The Pro Chef Middle East - April Issue, 2014

MIDDLE EAST ISSUE 26 APRIL 2014

HALAL TALK | MULLER ET GAGNAIRE | ISTANBUL | VENETIAN MASH-UP | NEW ZEALAND COMPETITION

Contents

06

16

24

48

UP FRONT

FEATURES

CHEFS

LEISURE

02

EDITORIAL In the rush for niche dining, whatever happened to Filipino cuisine?

16

ROUND TABLE The term ‘halal’ gets used so much in the food world, we go back to basics to get to grips with what it really means.

24

PIMP MY PLATE The chef: Darren Velvick from table 9. The challenge? Reinvent a classic dish from Venice. He succeeds with ease!

44

04

OUT AND ABOUT We take a look at the new Social by Heinz Beck, Greg Malouf being active as ever, the global search for the ultimate Ritz-Carlton cake, a final glance back at Taste of Dubai and an update on the New Zealand chef competition.

20

KITCHEN SKILLS Master Chef Tarek Ibrahim gives a masterclass in meat preparation.

28

FACE TO FACE In the hot seat this issue are Chef Fernando Trocca from Gaucho, Paul Bocuse’s right hand Chef Christophe Muller and French master Chef Pierre Gagnaire.

TRAVEL Let us take you through the streets of Istanbul, where east meets west and the culinary scene boasts an exciting mix of traditional cuisines, enthused by neighbouring flavours and incoming food trends.

48

THE LAST WORD Imagine you’re sitting in an Irish-themed bar, anywhere in the world except Ireland. Did you realise that it was probably made in a workshop outside Dublin?

14

THE EGGS FACTOR Now busy in Abu Dhabi, what does Chef Gavin Gleeson have in his fridge?

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22

CAREER PATH Timeless advice from Chef Mark Mendez for a CIA graduate who couldn’t stand the heat of the kitchen.

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RECIPE CORNER Great recipes from Rang Maha’s Chef Amrish Sood and Fairmont The Palm’s Chef John Buenaventura.

April 2014 / The Pro Chef Middle East

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UP FRONT / editors letter

Hiding in plain sight With the explosion of the fine dining scene in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi showing no signs of slowing down, there are still significant gaps in the market that remain mysteriously unfilled.

The new emphasis on Latino cuisine, whether from Spain or South or Central America, should fill some of those gaps, but the largest one shows no sign of being targeted by any F&B Director. That’s curious because its native eaters number over 400,000 across the Emirates and most or all of us either work with them or interact with them every day.

I’m talking about Filipinos, whose food seems available only in down market canteens or a couple of casual restaurants, as well as the Jollybee chain of burger joints. Filipino co-workers point to the fact that most of these places are only offering a pale imitation of what food is like back home and admit that they would be unlikely to pay the sort of prices that an outlet in a 4- or 5-star hotel would charge. They point out also that wine is not a traditional accompaniment to the food, again diluting the potential revenue.

I take those points on board, as well as accepting that pork is a central theme to many Filipino meals but, in a city that can offer us food from Vietnam or Korea, I find it hard to believe that there wouldn’t be enough interest from non-Filipino diners to support even one restaurant.

The food originated from a fusion of Chinese and Taiwanese influences, overlaid successively by Malasian and then Spanish, with a much later dusting of American foods. Dishes can be simple like fried salted fish and rice or more elaborate like paella. Is it so hard to imagine that a menu containing Lechón (whole roasted pig), Adobo (chicken or squid braised in garlic, vinegar, oil and soy sauce), Kaldereta (meat in tomato sauce stew), Puchero (beef in bananas and tomato sauce), Afritata (chicken simmered in a peanut sauce with vegetables), Kare-kare (oxtail and vegetables cooked in peanut sauce) or Sinigang (meat or seafood in sour broth) wouldn’t find customers?

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While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

UP FRONT / editorial board

Meet the board

The Pro Chef Middle East is keen to serve its readership by addressing those areas of key interest, To help that task, we have invited a number of respected and experienced members of the F&B world to form an editorial board to help guide us into the future.

BOBBY KRISHNA TM PRINCIPAL FOOD STUDIES AND SURVEYS OFFICER FOOD CONTROL DEPARTMENT DUBAI MUNICIPALITY Indian-born Bobby Krishna brings a real passion to his job enforcing food hygiene and safety regulations to the F&B sector in Dubai.

MARC GICQUEL Regional Director of Food & Beverage, Arabian Peninsula Hilton Worldwide Born and educated in France, Marc Gicguel has wide experience of different parts of the F&B sector, from Disneyland Resort Paris to Jumeirah Restaurants and Nestle Professional before joining Hilton Worldwide.

CHRISTIAN GRADNITZER Corporate Director Culinary Jumeirah Group German-born Christian Gradnitzer moved a couple of years back from kitchens to management and is now a key element in Jumeirah RnB’s plan to establish Jumeirah Group as a leading operator of successful restaurants and bars globally.

MICHAEL KITTS Director of Culinary Arts and Executive Chef The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management UK chef Michael Kitts’ career has combined distinguished work in kitchens, global competition success and a major focus on mentoring younger chefs, all of which make his currenty job an ideal fit.

UWE MICHEEL Director of Kitchens, Radisson Blu Dubai Deira Creek President, Emirates Culinary Guild German chef Uwe Micheel is a highly visible member of the regional F&B scene with two decades of experience in the Gulf and a key role in driving the success of UAE-based chefs at culinary competitions worldwide.

MARK PATTEN Senior Vice President, Food & Beverage Atlantis, The Palm Dubai In place at Atlantis since pre-opening in 2007, Australian native Mark Patten has had a highly successful and celebrated career across the world. He now oversees more than 400 chefs and numerous outlets at the resort.

SAMANTHA WOOD FooDiva A distinguished ex-Hilton PR executive, British-Cypriot Samantha Wood now combines food journalism, hospitality consulting and the highly acclaimed FooDiva food blog.

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The Pro Chef Middle East / April 2014

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UP FRONT / out and about

Heinz gets social Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah has a new culinary partnership with internationally acclaimed Chef Heinz Beck whose La Pergola in Rome holds three Michelin stars. The new outlet, Social by Heinz Beck, marks another step in the exorable rise of the fine-casual dining concept in Dubai.

With over 20 years culinary experience, multiaward winning Chef Beck is an undisputed master of gastronomy, with a comprehensive and imaginative understanding of innovative cuisine as well as cultured city dining scenes.

His tenure at La Pergola - the 3-starred Michelin restaurant at the Rome Cavalieri, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts - is only a part of the story.

Unusually, he’s only one of only a handful of chefs to publish a number of literary-nominated gourmet books and to appear on the cover of numerous international magazines.

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The Pro Chef Middle East / April 2014

His latest venture in Dubai combines Beck's culinary flair and unique talent in a social and inviting urban-resort restaurant setting, whose diverse menu offers a wide range of creatively

adapted favourites - served with a hallmark Beck twist - as well as signature dishes such as Grilled tuna with wasabi mayonnaise, almonds and amaretti or Soya poached beef fillet with black truffle and radicchio stuffed. Desserts include his secretive signature dish, Raspberries 1.0.

According to Beck: "Dubai is enjoying a growing reputation as a great culinary destination and I am delighted to add my own concept to the city's vibrant gastronomic community. My aim for Social is to offer diners fresh, contemporary cuisine in an uncomplicated and welcoming setting."

However simple the pitch may be for Social, the reality is that his unique interpretation of today’s cuisine goes beyond his unique talent to include the utmost attention toward the selection of ingredients and their transformation into highly innovative flavours.

Such talent has brought him much acclaim a leader in taking Italian and Mediterranean culinary traditions formward. Among numerous awards, he has been recognised by Michelin, Bibenda, Gambero Rosso and L'Espresso amongst others.

He also consults for several businesses, offering the same attention to details that his guests receive at La Pergola: Apsleys - a Heinz Beck Restaurant in London - and Café Les Paillotes in Pescara.

Each of these have Michelin stars.

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UP FRONT / out and about

HE Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi with Chef Greg Malouf and Emma Cullen.

Capital Club.

Busy, busy, busy As he prepares to open his first Dubai venture, Australian chef Greg Malouf has been sharing his inspired Michelin standard take on modern Middle Eastern food around town.

First it was The Capital Club, Dubai's premier private business club, which welcomed Chef Greg Malouf for a latest Celebrity Chef evening.

Speaking about the initiative Emma Cullen, General Manager at The Capital Club, remarked, "The recent influx of celebrity chefs has made this a very exciting time for Dubai’s food lovers and The Capital Club is delighted to be a part of this movement. Our Celebrity Chef evenings have become a neutral meeting ground for acclaimed chefs from the region and the world, that give our members and their guests the chance to experience the work of true culinary masters in an intimate setting. On this occasion Greg, working together with our Executive Chef Cyrille Troesch and his team delivered a beautiful menu that truly shone."

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The Pro Chef Middle East / April 2014

An Australian, from Melbourne, of Lebanese descent, Greg Malouf is renowned as the creator of the style of cooking that has become known as modern Middle Eastern, with six acclaimed books on different cuisines that have had an immense impact on the way people from across the world understand and enjoy Middle Eastern food.

Typical of his style were dishes served in the evening: t Turkish air-dried beef filled with soft herbs and goat’s cheese. t Barbeque chilli rabbit with vine leaves and parsnip skordalia. t Grilled tiger prawns served with shankleesh cheese and pomegranate mayonnaise. t Roast baharat lamb shoulder in smouldering hay. t Pigeon b’stilla ‚Äì a traditional pie made with thin flaky pastry. t Freekeh ‚Äì green wheat served with pumpkin and Turkish sausage.

Next on the agenda for Malouf was a Literary Lunch at Emirates Airline Festival of Literature held at Terra Firma Restaurant at the festival's venue in the InterContinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City.

It was hosted by HE Laila Mohammed Suhail, CEO of Dubai Festivals & Retail Establishment (DFRE), which ran the Dubai Food Festival.

Friday Literary lunch.

HE Laila Mohammed Suhail at the Literary lunch.

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UP FRONT / out and about

A cake for the world Creating a signature dessert that would represent The RitzCarlton worldwide seems like quite a challenge. Yet for French patissier Frederic Barasse, it was just another day in the kitchen.

All he had to do was prepare 20 cakes from recipes chosen as the best from Ritz-Carlton pastry chefs worldwide for the final judging.

Here was the mission: take some common ingredients and create a signature cake, worthy of every birthday or anniversary, that could also be taken home as a gift.

Oh yes, it also had to carry the illustrious history of The Ritz-Carlton on its shoulders.

Key to the cake would be both chocolate and Grand Marnier, an orange flavoured liquor developed in 1880 by Louis-Alexandre Marnier. It became the toast of Paris and so successful that Marnier was able to offer his friend Cesar Ritz the financing to open the Hotel Ritz in 1898. In

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The Pro Chef Middle East / April 2014

part tribute to this founding, The Ritz-Carlton’s global culinary head Rainer Zingrebbe asked pastry chefs worldwide to create a cake. From dozens of entries, 20 were chosen for the final bake-off with recipes from Vienna, Guangzho, Toronto, Barcelona, Dubai, Tenerife and more. All but one were layer cakes and, according to the chef for the final competition, Frederic Barasse, “they all have the same elements but the proportion of sugar, of butter, how you combine the elements changes it so drastically". His own offering is an Austrianinspired sacher torte, with dense almond and Valrhona chocolate sponge soaked in the required liqueur. Each thin sponge layer is brushed with a thin portion of homemade orange marmalade and the whole cake is covered with a ganache made from 70% Guanaja.

However, Barasse is not the winner. That honour goes to Chef Yusuke Aoki from Toronto, whose moist sponge layered with dense fudge, cut by a sophisticated orange aroma and a touch of caramel, wins the judges’ favour. The sponge is a mix of dark Valrhona and milk Majari and Jivara, layered with bitter caramel and two of orange ganache, made from candied fruit and Grand Marnier.

The signature cake is now available from 85 hotels worldwide. For the regional market, an alcoholfree version is also available.

THE RITZ-CARLTON STORY The history of The Ritz-Carlton chain originates with The Ritz-Carlton, Boston. The standards of service, dining and facilities of this Boston landmark serve as a benchmark for all Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts worldwide. However, the story begins with celebrated hotelier Cesar Ritz, the ‘king of hoteliers and hotelier to kings’, whose Ritz in Paris and Carlton in London redefined the luxury hotel experience in Europe.

After his death in 1918, his widow Marie expanded the expansion of hotels bearing his name, with Ritz-Carltons in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Atlantic City and Boca Raton. However, by 1940 none of the hotels were operating except The Ritz-Carlton, Boston. Cuisine in the hotel restaurants was created in the hallowed tradition of Cesar Ritz' partner Auguste Escoffier.

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out and about / UP FRONT

Art and science together Electrolux Professional has announced international alliance with WORLDCHEFS, the network of chefs’ associations, to share common knowledge and increasing awareness on topics related to sustainable cooking.

The new partnership between Electrolux Professional and WORLDCHEFS will launch a number of dedicated exciting activities which will unite the beauty of the culinary arts with the breakthroughs in culinary technology. This ‘Art & Science Come Together’ programme will combine the culinary talent of WACS chefs with the knowledge, technology and specialised experience of the solutions offered by Electrolux Professional.

For decades Electrolux has been present in one of the most demanding workplaces, the professional kitchen, gaining exclusive insight from working among top-ranked and talented chefs worldwide, which has led to the development of innovative and thoughtful solutions that improve the business of restaurants around the world and

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WHAT IS WORLDCHEFS? WORLDCHEFS is a global network of chefs associations first founded in October 1928 at the Sorbonne in Paris. At that first congress, there were 65 delegates from 17 countries, representing 36 national and international associations. August Escoffier was named the first Honourary Presiden.

Today, this global body has 93 official chefs associations as members that represent over ten million professional chefs worldwide. The biennial congress is a hallmark tradition of WACS and has been organised in over 20 cities across the world throughout its history.

help consumers experience culinary enjoyment.

Sharing this knowledge is at the very foundation of this exclusive partnership.

The first initiative in the pipeline is Chef2Chef, a series of seminars created to bring Chefs together at the Electrolux Professional Innovation Centers, extensive showrooms equipped with training

kitchens designed for equipment demonstration, cooking sessions and educational trainings.

These educational training sessions will be focused around core themes, such as sustainable cooking utilising locally sourced ingredients, with details on how chefs can plan, source, and prepare, using the technology and science behind the Electrolux Professional solutions, such as the Cook&Chill system. The partnership will focus initially on four key areas - Dubai, Russia, United Kingdom and United States - and will feature annual events in each local Innovation Center.

According to Gissur Gudmundsson, President of WACS, "Electrolux has always been a preferred professional brand for chefs. We are pleased and excited about this partnership, which opens up numerous opportunities for chefs around the world to improve their skills and benefit from the vast knowledge and experience Electrolux Professional brings to the table."

"What makes Electrolux unique is that we are always focused on the solution for the foodservice players," added Alberto Zanata, President of Electrolux Professional. "We offer a complete system that starts with the preparation, then the preservation and refrigeration, then the cooking process. When designing a product we talk about the complete process.”

April 2014 / The Pro Chef Middle East

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UP FRONT / out and about

Exceptional ingredients, exceptional land Producing exceptional food is a fine art, and New Zealand has just the right conditions for it.

Enough sun and rain to grow lush produce. Enough space for animals to roam free and produce great-tasting meat and dairy.

Clean oceans to supply trustworthy seafood. Enough creative spirit for fresh innovation. And enough international experience to understand markets around the world.

The beautiful green land of New Zealand with its expansive coastline produces some of the best tasting dairy, meat, horticulture and seafood the world has to offer.

And being one of only two countries internationally to export more than half of its total food production, New Zealand really understands how to satisfy others tastes - in terms of quality,

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flavour and safety.

In a world where modern food is changing so rapidly in form and composition, New Zealand provides a haven of food as it should be - fresh from pastures, sea and land.

Exceptional dairy As the backbone of the country's food and beverage industry, dairy is what New Zealand is most famous for. While at the cutting edge of technology in this sector, New Zealand farmers never stray too far from the simple and natural processes that give their products the taste that makes them so popular the world over.

New Zealand is the world's top dairy exporter, accounting for one third of international dairy trade. The biggest dairy exporting company in the world, Fonterra, is located here. The equation is relatively simple - contented animals, eating grass and producing top-grade milk.

New Zealand can provide everything from highquality basics such as butter and cheese, through to gourmet products such as Killinchy Gold icecream; as well as specialised ingredients like spray-dried milk proteins. There are now more than 100 categories on offer. New Zealand dairy has a full flavoured natural quality that sets it apart simply because their milk products come from grass-fed

animals with space to roam.

Even though it's one of New Zealand's oldest industries, it's not shy in the modern innovation department. New Zealand was the first to breed cows that produce low-fat milk that is also high in omega 3 oils and polyunsaturated fat; the first in the world to produce commercialised infant formula from goat milk; and is home to the world's biggest investor in new dairy technology, research and product development. New products are also emerging, for example Blue River Dairy's lactosefree cheese and icecream made from sheep milk.

Exceptional meat A focus on healthy animals living in good conditions is at the heart of the New Zealand meat industry.

New Zealand is well-known for its wide open green space and has an almost exclusively freerange grass feed production system and it is these conditions that produce a tender, appetising and healthy product.

New Zealand is the world's largest exporter of halal-slaughtered sheep meat and a significant exporter of halal-slaughtered beef. All New Zealand beef and lamb exported to the UAE, including Silver Fern Farms' SILERE lamb, ANZCO's Ocean beef, Angel Bay burger patties suitable

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out and about / UP FRONT

TASTE NEW ZEALAND!

for everything from 5-star to events catering and Firstlight Foods' Wagyu beef and venison, is halal.

While beef and lamb are New Zealand's major meat products, the country also supplies veal, goat, poultry (one of the most recent New Zealand products to arrive in the UAE is Tegel chicken), offal, co-products - such as variety meats and sausage casings - and, increasingly, venison. New Zealand is the number one worldwide source for lean and delicately flavoured farm-raised venison.

New Zealand livestock's diet of fresh pasture, grass and nutrient-rich clover almost completely eliminates the need for grain feeding and nutritional supplements and with the world becoming more aware of their health, New Zealand meat ticks all the boxes. With no 'extras' in their diets, New Zealand animals produce meat that can be consumed safely.

Exceptional seafood It makes sense to consume seafood from an island nation with a long coastline and enough geographical distance from the major pollution hubs of the world to make it trustworthy. Add to this great taste and an intense focus on sustainability and New Zealand seafood is the whole package. Whether it be sweet, juicy shellfish or salmon which needs nothing more than a barbecue and a squeeze of lemon to enhance its already perfect taste and texture, New Zealand seafood is in a class of its own.

New Zealand's expansive coastline and clear waters produce an vast array of seafood including rock lobster, fish such as John Dory, Hoki, salmon and tuna as well as shellfish such as abalone (paua), clams and New Zealand greenshell mussels, that are exported to over 70 different countries, including the UAE through companies such as Lee Fish, Omega Seafood and Sealord. Increased global demand has led to a heavy focus on protecting New Zealand's fishing stocks, with the local seafood industry investing in research to better understand the impact of fishing and aquaculture

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operations on the marine environment.

In 2011, New Zealand became one of only two countries to achieve a top ranking in a review of international fisheries management systems and in a second study was ranked first among 53 major fishing nations for managing marine resources.

New Zealand Greenshell mussels have been recognised by the Blue Ocean Institute as one of the top two environmentally-friendly seafoods in the world.

Exceptional horticulture Once you've crunched into a crisp, juicy New Zealand apple, tasted the buttery texture of our avocados or experienced the slightly tart, sweet soft flesh of a perfectly ripened kiwifruit, you'll know why New Zealand horticulture is special. New Zealand's climate provides optimum conditions for beautiful-tasting produce. A willingness to experiment with new ideas coupled with fertile soil, clean waters and outstanding animal and plant health makes this country the ideal environment for fresh-tasting natural fruit and vegetables. This inspired thinking continues with innovations like ZESPRI GOLD and Jazz apples.

However, ZESPRI kiwifruit, apples, cherries, berries, stonefruit, avocados, onions, butternut squash, garlic, tomatoes, asparagus and mushrooms are just some of the produce New Zealand can provide.

The fact that New Zealand's seasons are the reverse of many others means seasonal fruit that complements, rather than competes, with northern hemisphere produce to provide year-round supply.

Exceptional specialty There's more to New Zealand food and beverage than kiwifruit and lamb. An innovative spirit and ingenuity means new industries are constantly appearing as well as unique Antipodean twists on existing ones. When people think of New Zealand's food and beverage there is usually an association with fruit, meat, and dairy products and an internationally recognised grape industry. But New Zealand can provide so much more. Innovation

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise's Taste New Zealand chef competition, now in its second year, allows UAE professional chefs to compete to win a business and leisure trip to New Zealand to experience first-hand the country's food and culture.

The competition culminates in a cookoff at the Park Hyatt Dubai on the 26th of April 2014 where ten chefs will prepare one plate in one hour using a range of supplied mystery New Zealand ingredients. The winner will be announced at a New Zealand BBQ dinner later that same day and will receive a business and leisure trip for two to New Zealand, courtesy of Emirates Airline.

Competing chefs were invited to submit a pre-qualifying recipe that features New Zealand ingredients abalone (known as paua in New Zealand) and sweet potato (known as kumara). The ten finalists will next cook off using a range of supplied mystery New Zealand ingredients in front of a judging panel of some of the best known names in UAE food circles.

While the exact details of what will be in the full pantry of New Zealand ingredients will only be revealed on the day, chefs can expect to see a range of New Zealand products including meat and seafood, fruit and vegetables, jams and sauces, plus specialty ingredients such as honey.

Details of the cook-off and the winning recipe will feature in a future edition of The Pro Chef ME.

and resourcefulness means new products are appearing all the time or creative twists on the ones we already have. Avocado oil has its roots in New Zealand, providing customers with a unique product with an incredibly high smoke point and a raft of amazing health benefits.

And there's New Zealand honey. Not only the famous Manuka honey with its healing properties but also the distinctively New Zealand flavours of Rewa Rewa, Kamahi and Pohutukawa too.

Other New Zealand flavours, like native herbs, are being incorporated into condiments giving modern application to ancient ingredients. Added to these are a suite of other products that are available in the UAE including jams and sauces from Anathoth, Whittaker's Chocolate, Phoenix organic fruit juices and Antipodes water.

There is a vast array of New Zealand products available here in the UAE, for consumers and the food service industry to enjoy.

For more information about New Zealand F&B products: www.nzte.govt.nz

April 2014 / The Pro Chef Middle East

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UP FRONT / the eggs factor

Life’s a beach

Irish born Chef Gavin Gleeson recently joined the Monte-Carlo Beach Club on Saadiyat Island as Executive Chef, following a career that included Michel-starred restaurants in Dublin and London, as well as Marco Pierre White's Wheelers in Dubai. But what does he have in his fridge at home?

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The Pro Chef Middle East / April 2014

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the eggs factor / UP FRONT

G

rowing up in a quiet corner of Limerick, Chef Gavin Gleeson says “my mother was an awful cook - we ate to survive and, with two boys in the family, you had to eat quickly!” He became a chef just at the point that Irish produce was redicovered by the Irish, with the Celtic tiger boom created both a rush of quality foreign produce and a new found respect for native foods. “It all changed and you’d have aisles of amazing produce in the supermarkets - cured meats, everything. Before for cheese you’d maybe have had Cheddar and Babybel, now you had giant wheels of Parmesan and the rest!” Only a short time before, Irish cheesemakers would have to load up a van and drive to England or France to

sell it because the Irish weren’t interested.

His career began with an apprenticeship at Dromoland Castle in County Clare, under a very old school chef, before he moved to London to work for Richard Corrigan at Lindsay House. A year later, he moved to Dublin to work with Kevin Thornton at Thornton’s Restaurant then, 18 months later, he took over the 5-star Aghadoe Heights Hotel in Kerry. Five days after opening his own place more than three years later, the stock market crashed and despite “a great reputation as one of Ireland’s ‘brilliant boys’”, he faced bancruptcy.

And so to Dubai, first at the InterContinental and then as Executive Chef of Marco Pierre White’s Wheeler’s, despite a childhood without fish as

he mother had a phobia about it. His shift to the beach club allows him more leeway with his own personal style, although the club's French Riviera heritage will also play a ket part of the developing menu. "Le Deck's current emphasis on quality produce, exceptional service and creative dishes has created an excellent foundation,” he claims.

“My aspiration is to create Abu Dhabi's most exquisite dining experience, celebrating the unique joie de vivre of the club's European roots, whilst also pushing the culinary boundaries." The sister property in Monaco prides itself on being a 100% organic restaurantsand he is hard at work setting up an organic garden to introduce more locally grown organic produce to the menu.

Whats inside juicing such as of these mainly for - Vegetables - lots so on. pers, ginger and beetroot, carrots, pep r and I've been tte bu h r - I love real Iris - Kerrygold butte kitchen so I was so all my career in a ! using Kerrygold ezer at Spinneys fre the e across it in happy when I cam - Skimmed milk - Fresh herbs - Dark chocolate ld live on smoked oked salmon - I cou - Severn & Wye sm s, butter and s have capers, onion salmon and alway . e for a snack brown bread at hom rd sta Mu ’s an lm - Co yonnaise - Hellmann’s Ma ces spi Jerk - Eggs

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April 2014 / The Pro Chef Middle East

15 1 5

FEATURES / round table

I

think we all know in general terms what ‘halal’ means, but personally I’m confused when I see a wide varierty of food items labelled as such. Am I alone in this?

Tarek Ibrahim: Halal basically means ‘fit for you’, so food should be healthy and cause no harm to the human being.

So how would that apply to something like halal oil?

Ibrahim: I’m afraid that it’s getting very trendy to add a sticker to a product and deliver, say, a halal olive oil. What makes that oil halal?

Can you explain, then, in clear terms what makes food halal so we all have the same starting point in the discussion?

Ibrahim: As Muslims, we view halal from two perspectives. The first, clearly, is the prohibition of pork or alcohol, which includes any by product or contamination and so on. The second perspective involves the ritual slaughter, which has elements so much more than just thinking it involves a sharp knife. Animals for slaughter must be in very good health, must be treated well, fed and watered before the killing. It is important to consider both the act and the run up to the act. So the animal should not see the knife or be slaughtered in front of other animals. The actual killing involves one and a half strokes of the knife across the animal’s throat. And, of course, you must drain the blood.

Tarek Ibrahim Corporate Chef, Meat & Lifestock Australia (MLA)

Colin Clague Executive Chef, Qbara

There’s also a religious element to the actual act?

Ibrahim: Yes. Look, if you take someone’s life, then you are acting like God taking a life, so it’s very important to be humble before God. Colin Clague: So why then is game not haram?

Ibrahim: Because it is about your intention.

John Redding: There’s certainly debate in the market about whetgher the feed for factory farmed fish contains any pork products. We had a ten day stop on supply when this was checked.

Ibrahim: We consider that anything that comes from the water is halal!

Clague: Useful to use you as our Q&A man! What’s the position with white wine vinegar?

Ibrahim: This is an area in which there is a huge amount of ignorance and where people try to stay on the safe side. For example, can you make bread without it fermenting? No, of course not. It’s the same with vinegar, even wine to some extent when the food is cooked, it’s burnt off.

Clague: It seems just about anything can be halal!

Back to the point about so much food being labelled halal...

Ibrahim: But there’s so much money to be made!

Ali El Bourji: I think also that it’s reassuring for some people who want to take care over what they eat.

Ibrahim: And I don’t have a problem with that.

Clague: The reality for us as chefs is that, unless we’re serving vegetarians, all protein has to be halal.

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round table / FEATURES

Hassan Massood Executive Chef, Radisson Blu Dubai Media City Ali El Bourji Executive Oriental Chef, Atlantis The Palm Dubai

John Redding Sales Manager, Transmed Dubai

Christopher Thompson Head Chef, Ruth’s Chris Steak House

The halal debate As all chefs know, meat served in restaurants in the region must be halal. However, the market is getting confused by the use of the term to apply to a whole range of other food items. We sat down a number of industry players to try to understand the state of the halal market.

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April 2014 / The Pro Chef Middle East

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FEATURES / round table

El Bourji: For me, it’s curious that people only think pork is halal. Going back to game, unless the blood drains out then, of course, it is haram. So if you shoot something and take too long to reach it and drain it then you cannot eat it. I think one real issue for chefs is the idea of cross-contamination in the kitchen - this why separate pork kitchens are demanded and why the Municipality is very strict on checking. That’s not just for Muslims - it’s for everybody because meat comes from all over.

Ibrahim: I think an interesting point is that scripture is clear but now science is catching up.

What do you mean?

Ibrahim: For example, now we have studies that show meat from well-treated and calm animals is actually healthier.

Have you see the 2010 film Temple Grandin?

It’s about this autistic woman who extended the use of the things that calmed her to revolutionise practices for the humane handling of livestock?

Ibrahim: No, but I must find it.

Clague: Just extending our discussion a bit about kitchens and regulations, I’d love to dry-age my own meat.

Redding: As a butcher, yes that’s what we used to do.

Ibrahim: Yes, it’s done all over the world.

One issue I wanted to bring up is the global state of the meat industry. There have been a series of scandals in the last couple of years in Europe - I’m sure you know them. The whole substitution of one meat for another.

We’ve also see condemned meat enter the food chain and so on. How, in a country where there is strict halal regulation, can this sort of criminal activity be stopped?

“As Muslims, we view halal from two perspectives.

The first, clearly, is the prohibition of pork or alcohol, which includes any by product or contamination and so on. The second perspective involves the ritual slaughter, which has elements so much more than just thinking it involves a sharp knife.”

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round table / FEATURES

WHAT IS HALAL? Halal means any object or action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. The term covers not only food and drink but also all matters of daily life. Generally, in Islam, every object and action is considered permissible unless there is a prohibition of it in the scriptures.

A variety of substances are considered as harmful (haraam) for humans to consume and, therefore, forbidden as per various Quranic verses: pork, animals slaughtered in the name of anyone but Allah. carrion, blood, food over which Allah’s name is not pronounced and alcoholic beverages.

If there is absolutely no other halal food available and the Muslim is forced by necessity, then a Muslim is allowed to eat non-halal food.

Ibrahim: Speaking of Australia, an abattoir has to have a full inspection before it’s certified halal.

Cheating after that? There, if you are caught cheating then you face prison and a ban on working in food service for life.

How far is F&B impacted by the strict limitations on the sale of pork to diners? Do they demand it?

Clague: I don’t see too much of a problem people living here know the rules and tourists understand when it’s explained to them. We did it when I was at The Ivy but the costs involved made a huge impact on the business and, in the end, it just wasn’t worth it.

Redding: Certainly some countries like Qatar are much stricter and I see the whole Arab world looking at this issue from a number of perspectives.

Maybe what’s best it to take the easiest way. I don’t see people building new pork kitchens, certainly.

I think we’re all mature enough to respect people here and our lives revolve around their culture and religion.

Clague: Of course, Dubai is very liberal in many respects.

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Ibrahim: I believe Dubai is where most of the Arab world should be. We have to be mature and, at the end of the day, people can always chose what they want to do.

If your life was in danger, would you eat nonhalal food?

Hassan Massood: If you have no choice, then I agree. But if your faith is strong enough, then you’ll wait to the very end. It’s all about your faith.

Chris, does the issue of halal food ever come up in your restaurant?

Christopher Thompson: To be honest, nobody ever asks about it. However, I do get some locals saying, ‘There’s blood in your meat and it’s not halal!’ That happens quite often.

Ibrahim: That’s because they do not understand blood. They see liquid and think it must be blood.

Redding: It’s all a matter of education, isn’t it?

Going back to the labelling, it depends where the company is trying to pitch the particular product.

We all know it’s fit for human consumption but sometimes the market asks for something and we need to supply it. For example, back in the UK

you’ll find aisles of readymade meals but here there are different needs. This is still an emerging market and there’s still a need for education.

Ibrahim: All of us have to find our own place, For example, if I’m supporting companies who support the use of alcohol, does that make me bad?

El Bourji: Going back to Chris’ point, I do see local guests wanting to see the chef to check the meat is halal.

Massood: Yes, with us as well.

We would like to thank Colin Clague and the rest of the team at Qbara for their hospitality in hosting this round table. If you would like to join a future one, please e-mail me: dave@cpidubai.com

April 2014 / The Pro Chef Middle East

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FEATURES / meat skills

1

6

5

STEP 1 The whole rump.

Meat masterclass

Master Chef Tarek Ibrahim has been Senior Consultant for MLA (Meat & Livestock Australia) and splits his time between training the market and playing an active role on regional TV and in print, fulďŹ lling a key role in increasing Australian meat brand awareness, building bridges with the culinary industry and offering cooking and meat cutting training sessions to young chefs in the region. Here he offers a rump masterclass, focused on how to separate the rump's main three muscles.

STEPS 2-3 Remove the rump undercut muscle. Clearly identify the undercut muscle laying on top the underside of the rump. Locate the seam then gently pull the meat and follow all the way through to remove the muscle. This can be used for trim.

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The Pro Chef Middle East / April 2014

2

4 STEPS 4-7 To separate the rump cap (aka Picanha), keep the rump fat side down. You can see the cap sitting at the bottom of the rump, underneath the centre cut and eye of rump. Gently pull back on the centre muscles and use the weight of the meat to follow the seam all the way through, gently pulling as your knife cuts through the seam.

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meat skills / FEATURES

15

16

7 STEPS 8-10 Slice off the section of the cap that is all fat.

Remove the silver trim form underneath and any other excess fat. By holding the knife at a slight angle upwards, you are less likely to pierce any meat while removing trim. Follow the line of the meat to remove the excess top fat.

14

17 STEP 18 The eye of rump.

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8

18 STEP 19 Finally, remove the sinew from the centre cut and trim off any excess fat.

12 STEPS 12-17 To separate the centre cut from the eye of rump, locate the seam through the middle of the two muscles. Once you identify it, ip the muscle over to place the shiny side down. Relocate your seam and gently cut through the meat using the seam of sinew as a guide. Trim.

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STEP 11 When slicing steaks from your rump cap make sure you're cutting against the grain - that is, from the tip of the triangle down.

19 MEAT & LIVESTOCK AUSTRALIA Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is a producer-owned company whose mission is to deliver world-class services and solutions in partnership with industry and government. Promoting the quality, safety and nutritional value of Australian red meat both domestically and internationally, on behalf of the meat and livestock industry, MLA manages and operates a portfolio of marketing activities aimed at maintaining and increasing demand for Australian meat and livestock. MLA in the Middle East North African region works with retailers, foodservice operators, importers, manufacturers and Australian exporters to maintain and increase the demand for halal red meat and livestock to the region.

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FEATURES / career path

Open letter to a culinary student Long seen as an industry classic since first being widely distributed in 2009, Chef Mark Mendez’ rant to a disappointing student who walked out of Carnivale still bears rereading. Mendez is now Owner/Executive Chef at Vera in Chicago.

I

am angry, so forgive me if I rant. You gave notice after only two weeks on the job and then didn't show up the next day and really screwed me. I know why you quit: it was hard work, harder than you thought it was going to be.

The funny thing is, you worked an easy station and never even worked on a busy night, funny right?

The sad thing is you don't even know how hard it really is, or what it truly means to be a line cook.

“It's not all your fault. They didn't really prepare you for this in cooking school did they? They didn't warn you that being a great chef requires first being a great cook. They didn't tell you about the sacrifices you have to make, the hard work, the hours, the dedication, the commitment, the lack of sleep, the constant abuse of the sous chef. They didn't warn you. You thought you would graduate from school and be like Thomas Keller in a couple years, that's all it should take right?

“I know, I know, learning how to use your knife, make a great stock, or learning how to properly blanch vegetables is boring, it's cooler to work sauté station or grill.

"I'm too old school anyway, no immersion circulators, no foams, no cutesy plates, no pacojet, boring really.

Who wants to learn how to properly sharpen a knife or butcher a fish, so boring and tedious.

“Well, I need to tell you a few things. One day, just maybe, you will be a chef somewhere.

You will need to train and motivate the people who work for you, guide them, lead them, teach them and inspire them. One day, you will spend more time looking at a profit-and-loss statement than you do your station. You will miss prepping your station, making a sauce, butchering a piece of meat, even sharpening your knife. You will spend time in marketing meetings, staff meetings, partner meetings, vendor meetings, all kinds of meetings. You will spend more time in the front of house than you really want to, spend time outside of the kitchen promoting your restaurant, give interviews, agonise over food and labour costs, kiss your wife goodbye while she sleeps because you have to be at the restaurant early for some insane reason, and somewhere in there make sure you are serving tasty food. You will miss weddings, birthday parties, graduations, all kinds of things.

You will alienate your friends and family because you don't write or call enough.

"There are no sick days, personal days, breaks. This is not like a 9-to-5 job. Get over it.

“Get ready for years of sacrifice, hard work and stress. Learn as much as you can, read everything, ask questions, write things down,

save your money and eat at other restaurants, show up to work early and offer to stay late, come to work on your day off just to learn how to make pastry or hone butcher skills. Taste everything you can, over and over, and ask the chef so many questions he gets annoyed.

“Take care of yourself and sleep as much as you can and skip after-work drug/liquor binging, so you wake up ready and on time. Travel and experience another culture, eat their food and learn to speak their language. Learn to appreciate the time you have right now, enjoy the ride, the process, don't be in a hurry to be a sous chef or make a lot of money. It's not about that and it never will be unless you are extremely talented and lucky.

"There is only one Ferran Adria or Thomas Keller or Grant Achatz and they all have worked extremely hard to get where they are and continue to do so. Enjoy all the bullshit that comes with this life, embrace it, learn to thrive on it.

“One day, when you are an executive chef or chef/owner, there will be an epiphany so powerful you will have to sit down. You will understand everything every chef or sous chef yelled at you.

You will understand why we work the way we do. You will understand why our profession is so wonderful, so unique and it will hit you hard. I can't tell when or where this will happen but I promise you it will if you work hard and keep your head down and do what your chef tells you.

“So keep this in mind when I give you a hard time and push you, criticise you and refuse that day-off request.

"Maybe the next job you have, you will suck it up instead of leaving them short a line cook on a busy night.”

Chef Mark Mendez

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The Pro Chef Middle East

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CHEFS / pimp my plate

Sardine showdown

Freshly ensconced at the helm of table 9, Chef Patron Darren Velvick has already made his mark on the Dubai ďŹ ne dining scene. So we felt it was time to give him the Pro Chef ME challenge and get him to reinvent a traditional dish to suit his menu. Our choice? The classic from Venice: Sarde in sa’or.

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The Pro Chef Middle East / April 2014

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pimp my plate / CHEFS

A

clear memory of anyone’s first visit to Venice, unless they’re trapped on the tourist circuit, is a glass or two of ombra in a bacari sampling a range of cicchetti laid out on the bar’s surface - Italian tapas.

And one of the most dramatic taste sensations that lets you know that this is a different kind of Italy is Sarde in sa’or - fresh sardines, filleted, fried and then marinated for a day in gently cooked white onions, vinegar, raisins and pine nuts.

The success of the dish lies in the contrast between the sharpness of the vinegar, the

sweetness of the raisins and the creamy nuttiness of the pine nuts. This is the killer agrodolce dish, suitable for a bite or as antipasti.

Its roots lie back in time before modern refrigeration. ‘Saor’ is the technique of marinating fried food in vinegar and other ingredients in order to conserve food. Sardines may be the most popular choice, but variants exist utilising chicken, pumpkin or eggplant, served with polenta.

The earliest recipes date back to the 14th Century, appearing in Anonimo Veneziano’s Libro per cuoco. At that time, the dish consisted of

sliced white onions cooked in oil and vinegar on top of fried sardines, stored in a terracotta dish.

Raisins came later, as did pine nuts. In time, subtle variations arrived - cinnamon, perhaps, fresh bay leaves, pink peppercorns or candied citrus.

Using the ingredients of the traditional dish, Chef Velvick created what he called his “modern take" on the dish.

He didn't feel overly challenged by the dish and was most excited by figuring out what different textures he could create using the ingredients, particularly the onions.

cut surface 100ml white wine vinegar 100ml water 50g sugar salt to taste

oil for frying salt to taste

SARDE IN SAOR BY TABLE 9 SERVES 1 INGREDIENTS 8 tbsp white wine vinegar 8 tbsp sugar 75ml/ white wine 1 lime - zest and juice 2 small sardines, filleted and pin boned METHOD ∙ For marinade, place the vinegar, wine, sugar, lime juice into a pan and bring to the boil. Add the zest and cool down. When cold, place the sardines into the marinade for about ten minutes. When cold, take the fillets out and set aside ready for cooking. ∙ When ready to serve, blow torch the skin surface until nicely charred. ∙ Serve straight away on the garnish.

WHITE ONION PUREE INGREDIENTS 2 white onions 200ml milk 3 sprigs thyme METHOD

∙ Slice white onion and bring to boil in the milk and thyme, then simmer until soft and cooked.

∙ Blend until smooth and season PINE NUT BISCUITS INGREDIENTS 50g butter 32g plain flour 1 egg white 100g parmesan, grated 50g pine nuts, chopped

METHOD ∙ Soften butter; add egg white and plain flour, parmesan and chopped pine nuts. ∙ Spread on a thin non-stick mat and bake at 180C for about eight minutes until golden and crisp.

PICKLED ONIONS AND GRAPES INGREDIENTS 4 grapes, peeled and deseeded I red onion, cut into triangles 1 baby onion, peeled, cut in half and seared on the

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METHOD ∙ Bring white wine vinegar, water, sugar to boil, then add the red onion triangles and simmer until a little crunch is left, then allow to cool down in the liquid. ∙ Add the grapes and seared baby onion, leave to macerate until ready to plate.

CRISPY ONION INGREDIENT 1/2 white onion

METHOD

∙ Thinly slice the white onion and deep fry at 140C until golden and crispy, drain and season with salt. ∙ Chop into acrumb with a knife.

TO PLATE

∙ Spread the onion puree on the plate, place the

blow torched sardines on the puree, then place the pickled onions and grapes on and around the sardines. ∙ Sprinkle over onion crumb and place the broken pine nut biscuit and garnish with some cress herbs such as coriander cress.

April 2014 / The Pro Chef Middle East

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CHEFS / pimp my plate

Had you eaten the original dish beforee?

No, but I could work out the flavour profile and it’s not too different from soused herring, so I could relate to it.

What was your first thought on a remake?

It was quite a challenge purely because it’s such a simple looking dish. We also have a reasonably close dish on the menu, although that’s a bit more like a ceviche - scallops marinated in the same marinade as used on the sardines, but served with

avocado and compressed apple, instead of grape.

I wanted to keep pretty much in line with the original.

Did you change your concept as the dish developed?

No, not really. I think the main change was grilling the sardines rather than frying them - I really like the smoky flavour you get with the use of a blow torch. I was actually more interested in getting different textures from the onion - that's kind of my thing at the moment.

How could you develop the dish further?

Certainly by using another fish - mackerel would be ideal. To be honest, I’m not that keen on sardines mainly because I’m very finicky and have to pin bone out every single bone. And sardines have a lot of them!

Is it a dish you’d consider for the table 9 menu?

Certainly. Thanks for asking me to take part - it was fun!

STEP BY STEP COOKING GUIDE:

Step 1: Mise en place

Step 2: Pin boning the fillets

Step 3: Preparing the onion

Step 4: Rolling the dough for the biscuit

Step 5: Preparing the marinade

Step 6: Grilling with the blow torch

Step 7: Starting to assemble

Step 8: The dish takes shape

THE ORIGINAL SARDE IN SA’OR INGREDIENTS 12 fresh sardines, cleaned and butterflied flour, for dusting olive oil for frying 50ml white wine 12 raisins or sultanas 1 white onion 250ml white wine vinegar 1 clove, ground 1 tsp coriander seeds, ground freshly ground black pepper salt 12 pine nuts

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The Pro Chef Middle East / April 2014

METHOD ∙ Dust the fillets in flour and deep fry in plenty of oil until golden and crisp. Season and set aside to drain until needed. ∙ Soak the raisins in white wine to soften. ∙ Finely slice the white onion and saute gently until they transparent, then add the vinegar, pepper and spices. Cook for a few minutes then remove from the heat. ∙ Place a layer of sardines in a deep dish, top twith some of the onions, some drained raisins and pine nuts. Continue layering and finally top with onions, raisins, pine nuts. Finish with the vinegar sauce poured over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate at least 24 hours before serving. ∙ Serve at room temperature

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CHEFS / face to face

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The Pro Chef Middle East / April 2014

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Speciality beef direct from Argentina to the plates of diners worldwide - Gaucho Dubai is definitely one for meat lovers! In town overseeing the launch of a new seasonal menu, Group Executive Chef Fernando Trocca sits down with Sophie McCarrick to reveal what's to come from the brand and also cooks up a couple of new dishes.

W

ith an ultimate passion for cooking, travel and good food, Argentinian Executive Chef Fernando Trocca emerged into the international culinary scene in the late 1980s and has since launched his own restaurant in Buenos Aires, Sucre, presents his own cooking TV show and heads all culinary development for the Gaucho restaurant group.

Now in its third year of operation, the Argentinian-inspired restaurant Gaucho Dubai in DIFC has well and truly settled in amongst the brand's family of international restaurants and, according to Trocca is growing extensively year on year.

As architect of the group's seasonal menus, he reveals that meat lovers in the area can expect big things from the restaurant's menu in coming months, in addition to possible expansion into Abu Dhabi and Qatar, plus the introduction of the brand's Cau restaurant in Dubai towards the end of 2014.

Starting at the beginning, tell me about the inspiration behind your cooking?

My grandmother is my inspiration, my career is down to her. She was a fantastic, diversified cook, who I spent a lot of my time with as a child, amazed by her talent in the kitchen. I'd eat lunch with her every day after school, which is where my love for food developed. She really inspired me.

Aged 17, I struggled with my direction in life and the culinary path just seemed natural. However, deciding to become a chef at the time was not easy. Back then being a chef wasn't such a trendy thing as it is today and there were not many culinary schools around, especially in Argentina.

So, I started off in a restaurant in Buenos Aires where I learnt all my basic skills over six years.

How did you further your career?

Travelling gave me the opportunity to branch out and grow as a chef and I gained much of my experience in London, Madrid, France and Modena in Italy, where I had the pleasure of training under

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Chef Massimo Bottura who today is chef patron of the three Michelin star Osteria Francescana, which is listed as one of Italy's top five restaurants.

I learned a lot about Mediterranean cuisine in Europe, however I decided to return to Buenos Aires in 1992, followed by New York for almost four years, where I learned more about Latin food. Opening my restaurant, Sucre, in 2001 was a major peak in my career, in addition to partnering with Gaucho and working with them for the last six years. I also ventured to Mexico in 2007 - I fell so in love with Mexican cuisine and still today it influences my cooking.

I hear you're a culinary star on Argentinian TV? Well I've done a TV show for the past 15 years in Argentina called the Gourmet Channel, it's all about Latin American cuisine. Last year I also moved to a Fox channel, which is exciting because I love sharing my food. It's always funny when I'm recognised in the supermarket back home, but I'm definitely no rock star!

You oversee all culinary development for Gaucho, how do you keep things up to date?

Travelling is a big help to me and luckily I travel very often. I think it's really important for any chef to travel because I know personally with every new place I visit, I learn new things and develop different techniques that I sometimes implement in the kitchens. Things like reading magazines and cookbooks - visiting local markets also really helps me develop and stay up-to-date. Mixing with other chefs and participating in food festivals around the world cultures you as a person and a chef, again this comes down to travel and new experiences: it all inspires me. For example, when I went to Mexico I fell so in love with the food that when I returned to my kitchen, all of the ingredients and techniques were becoming Mexican influenced.

You're in charge of Gaucho's seasonal menus, is it hard to be innovative?

Sometimes changing the menu is easy, other times

it's hard. When I'm struggling, it really helps me to visit our different branches and gather a bunch of local ingredients that will be available for that season. It's so easy to forget about what's out there, so it is definitely important to play with ingredients and get creative when coming up with the new menus.

I hear there will be a new menu coming for Gaucho Dubai?

Yes, we will be launching the new menu for Dubai at the start of April, along with a new menu in London. The new Dubai menu is going to be a big change. We try to change aspects of our menus four times per year, but this one will be quite a big one. It will of course stay true to the Argentinian cuisine, there's a lot of beef, but we have added things such as ceviches and causitas, which are Peruvian dishes. There's also influence from Mexican, Ecuadorian and Brazilian cuisines.

Some of the new dishes you will find on the menu will be sea bass tiradito, severed with a mango vinaigrette, vegetable sofrito and fideuà. This menu will feature a lot of salads to suit the spring/ summer seasons, and in Dubai especially we try to have more salads and lighter foods on the menu because of the hot climate.

What are Gaucho's ambition for the future?

It's big! We now have 15 Gauchos in total, 12 in London, one in Manchester, one in Leeds and one in Dubai. However, Gaucho is hoping to expand further and we've been looking at Istanbul, China, Edinburgh, and several more as locations.

We’d also like to see further development in this region, particularly in Abu Dhabi and Qatar.

Dubai has been really successful for us in its first two years of operation, year by year it's growing massively. We are really pleased. Additionally, Gaucho is expanding with its new restaurant concept, Cau, which stands for Carnes Argentinas Unicas (unique Argentinian meat) - it's sort of a play on work using the name 'cau' seeing our main product is beef. This brand is a very big focus for the company now and it is planning to bring it to

April 2014 / The Pro Chef Middle East

29

CHEFS / face to face

Dubai, perhaps towards the end of the year. It's a simplified version of Gaucho - still beef but with more sandwiches and burgers. It's younger and slightly cheaper.

It sounds like there's a lot of expansion due to happen‚ Yes, we are even expanding the Sucre brand in Latin America. We would love to take Gaucho there, but unfortunately we can't take Argentinian beef into America.

How do you find produce sourcing in Dubai?

It's quite a challenge because there's a lack of good local produce here. We import nearly everything, and of course our beef is from Argentina.

lovers want these days?

Well, beef is certainly very popular right now.

There was a point some years back when a big movement on vegetarian food had quite an impact on the sector, however the last five years I've seen popularity on a steep rise again. The demand is for grass-fed, healthier beef - people nowadays are looking for better quality because of the growing focus on health. Consumers want to know what’s in their food and where it came from.

And they want quality.

In terms of current trends, what do meat

What advice would you give to upcoming chefs, aspiring to be successful in the culinary world?

It's all about the passion for cooking, like I said earlier. Becoming a chef today is quite trendy to people coming out of school, however once the novelty works off many of them are unable

FIDEU

∙ Cut the shrimp in half along the spine and cut the

INGREDIENTS: 70g sofrito 40g shrimp 50g squid 100g angel hair pasta 300ml fish stock 200g aioli milk

∙ With a little bit of oil, lightly fry the shrimp and

METHOD: ∙ For this dish it is recommended that you use a cast iron paella pan, which should be pre-heated in the over for a few minutes at 180C.

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The Pro Chef Middle East / April 2014

squid into rings.

squid in a pan and add 200ml of the fish stock, bring to the boil. Whilst waiting for the stock to boil, fry the pasta until golden in a deep fryer. ∙ Add pasta to the boiling stock and add the sofrito. ∙ Transfer to the hot paella pan and put back in the oven at 180C for three minutes. Then check the consistency; if it looks dry then add a little more fish stock and continue to cook for a further three minutes. ∙ Remove from the oven and lace the aioli milk over the top and serve.

to stick it out longterm in the kitchen. That's where the passion comes in - without the passion people don't last in this industry. They've also got to be hard working and dedicated. Things have changed from when I started out, I can remember spending my days cleaning out fridges, shining the silverware and mopping the floor. Now, someone can go to school for two years and come out calling themselves a chef, so they dont want to get their hands dirty or get down to basics. When I have someone new in the kitchen, I can tell immediately if they really want to learn and have the passion inside of them. Training chefs also forget that this profession means working unsocial hours, working weekends and late nights; it takes a lot of determination and, if you've not got the passion, it's not going to last. If you're lucky to find and work with your passion, it's a blessing; and I can say I'm truly blessed to be a chef.

AIOLI MILK INGREDIENTS: 250ml milk at room temperature 1 clove garlic, chopped 400ml corn oil METHOD: ∙ Place the garlic into the milk, using a hand blender start to blend the milk and slowly drizzle in the corn oil until it becomes the consistency of mayonnaise.

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CHEFS / face to face

I

You don’t work for Paul Bocuse for two decades and rise to be Executive Chef of the 3-star l'Auberge du Pont de Collonges without being a highly skilled perfectionist. That’s Christophe Muller - internationally renowned for his precision, speed and innovative methods.

n the capital for Gourmet Abu Dhabi, Christophe Muller had a four day residency at the La Mer seafood outlet in Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche. According to Executive Chef Franz Paul Wieser, Muller hit the kitchen running and demanded perfection from the very start.

“It will be a privilege to cook for the UAE's food aficionados and to share a bit of what I love with them,” Muller had said before arriving and he wasn’t going to disappoint, with dishes such as Lobster cooked in Pouilly-Fuisse and toast with caviar, Black truffle soup VGE, Royal foie gras and crawfish, Red mullet dressed in crusty potato scales and rosemary sauce and the classic Truffled chicken breast cooked in a bladder on offer. Soup VGE is Paul Bocuse’s classic from 1975, served for French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing in the Elysée Palace. Crowned with a pastry dome to retain the truffle flavour, its broth is light but fully enhanced by the aroma of truffle and diced foie gras, duck meat and carrot. It is typical of Bocuse’s style in that combines elegance and an artisanal feel.

Muller continues that spirit and is rooted deep in French culinary soil. His passion and perfectionism made him one of the few culinary recipients of the coveted Meilleurs Ouvriers de France, which honours the finest craftsmen in the Republic.

Growing up in small village close to Mulhouse, Muller found himself early on working at chores including cooking at home from the age of 12.

What are your childhood memories of food?

I loved it but we were a poor family and so I had no real opportunity to eat anything more than simple food. I had thought of working with food but it didn’t seem possible. My father’s work was as a gamekeeper and so we had game and fish of all sorts. We had no garden so he used to forage in the woods - he taught me that and I used to gather herbs and things. My grandfather had, in fact, been a grand chef moving from the Hotel du Paris to New York in 1946. I loved my grandfather more than anything.

Did he teach you?

Yes. I dreamed that I could cook and he taught me so much. I was so proud that he taught me the skills and doing so gave him pleasure. So I gained the passion and, age 15, I took an apprenticeship at Paul Haeberlin’s l’Auberge de Ill in Illhausen.

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“The problem today is that everything is too complicated and over the top. Nobody makes things simple, but take a typical Parisian sandwich - bread, butter, ham. Perfect!” www.cpimediagroup.com

face to face / CHEFS

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CHEFS / face to face

My grandfather saw me evolve and his passion made to want to strive for the best which, in France, means of course Paul Bocuse. At that time my father suffered cancer and was given just a few months to live. Age 21, I moved to Paris and worked at a 3-star. We cooked for the Prime Minister, people like that. Then in 1987, I was accepted as one of the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France, the youngest ever at that time and the first Alsatian.

And your move to Bocuse?

That came when I was 27 and I have stayed with him ever since. I fact, I am also his personal chef!

It has always surprised me that he has an outlet in EuroDisney...

Well, why not? That doesn’t worry me. It’s in the French Pavilion and at least americans will have something good to eat when they go to the park!

I appreciate that you have been busy in the kitchens here, but what is your impression of Abu Dhabi?

This is my first visit to the region and I am really surprised that you can source any produce from anywhere in the world. You’re right, I have not had much spare time but although I’ve been busy I have managed to get out and see the market.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve received from Chef Bocuse?

‘Are the dustbins full?’ If they’re full, then the food has not been good!

Have you felt limited by the menu at the Auberge?

You may think that nothing changes but the market offers new things. Our menu may still be the same - it’s like a marriage but with the same dishes and the same tastes. Sometimes the biggest change is not to change.

What is the future of gastronomy?

I think people will eat more at home and they will try their hand at gastronomy, but it will never be as good as a restaurant. Look, it is all to do with the ingredeints and the skill of the chef. Give ten chefs the challenge to make a sandwich with the same ingredients and you’ll end up with ten different sandwiches. The problem today is that everything is too complicated and over the top. Nobody makes things simple, but take a typical Parisian sandwich bread, butter, ham. Perfect!

What do you see as the key trend in food today?

I think traceability. People want to identify where things come from, both chefs and diners. One can then imagine what’s in the mouth.

Finally - and we hope this is some time away what happens after Paul Bocuse?

After Monsieur Bocuse? I hope maybe I can take over.

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CHEFS / face to face

Spoiled for Choix?

Born in the Loire Valley, Pierre Gagnaire was a reluctant chef who entered the business because the family’s restaurant needed a pair of hands. Now, with a string of restaurants around the world and a trail of Michelin stars, he has dragged French cuisine into the fusion cuisine movement by introducing jarring juxtapositions of flavours, tastes, textures and ingredients. However, he rejects the molecular title, preferring to say that he faces tomorrow but is respectful of yesterday.

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n Dubai for a week for the opening of his new patisserie/restaurant Choix at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City, where it joins Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire and its recently opened Terrasse, the leading French chef Pierre Gagnairte is quick to praise the hotel’s support: “This wouldn't have been possible without the trust and support of InterContinental Dubai Festival City and, of course, Omar Al Futtaim.

To them, I say ‘thank you’ for providing another venue for me to share with Dubai and the world the best of my cuisine."

In typical Gagnaire style, the new menu is

eclectic and whimsical with dishes such as Balik salmon and Jacob's cream and seaweed brioche plus the special ‘Hommage à Dubai’, which is a Camel milk panna cotta, saffron cake and dates poached in Earl Grey tea. Yet he denies being an artist. "Don't confuse being artistic with being an artist," he says, however finding the artistry in every product he uses is what both defines and drives him.

Inspired by seasonal products, Gagnaire’s creative process is a combination of instinct and letting the ingredients and techniques set the rhythm. What is special about the man is that, even after four

“I would love to go to Peru because I hear that it is not only a beautiful country, but that the cuisine is amazing.”

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decades of experience which has seen both success and failure, he constantly innovates across more than a dozen restaurants worldwide. Running an operation that large would be a challenge to any chef - to constantly reinvent based on local ingredients is a special kind of talent. "Humans need poetry, tenderness, and things well done," he explains. “To combine five ingredients to make a dish is taking five risks.”

How do you retain your passion with such a punishing schedule.

I think it is easier to be busy when you have engagement with people. Myself, I’m not an actor.

I don’t believe you should have a face that is not yourself because, when you are yourself, then you are more comfortable.

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face to face / CHEFS

THE FRENCH EMPIRE

1996 - Paris - Pierre Gagnaire 2002 - London - Sketch 2005 - Paris - Gaya rive gauche par Pierre Gagnaire 2005 - Tokyo - Pierre Gagnaire à Tokyo 2006 - Hong Kong - Pierre 2007 - Courchevel - Pierre Gagnaire pour les Airelles 2008 - Dubai - Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire 2008 - Seoul - Pierre Gagnaire à Seoul 2009 - Las Vegas - Twist by Pierre Gagnaire 2010 - Tokyo - Pierre Gagnaire Tokyo 2010 - Saint-Tropez - Colette 2010 - Moscow - Les Menus par Pierre Gagnaire 2013 - Berlin - Les Solistes by Pierre Gagnaire 2013 - Dubai - Choix Patisserie and Restaurant par Pierre Gagnaire

Why launch Choix here in Dubai?

Well, we first tried it in London with Sketch. I wanted to provide good quality simple food at good prices. There’s a need not to overcomplicate at times. In London, we worked with Fortnum & Mason - just a small corner of the shop - and what was incredible is that people chose the simple flavours like orange, raspberry and strawberry.

Besides in the morning, you want simple food.

However, for Choix, the hotel has made a major

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investment in both design and the new kitchen.

How much do you expect to use local ingredients here?

Well, as with Reflets, we use what is interesting and of good quality. In Choix, I think there are possibilities with camel milk, which is so rich. Really, it’s up to the team here - they understand the importance of quality and, if they find the right relationships in the market, then their work is easy.

The right people really are the key to success.

Do you think the days of Frech fine dining are disappearing?

An interesting question. Yes, people have less time, perhaps less money so they are rediscovering the pleasure of eating at home. For a while, perhaps, we were losing the importance of product and people will refind that when they cook themselves.

Is price a major factor? perhaps for some, but eating out at a certain level is not an experience you can create yourself. What we’re seeing in Paris is a new generation of chefs opening small places with minimal staff and a limited number of tables.

That’s an interesting trend. The question is this, however: you can do that for perhaps ten years till your mid-30s, then what? One of my chefs moved out of Paris and opened his own place but he’s finding it very hard. Produce is expensive. Staff are really expensive. I don’t see this working longterm.

Are you influenced by other chefs and market trends?

I’m in my own bubble! I work and I find it hard to feel society and its changes, but I do my best. I love what I do, based on quality and confidence.

Do you look for wider fame?

No. I think when you become a ‘celebrity chef’ on TV, then it is no longer the same job. True, you would make more money but you’ll lose your spirit.

For myself, I need time to reflect on new dishes. To be a chef is my life. It’s the key to my identity and I cannot stop.

I recall when we spoke before that you’d had a simple holiday by the sea eating shellfish.

Ah yes! To be honest those six days were probably about the first time I had stopped, but I do feel it necessary to take time and rebuild.

How do you manage menu development across so many restaurants?

I’m thinking all the time and, to be honest, sometimes the changes are just in details. Really big, new ideas come perhaps a couple of times a year. So a lot of what we do is to maintain the quality levels and watch the details, perhaps changing little things. The problem is that a lot of our work is almost by default and it is sometimes necessary to stop the machine before problems develop and make changes.

April 2014 / The Pro Chef Middle East

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CHEFS / recipe corner 2014

The winning meal The highlight of the awards night of our sister magazine, BBC Good Food ME, was the announcement of Chef of the Year, a title decided by a mystery box cook off between Amrish Sood, Speciality Chef at Rang Mahal by Atul Kochhar, JW Marriott Marquis Dubai; Izu Ani, Head Chef at La Serre Bistro & Boulangerie; Jamie Robertson, Head Chef at Gaucho, Dubai; and Roberto Segura Gonzales, Head Chef at The Act Dubai. The winner was Chef Amrish Sood and we present here his winning three dishes.

All chefs had to create three courses using ingredients from the mystery box as well as standard storecupboard items. The box contained: t #FFG 0ZTUFS CMBEF 'MBU JSPO t (JMU IFBE CSFBN t 5BSSBHPO t %SJFE MJNF t 4XFFU QPUBUPFT t 2VBJM FHHT t (PBU T DIFFTF t %BUFT t 8IJUF DIPDPMBUF t 4OPX QFBT t #BSMFZ

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The Pro Chef Middle East / April 2014

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recipe corner / CHEFS 2014

KERALA BREAKFAST BEEF CHILLI FRY, BARLEY PULAO, TAWA PARATHA, MASALA GOAT CHEESE SPREAD, BOILED QUAIL EGG, CRUSHED PEPPER SERVES 4 BEEF CHILLI FRY INGREDIENTS 75ml cooking oil 2 tsp mustard seeds 2 dry red chillis 150g onions, chopped 15g garlic, chopped 5g curry leaves 1 tsp chilli powder 400g beef fillet 1 tbsp coriander powder 250g tomatoes, chopped ½ tsp fennel seeds, crushed 3 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped 2 lemon wedges salt, to taste 4 quail eggs METHOD ∙ Heat vegetable oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and red chillies,

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followed by onions, garlic and curry leaves. Allow the masala to cook, till golden brown. Add chilli powder, sliced beef, and coriander powder. Sprinkle little water to the mixture if required, and let the beef cook on a slow flame for five minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and continue cooking with the lid on. Add the salt in between. Once the masala is cooked and semi dry in texture, add crushed fennel seeds and coriander leaves. Adjust seasoning with salt and lemon juice. ∙ Boil the water in a saucepan and add the quail eggs for four to five minutes. Transfer the eggs to cold water and carefully peel them. Cut in quarters and season.

BARLEY PULAO INGREDIENTS 30ml vegetable oil ½ tsp cumin seeds 75g onions, sliced 100g barley 30g unsalted butter salt, to taste

METHOD

∙ Soak the barley in warm water for

20 minutes and strain, keeping the water aside for boiling. ∙ Heat vegetable oil in a cooking pot and sauté cumin seeds and onions until translucent. Add the soaked barley and sweat it gently with the onions. ∙ Re-use the barley water and add more water to it to make 300ml.

When boiling add with salt to the barley, allowing it to cook till soft.

Add a knob of butter and rest the barley pulao with the lid on for ten minutes, before serving.

TAWA PARATHA INGREDIENTS 250g refined flour 50g unsalted butter salt, to taste 5g pepper, crushed

rest for ten minutes.

∙ Roll the dough to make circular

discs and spread it with soft butter and crushed pepper. Fold the rolled sheet in a half moon shape, then into a triangle and roll again with rolling pin. ∙ Cook the parathas on a flat nonstick pan till crisp and smear with butter before serving.

MASALA GOAT CHEESE SPREAD INGREDIENTS 75g goat cheese 15g coriander stems, chopped 5g ginger, chopped ½ tsp crushed cumin seeds, toasted METHOD

∙ Soften the cheese with a rubber

spatula. Add the coriander stem, ginger and crushed cumin seeds to the cheese to make a creamy spread.

METHOD

∙ Transfer 200g refined flour to a

mixing bowl. Add salt and knead to make a soft dough with warm water. Divide the dough in even size balls (50g each) and allow to

TO ASSEMBLE Place the beef chilli fry on a bed of barley pulao, with the paratha, goat cheese spread and seasoned quail eggs.

April 2014 / The Pro Chef Middle East

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CHEFS / recipe corner 2014

INDIAN COASTAL FLAVOURS - PAN SEARED GILT HEAD BREAM WITH MOILLEY SAUCE, CURRY LEAF TEMPERED POTATOES, PUREED SQUASH AND BUTTER POACHED SNOW PEAS SERVES 4 PAN SEARED GILT HEAD BREAM INGREDIENTS 4 gilt head bream fillets - 800g 75g butter 50ml vegetable oil 100g lemon METHOD ∙ Heat oil in a pan and cook the fish on a medium flame. ∙ Turn the fish, add butter and

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squeeze half wedge of lemon to it.

Allow the fish to cook for another two to three minutes.

CURRY LEAF TEMPERED POTATOES INGREDIENTS 50ml cooking oil 3g mustard seeds 3g chana dal 8 curry leaves 100g onions salt, to taste 15g coriander, freshly chopped 50g butter, unsalted 300g potatoes METHOD

∙ Boil the potatoes, peel and crush roughly with a spatula.

∙ Heat oil in a pan, add mustard

seeds and chana dal, allow them to splutter, then add the curry leaves.

Add sliced onions and salt, cook the onion till translucent. Then add the crushed potatoes and mix gently. Finish with coriander leaves.

MOILEEY SAUCE INGREDIENTS 50ml cooking oil 5g mustard seeds 150g onions 250g tomatoes 20g ginger, julienned 6-8 curry leaves 300g coconut milk powder, dissolved in 300ml warm water METHOD

∙ Heat oil and crackle the mustard

seeds. Add sliced onions, sauté till translucent, then add the curry leaves. Add sliced tomatoes and ginger and sauté for five minutes.

Add coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for five minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and lemon juice.

PUREED SQUASH INGREDIENTS 150g squash, diced 100ml water 50g butter, unsalted 2g nutmeg, grated salt, to taste 2 tsp lemon juice METHOD ∙ Cook diced squash and water on medium flame for about ten minutes. Add butter and then blend to make a fine puree. Add grated nutmeg and adjust the seasoning with salt and lemon juice.

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recipe corner / CHEFS 2014

HYDERABADI INSPIRED DOUBLE KA MEETHA OVEN BAKED BREAD, VANILLA MILK, CARAMELISED WHITE CHOCOLATE SAUCE, SWEET POTATO JAM, DATE CHUTNEY AND LIME SUGAR SERVES 4 OVEN BAKED BREAD INGREDIENTS 100g refined flour 100ml clarified butter 100g pasteurised eggs 100g sugar 5g fennel seeds ½ tsp baking powder METHOD ∙ Whisk together the refined flour, sugar, baking powder, fennel seeds, clarified butter and pasteurised eggs to make a dough. Set aside to rest for 15 minutess. ∙ Add buttered paper to a small baking tray or mould and transfer dough into it. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 170C for 20 minutess. Set aside to rest and then refrigerate. ∙ Remove the bread from the

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refrigerator after 15 minutes and slice to even sized slices of 9x3x3cms. Soak the slices in the warm vanilla milk for ten minutes and turn every few minutes.

Remove and set aside on a tray. ∙ In a separate nonstick pan, heat the clarified butter on a medium flame and gently toast the slices until golden brown on both sides.

Transfer the slices onto a kitchen towel and then to a baking tray.

Sprinkle icing sugar on top and torch to let the sugar caramelise and become golden brown.

VANILLA MILK INGREDIENTS 200ml full cream milk 100ml cream ½ vanilla pod 75g sugar 100ml clarified butter METHOD

∙ Boil the milk, add cream, sugar and

the vanilla seeds. Mix and set aside. ∙ White chocolate sauce INGREDIENTS 100g white chocolate 100ml cream 50ml clarified butter

¼ vanilla bean ¼ tsp salt METHOD

∙ Melt the chocolate in a bain marie

and then add the cream along with clarified butter, vanilla extract and salt. Mix gently with a rubber spatula.

SWEET POTATO JAM INGREDIENTS 100g sweet potatoes 50g sugar 30ml lemon juice 50ml clarified butter Salt, to taste 30ml fresh ginger juice METHOD

∙ Peel the boiled potatoes, dice and

50ml white vinegar 50ml vegetable oil ½ tsp chilli powder 1 tsp coriander powder METHOD

∙ Heat vegetable oil in a pan and

add coriander and chilli powder, followed by water, sugar and vinegar. Allow the mixture to come to a boil and add deseeded dates.

Cook on a slow flame, till the dates are completely mashed with a coarse texture. Add sugar, salt and vinegar if required. Cool the chutney before serving.

DRIED LEMON SUGAR INGREDIENTS 2 dried lemons 50g caster sugar

boil in water until soft.

∙ Mash the potatoes in the same pan

and continue cooking until thick in texture. Add clarified butter, sugar, salt, lemon juice and ginger juice to the sweet potatoes. Mix gently and cook till smooth in texture.

DATE CHUTNEY INGREDIENTS 75g dates, deseeded 50g sugar

METHOD

∙ Crush the dried lemons and deseed. ∙ Add sugar to the deseeded lemons and blitz to make a fine powder.

TO ASSEMBLE Place the caramelised bread on a dessert plate and drizzle white chocolate sauce on top. Serve with the jam, chutney and dried lemon sugar.

April 2014 / The Pro Chef Middle East

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CHEFS / recipe corner

Go with the flow Inspired by his grandmother in the Philippines, Chef John Buenaventura of Flow Kitchen at Fairmont The Palm gained an early passion for cooking.

A career of awards and teaching led him to Dubai and Abu Dhabi before building a solid future in his current position.

HOT SMOKED SALMON HASH SERVES 5 INGREDIENTS 5 poached eggs 30g chives, finely chopped 00g Tasmanian salmon 10g sea salt hickory wood chips, for smoking 500g baby potatoes, sliced 150g white onions, small dice 100g beef bacon, small dice

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100g wild mushrooms 30g flat leaf parsley, chopped 30ml olive oil 2 egg yolks 300ml clarified butter 80ml sherry vinegar 40g shallots, chopped salt and white pepper METHOD ∙ For the Hollandaise sauce, in a small pot, add the shallots, some whole peppercorns and the sherry vinegar. Reduce the mixture by

half and set aside. In a bain marie, place your egg yolks and whisk until they double in volume. After which, take it off the heat and slowly pour in the clarified butter in small amounts while mixing it with a whisk. Add in the vinegar reduction and season to taste. Set aside at room temperature. ∙ For the smoked salmon, rub the salmon fillet with sea salt and hot smoke it with hickory wood chips. ∙ For the potato hash, in a hot pan, pour in the olive oil and sautè the

sliced potatoes on high heat until they get a nice light golden colour.

Reduce the heat and add in the chopped onions, mushrooms and beef bacon.

Continue cooking the hash until the potatoes become tender. Finish with chopped parsley. Set aside and keep warm. ∙ Assemble the dish by placing the potato hash on the plate, set the salmon on top of the hash, add a poached egg on top and finish off with a dollop of Hollandaise sauce.

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recipe corner / CHEFS

STEAK AND QUAIL EGG HASH SERVES 5 INGREDIENTS 500g Wagyu striploin 10g smoked paprika 5 quail eggs, fried 30g chives, finely chopped 10g sea salt 500g baby potatoes, sliced 150g white onions, small dice 100g beef bacon, small dice 100g wild mushrooms 30g flat leaf parsley, chopped 30ml olive oil 2 egg yolks 300ml clarified butter 80ml sherry vinegar 40g shallots, chopped salt and white pepper METHOD ∙ For the Hollandaise sauce, in a small pot add the shallots, some whole peppercorns and the sherry vinegar. Reduce the mixture by half and set aside. In a bain marie,

place your egg yolks and whisk them until they double in volumes.

Then take off the heat and slowly pour in the clarified butter in small amounts while mixing it with a whisk. Add in the vinegar reduction and season to taste. Set aside at room temperature. ∙ Rub the steak with sea salt and smoked paprika, then sear on the

grill and cook until the desired doneness. Rest the steak and flash it on the grill and carve after five minutes. ∙ For the potato hash, in a hot pan pour in the olive oil and saut√© the sliced potatoes on high heat until it gets a nice light golden colour. Reduce the heat and add in the chopped onions, mushrooms

and beef bacon. Continue cooking the hash until the potatoes become tender. Finish with chopped parsley. Set aside and keep warm. ∙ Assemble the dish by placing the potato hash on the plate, set the steak on top of the hash, add the fried quail eggs on top and finish off with a dollop of Hollandaise sauce around the plate.

METHOD ∙ For the shawarma stack, marinate the chicken breast with the spices together with the olive oil overnight. Gently stack them up on a shawarma pole alternating beef bacon and the chicken. Cook in the shawarma machine and carve the as needed. If a shawarma machine is not available, an alternative

could be pan searing the chicken and the bacon then slicing them in strips ready for the wrap. ∙ Pan fry the eggs until well done and slice them into strips. Set aside for later use. ∙ In a bowl, mix the ketchup, HP sauce, sambal olek, mayonnaise and crushed garlic vigorously and season to taste. Set aside for later.

∙ Assemble by holding the pita bread, add a bed of lettuce, then add in the sliced tomatoes and egg strips, add in the bacon and chicken and finally finish it off with the breakfast brown sauce. Roll the wrap tightly and place it on a hot skillet or pan to give it a crisp hot finish.

Serve immediately.

BREAKFAST SHAWARMA SERVES 5 INGREDIENTS 300g chicken breast 3g thyme 2g cumin powder 3g smoked paprika 5g garlic, crushed 50ml olive oil 150g beef bacon 5 whole eggs, fried 100g tomatoes, deseeded and sliced into strips 200g mesclun lettuce 5 Arabic/pita breads 100g mixed Arabic pickles 50ml olive oil salt and black pepper 100g tomato ketchup 50ml HP sauce 20g sambal olek 200ml mayonnaise 5g garlic, crushed

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April 2014 / The Pro Chef Middle East

43

LEISURE / travel

This month's travel feature takes you through the streets of Istanbul, where east meets west and the culinary scene boasts an exciting mix of traditional cuisines, enthused by neighbouring flavours and incoming food trends.

S

plit between two continents and separating Europe from Asia, Istanbul is unlike any other city in the world. Straddling the Bosphorus Strait, Turkey's largest city which, strangely perhaps, has never been its capital is still home to more than 15 million inhabitants and over 10 million tourists per year - music to the ears of local food vendors.

Originally founded by the Greeks in the seventh century BC, the ancient city is home to some of Turkey's best restaurants, including many that have retained the skills of the old Ottoman cuisine over the years. Fish is a firm menu favourite - thanks to the lengthy coastline - and snacks are notorious throughout the city with kebab stands, pastry shops and cafes serving up local treats at all times of day.

Istanbul's cobbled streets have served as the

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capital to four empires over the course of 16 centuries (the Roman 330-395, Byzantine 395-1204 and 1261-1453; Latin 1204-1261; and Ottoman 1453-1922). With such rich history and a vibrant past, a city abundant with international presence can only mean that an exceptional culinary scene is to be found.

On the ground in Istanbul and dedicated to finding the city's best eateries, Ansel Mullins of the Istanbul Eats and Worldwide Culinary Backstreets blogs, explains that "Istanbul is such a great place for those looking to explore the city and sample all that is on offer. The city is not necessarily full of 'foodies', however people who share a love for good, hearty local food."

He explains: "Istanbul has a big emphasis on regional cuisine, traditional Turkish food. However, the food is also influenced by close-by countries such as Greece, Italy and Syria. The city has a big street food culture, where visitors will find things such as doner kebab (meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie served in bread), shawarma (grilled meat often served in a wrap) and kofte (balls of minced meat, usually beef or lamb, mixed with spices and onions)." During the colder months you'll be sure to find a lot of winter-warmers around such as soups, particularly those made with lentils like mercimek corbasi (a steaming, red lentil soup

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travel / LEISURE

"Sinit is most commonly eaten fresh for breakfast with cheese and can be bought all times of day off the streets, sold from carts or by vendors carrying wooden trays on their heads."

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April 2014 / The Pro Chef Middle East

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LEISURE / travel

peppered with chili and mint).

A national drink, tea (cay) comes in all flavours and temperatures in Istanbul. Popular with locals and tourists alike, apple tea is served in nearly all cafes, using the true flavour of apple as a refreshing way to take a break any time of day.

"You can really expect everything from Istanbul, there are many fine dining restaurants, casual dining outlets and a new thing I've noticed around is the incoming of several hip-experimental restaurants, which are taking off are they offer something different," explains Ansel. "I think this is due to the fact that, up until recently, Istanbul didn't have many culinary schools. The whole concept is a very new thing here, so chefs in the region typically learned from their elders and followed the Ottoman way of cooking. The city is ever-changing and evolving, it's very accepting of incoming trends, however it always seems to retain its traditions."

It’s also a city where bread is a culture. Freshness is key when it comes to bread in the city and you're not likely to find many pre-packed options on the shelves. A staple item, bread (ekmek) is most commonly baked twice a day, early in the morning and late in the afternoon so that it can be picked up en route home from work to serve with dinner.

"Bread has major cultural significance in Istanbul and throughout the city you tend to see bread everywhere, however there isn't a wide variety.

Instead, the Turks specialise in several breads and they do them well," explains Ansel.

In local bakeries, you're likely to find breads such as flat bread, pita (pide in Turkish) bread, lavash wafer-thin bread, white loafs, sinit and bazlama, which is otherwise known as ‘village bread’, a popular Turkish bread made from wheat flour, water, table salt and yeast.

"I think the sinit, which is somewhat like a bagel, a round, crispy bread coated with sesame seeds ranks top when it comes to bread in Istanbul. This is most commonly eaten fresh for breakfast with cheese and can be bought all times of day off the streets, sold from carts or by vendors carrying wooden trays on their heads," he added.

Often accompanied with a selection of breads,

EAT THESE FOR SURE! t Simit (circular bread with sesame seeds) t Döner (meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie) t Balik ekmek (grilled fish sandwiches) t Köfte (meatballs) t Nohut dürüm (chickpeas in pita bread) t Lahmacun (thin, baked dough with minced meat, vegetables and herbs) t Dürüm (a Turkish wrap made from lavash or yufka flatbread, with doner) t Içli köfte (a fried croquette stuffed with minced beef or lamb) t Firin sütlaç (baked rice pudding) t Baklava (layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and syrup or honey)

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travel / LEISURE

another popular trend in Istanbul is the meze style of eating - mezzes are a selection of small dishes that include things such as hummus, beyaz peynir (white cheese), kavun (sliced ripe melon), acili ezme (hot pepper paste with walnuts), haydari (thick strained yogurt like the Levantine labne), patlican salatasi (cold aubergine salad), kalamar (calamari or squid), cacik (yogurt with cucumber and garlic), dolma or sarma (rice-stuffed vine leaves or other stuffed vegetables, such as bell peppers) and kofte (meatballs).

If there's one thing we can all relate with Istanbul, it's the famous doner kebab, a traditional Turkish dish made from compressed meat (usually lamb, beef, chicken or veal) that is cooked on a vertical rotisserie, thinly sliced and served wrapped in a flatbread such as lavash or pita. Sliced directly from the spit to order, kebabs are the nation's most favoured snack and come with a variety of ingredients such as meat, fish and vegetables.

"You'll find kebabs wherever you go in Istanbul, they're all over the streets on food trucks and in restaurants: it's very much a kebab town. Visitors can be sure to find kebab joints on all street corners, and each cook in their own unique ways," said Ansel. There are many variations of the kebab, such as the büryan kebab, which involves the slow cooking of a small lamb over coals in a deep hole in the ground, resulting in extremely tender meat covered in a thin layer of crackling. Kebab meat can also be marinated and cooked over a wood fire. Others include the fistikli kebab, consisting of minced suckling lamb stuffed with pistachios, the iskender kebab, which is doner lamb cut into long ribbons served on crumbled pita and yoghurt, topped with peppers plus tomato and butter sauces. Despite being most commonly associated with bread, kebabs are also served with rice or potatoes and often with a hot roasted pepper, much like the tokat kebab which is made up of lamb cubes grilled with potato, tomato, eggplant and garlic.

Although seemingly like an average grilled meatball to the city's visitors, another Turkish favourite and one for the meat lovers is the kofte - minced lamb meatballs with herbs, commonly including parsley and mint. The difference between a good and bad kofte? Be sure to look out for those vendors who bulk up their kofte with breadcrumbs, the crème de la crème of meatballs is found in kitchens priding themselves on serving high meat content.

For those who love fish, Istanbul is the place for you, surrounded by the waters of various seas, the city offers over 20 different kinds of fish every season.

With plenty of excellent fish restaurants located by the Bosphorus, diners can expect to find certain find a range of different fish in Istanbul, dependant on the month. January: anchovy, horse mackerel, red mullet, whiting. February: bonito and tubot. March: grey mullet and sea bass. April: swordfish. May: sole, shrimp and lobster. June: goby and tuna. July: crab and sardines. August: bluefish. September: bonito and sardines. October:

www.cpimediagroup.com

A CHEF’S VIEW Who better to give us an overview of a city’s food culture than a chef? We grabbed a few moments from the busy schedule of Reif Othman, Executive Chef of Zuma Dubai, Zuma Abu Dhabi and Zuma Istanbul, to give us some tips on eating in the city.

Top Istanbul street foods or snacks?

Most common on local streets are kebabs and meatballs, which are sold from small shops or mobile carts.

‘Must try’ Turkish dishes?

I would highly recommend several dishes from the Taksim and Eminonu areas. I'd definitely suggest the stuffed mussels, fish and bread in Eminonu with pickle juice or kokorec (lamb intestines).

Most surprising thing about the food in Istanbul?

The locals consume a lot of yoghurt, organs and vegetables. Generally, a cold yoghourt drink called ayran is always preferred and consumed with any meal.

Which hot drink is most common?

Mostly black tea is preferred. Whilst on trips throughout the city, they tend to offer black tea or Turkish coffee.

Restaurant recommendations?

For Turkish cuisine, I recommend the Hatay Sofrasi and Borsa restaurants, these are two of my favourite hotspots I like to visit. And Zuma, of course!

You have a weekend in the city - what are the ‘must see’ sites?

Topkapi and Eminonu are the most historical places. Taksim is the central location and there are many small bars there. Ortakoy is also a must see location.

mullet and small blue fish. November: whiting.

December: anchovy.

"Istanbul is a gifted city when it comes to fish.

Every season of the year you can find different kinds of great fish. The locals particularly enjoy the smaller fish like anchovy and horse mackerel, which are most commonly served to visitors in a piece of bread down by the water," said Ansel.

Remember, finally, to buy your 'evil eye' when visiting Istanbul, a typical blue and white charm acclaimed for protecting its holder. The old Turkish superstition claims that the evil eye will protect you against those capable of causing you harm because of jealousy, you're bound to see them all around the city.

"All in all, Istanbul is truly a city faithful to its traditions and its local cuisine," concluded Ansel.

April 2014 / The Pro Chef Middle East

47

LEISURE / last word

Exporting the craic

If you haven’t been to Ireland, the chances are that you still drunk in an Irish bar. Not just an Irish-themed bar, but one that was actually built in Ireland then exported as a complete unit. Don’t believe us? This isn’t a tall tale, this is reality.

I

magine you’re sitting in an Irish-themed bar, anywhere in the world except Ireland. Did you realise that it was made in a workshop outside Dublin, by Irishmen whose families have been building pubs for generations? After construction, every element from light ďŹ xtures to distressed oorboards was been packed in a freight container and shipped round the world, ready to be reassembled by one of the specialist companies that exports Ireland culture, in this case the ‘authentic’ Irish pub.

The real pubs have existed since the 12th century, but it wasn’t until the end of the 1980s that Irish pub designers realised that there was a global market for their product and business boomed, with ‘authentic’ pubs ďŹ nding new homes from Dubai to Bermuda, Siberia to America. The last country was, of course, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow: no other nation has bought so enthusiastically into the romance and ‘history’ of the Emerald Isle, dyeing rivers green to celebrate St Patrick’s Day and so on. In fact it was the development led by the US of St Patrick’s Day from a religious observance to a green-tinged party, as well as the continued export push of Guinness, that super-charged Ireland's pub-industrial complex.

And drinkers are blissfully unaware of the story.

Shipping a pub halfway around the world is a

48

The Pro Chef Middle East / April 2014

CHOOSE YOUR STYLE IPCo’s designers offer ďŹ ve basic styles: t 5IF $PVOUSZ $PUUBHF UJNCFS CFBNT BOE TUPOF nPPST t 5IF (BFMJD SPVHI IFXO EPPST BOE GPMLMPSF NVSBMT t 5IF 5SBEJUJPOBM 1VC 4IPQ GBLF TUPSZ MJLF B DIFNJTU t 5IF #SFXFSZ FNQUZ DBTLT BOE NPSF t 7JDUPSJBO %VCMJO MPUT PG TUBJOFE HMBTT

masterpiece of communication, timing and local knowledge. First step is a gutted building (‘the shell’) which a market leading company like the Irish Pub Company or OL Design & BuildIt will take from three to nine months to create a turnkey pub at a cost anywhere between $1-4m.

Here’s how it works: Step one, design. After an owner has acquired a property and organised planning consent, the pub makers go on-site, measuring, discussing budgets and ďŹ nalising concepts. The latter means deciding on an overall theme (like Victorian or country) as well as ďŹ xing on multi-purpose areas of the proposed pub (like brewery or grocery).

They’ll also work on the all-important atnosphere - large windows, shiny surfaces and light-coloured upholstery, for example.

Step two, manufacture. Working from the approved layout, a couple of dozen craftsmen will then begin producing the various elements from windows to oorboards and so on, taking the actual bar as the starting point. When ďŹ nalised, the bar is put together to ensure that everything ďŹ ts.

On some occasions, existings bars can be bought from pubs in Ireland that have closed. At this stage, a good selection of odds and ends from local sporting tophies to oil paintings, signs to old lamps will be sourced and assembled.

Step three, shipping. The completed pub and contents are stacked into a standard container for transport to, wherever. Some pubs are so large that they may ship in multiple containers.

Step four, installation. Containers are unpacked, construction crew ďŹ ts the interior into the prepared space. Electricity and water hooked up. Last lick of paint and it’s open for business!

Meanwhile, expect more in the region. IPCo's biggest ofďŹ ce is in Dubai.

www.cpimediagroup.com

P.O. Box 130 455, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. T: +971 2 656 20 00; F: +971 2 656 50 01; www.aldahra.com

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