MEDITERRANEAN TWIST

At the helm of the kitchen at the newly opened Caya Sharjah is the Corporate Chef of Alabbar Enterprises, Joseph El Hajj, who has had a knack for cooking from a young age. With 20 years of experience, the chef who was born and raised in Lebanon can be labelled as a veteran of the GCC palette, having worked for years in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Chef Joseph catalysed the conception and modernisation of 12 concepts across the region and it’s his passion and perseverance that enables him to curate exceptional eateries, cafes and restaurants across the Middle East

1.5kg cooked chickpeas 250g ice 28g salt 28g lemon salt 450g tahini 350ml oil Pomegranate molasses, for garnish

100g almonds (whole) 10g walnuts 50g sesame seeds white 100g pistachios, slivered 30g cumin seeds 30g coriander seeds 30g fennel seeds 5g salt 5g black pepper, crushed

1 Blend chickpeas with oil and ice cubes in the blender. 2 Finish with salt, lemon salt and tahini. Serve after 6 hours. 3 Cook the dukkah ingredients in a non-stick pan and allow to cool and blend. 4 On a cold plate, add the hummus to the base and top with garden vegetables such as grilled zucchinis, bell pepper, eggplant, radish and pomegranate. 5 Sprinkle the dukkah and drizzle pomegranate molasses all over. 6 Add fried kibbeh and serve with freshly baked bread.

6 eggs 400g sugar, granulated 150g chocolate chips (dark) 200g butter 150g flour 60g extra brute cocoa powder 10g baking powder 30g whole hazelnuts Store-bought Rahash

1 Beat the eggs and sugar. 2 Melt chocolate and butter in a pan. 3 Mix the dry ingredients together and fold with the above mix. Bake at 160C for 30 mins. 4 Spread the rahash on top of the brownies. 5 Finish with crumbled halawa and serve with rahash sauce on the side.