Last week we celebrated a very intimate official launch of Pantalon in my Surry Hills apartment with cherished old and new friends, first customers and collaborators. Thank you for a special evening!

I served my favourite Filipino snack of coconut sticky rice, served on banana leaves. My mum taught me how to make it over Facetime and I have written out the exact way she has been making this for herself, friends and family since she can remember. It’s very simple but needs patience and full attention as the rice can easily burn.

Filipino Coconut Sticky Rice

Ingredients

3 x cups Pigeon brand white glutinous rice

1 x teaspoon salt

2 x 400g can coconut cream

¾ cup of brown sugar

Glaze

1 x 400g can coconut cream

¾ cup of brown sugar

Shake and pour out the 2 cans of coconut cream into a large open pan and stir on a medium heat. Add ¾ cup sugar and keep mixing until it starts to bubble. Keep on a low heat while you move onto the rice.

Measure out 3 cups of glutinous rice into a pot, rinse thoroughly and drain.

Level out the rice and place your pinky finger at the top of the rice to measure the content of water needed. Fill the pot with water until it reaches the first crease on your pinky finger. Add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a gentle boil. Bring the heat right down and keep mixing the rice so it doesn’t burn at the bottom of the pot. It will be ready when there’s no water left to absorb.

 Once the water is absorbed, move the rice into the pan of coconut cream to cook on a medium heat. Keep mixing for 15 minutes or so until the rice is sticky and clumpy. Once finished, line a baking tray with paper and pat down the sticky rice so it sits flat and even.

 For the glaze, shake and pour the last can of coconut cream and ¾ cup brown sugar into a pot and bring to a gentle boil for 5 minutes. Once finished, pour over the top of the sticky rice on the tray.

Bake at 170 degrees for 30 minutes and let it rest before cutting and serving.