October 26, 2025 | 11:10am
MANILA, Philippines — Besides being the brother of Solenn Heussaff and the husband of Anne Curtis, Erwan Heussaff has always been known as a food content producer who knows what he is talking about. His culinary savvy and taste has earned him business partnerships in quite a few bars and restaurants and landed him important jobs in culinary events, such as talks, launches, and cooking demos.
Just recently, he joined hands with two renowned chefs, Don Baldosano and Angelo Comsti, in a cooking demo held at Offbeat Bistro in Makati City to showcase the premium quality and versatility of California raisins for Filipino cooking.
They presented a full-course meal, which was graced by U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, with each course featuring naturally sun-dried, additive-free, and fiber-rich California raisins as an ingredient.
Heussaff took charge of two courses, the appetizer and the meat course, and Ambassador Carlson even joined him when he prepared his Steak Frites and Potato Pave with California Raisins and Roasted Eggplant Sauce.
For the dish, he paired the richness of seared steak with a sauce made from talong, which is a staple in Filipino households, and elevated it with the natural sweetness of California raisins.
Steak Frites and Potato Pave with California Raisins and Roasted Eggplant Sauce
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
7 pcs. large eggplants, charred with the skin on
1 cup beef broth, heavily reduced
1/2 cup California raisins
1 tsp. toasted peppercorns, crushed
2 tbsps. fried capers
4 tbsps. softened butter
Salt, to taste
Procedure:
1. Burn the eggplants on an open flame until the skin is heavily charred.
2. While reducing beef stock, add California raisins and peppercorns to re-hydrate them in the mixture.
3. Add the eggplants and capers to the reduced stock and blend until smooth.
4. Add butter and blend again, seasoning to taste with salt.
For the potato pave:
2 kgs. potatoes
2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup butter
4 cloves garlic, smashed
5 sprigs thyme
Procedure:
1. Slice the potatoes into 1mm– to 2mm thinness using a mandolin. Soak them in water.
2. Combine the cream, California raisins, butter, garlic, and thyme, then bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it sit for 20 minutes before straining out the solids and setting aside the infused cream.
3. Layer the potatoes in a high-walled pan, pour the infused cream over them, and bake in the oven with another pan placed on top to weigh them down.
For the steak:
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fried capers
Pickled jicama sheets
Procedure:
1. Season the steak with salt and pepper.
2. Sear it to desired doneness.
3. Serve with potato pave, roasted eggplant sauce on the side, and garnish with fried capers and pickled jicama.
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