compared to those made from the ground up.
Despite this, packaged sauces remain a popular grocery item, especially for homeowners who do not have the luxury of free time to whip up all the components of a dish from scratch. One such brand that has remained a popular choice is Clara Olé which has been helping Filipinos cook with ease for over three decades.
The brand recently partnered with chef and longtime collaborator Wado Siman of Wadough and Brutal to show that gourmet dishes can still be created using packaged sauce. The result is a five-course meal made using Clara Olé’s ready-to-use pasta sauces, dips, marinades, and spreads.
“Creating something elaborate for lunch or dinner can be challenging when you’re short on time,” said Esfrey Sia, Brand Manager of Clara Olé. “This collaboration with Chef Wado shows how our products can help make meals feel special, whether you’re cooking for one or hosting a celebration.”
The meal started with Black Tide, a salad course featuring battered squid, feta, fried pasta and lettuce. The marinade used Clara Olé’s Pasta Negra sauce as a base for the vinaigrette for a richer savory tone. This was followed by Not Takoyaki, a twist on the Indian Pani Puri. Here, instead of spiced potatoes and chickpeas, the puri is filled with flaked salmon and mashed potatoes seasoned with the brand’s Dip It Good Cheddar Cheese and Crab Flavor Sauce. The result is a one-biter that explodes with flavor.
For the main courses, Chef Wado served up bold, creative pairings. Duckgalbi Assassina featured pasta cooked directly in a pan with Chunky Tomato with Basil, resulting in a charred flavor. The pasta is then topped with glazed duck breast made flavorful with Clara Olé’s Kung Pao Pasta Sauce and Clara Olé Hickory BBQ Marinade before being grilled and served with a gochujang butter. Meanwhile, Beef Inasal offered tender beef skewers marinated in Inasal BBQ Marinade before being grilled and served with adlai coconut rice and paired with an Asian Dips N’ Dressings seasoned gochugaru atchara.
Capping off the feast was Peach Mango Nitro, a show-stopping dessert made from Clara Olé’s Peach Mango Spread, transformed into nitrogen gelato and topped with blast-frozen marshmallows and puff pastry.
“Cooking gourmet food doesn’t have to be intimidating,” said Chef Wado. “Clara Olé makes it possible for anyone to create flavorful, exciting dishes at home, even if you’re short on time or experience. That’s what I love about working with the brand.”
