THE BEST OF DUBAI: THE DINING DESTINATION

this is Dubai...

MARC

BEBEMOS LE MERIDIEN DUBAI HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTRE

NIM FAT KWAI SEAFOOD MARKET LE MERIDIEN DUBAI HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTRE

DANIELLE MARCELLINI BUSSOLA THE WESTIN DUBAI MINA SEYAHI BEACH RESORT & MARINA

ROHIT SHARMA ARMANI/AMAL ARMANI HOTEL DUBAI

JULIEN MONY SHAKESPEARE AND CO

JACOB LOVELACE AMAZÓNICO DUBAI DIFC

JEREMIAH GICHIA COYA FOUR SEASONS RESORT

JIN CHUL KIM ARMANI/HASHI ARMANI HOTEL DUBAI

TOSHIO DATE KIKU LE MERIDIEN DUBAI HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTRE

JOÃO GARCIA BISTRO DES ARTS DUBAI MARINA

STEVEN NGUYEN INDOCHINE - DIFC

KAM FAI CHEE LONG YIN LE MERIDIEN DUBAI HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTRE

FADI NAIM COUQLEY FRENCH BISTRO & BAR MÖVENPICK HOTEL, JLT

DAVIDE GARDINI BICE RISTORNATE HILTON DUBAI JUMEIRAH JBR

AKIL AHMED PLANTATION BRASSERIE SOFITEL DUBAI JUMEIRAH BEACH

IVAN VASILEV ANDIAMO! GRAND HYATT DUBAI

VIKESH SINGH MAZINA THE ADDRESS DUBAI MARINA

DAVID PAROLIN FOGUEIRA DELTA HOTELS BY MARRIOTT DUBAI MARINA

UROSH MITRASINOVIC 21GRAMS PARK REGIS BOUTIQUE HOTEL

DANIEL DELGADO TRYP BY WYNDHAM BARSHA HEIGHTS

RAYMOND WONG SEAFIRE STEAKHOUSE ATLANTIS, THE PALM

PRASHANT CHIPKAR MASTI - LE MER

MANOSA

AKSHAY BATRA SOFITEL DUBAI THE PALM

ZULFIKAR CAMBAZ FISH THE WESTIN DUBAI MINA SEYAHI BEACH RESORT & MARINA

MICHELE STASI PARK HYATT DUBAI CHRISTOPHER LAMBERT INTERCONTINENTAL FESTIVAL CITY

KAPILA AMARATUNGA W PALM JUMEIRAH

FRANCESCO ACQUAVIVA SOCIAL BY HEINZ BECK WALDORF ASTORIA DUBAI PALM JUMEIRAH

the best of dubai

the dining destination

CHRISTOPHE DEVOILLE ROYAL ATLANTIS, THE PALM

PRADEEP KHULLAR MINT LEAF OF LONDON DIFC

ANUP PAWAR LITTLE MISS INDIA FAIRMONT THE PALM

HOWARD KO CÉ LA VI DUBAI ADDRESS SKY VIEW HOTEL

ANNE LAURE DUTEL MORISSET LA SERRE BISTRO & BOULANGERIE VIDA DOWNTOWN HOTEL

ILIAS KOKOROSKOS MYTHOS KOUZINA & GRILL JUMEIRAH LAKE TOWERS NOLA EATERY & SOCIAL HOUSE KILIKIO BY MYTHOS

LUCIANO MARQUES TASCA MANDARIN ORIENTAL JUMEIRA

YANG TAO ZHEN WEI CAESARS PALACE BLUEWATERS DUBAI

YANNIS MANIKIS BALLARÓ CONRAD DUBAI

SILVENA ROWE NASSAU JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES

LAURE DUMAS CÉ LA VI DUBAI ADDRESS SKY VIEW HOTEL

BENJAMIN WAN COYA FOUR SEASONS RESORT

VINEET BHATIA INDEGO BY VINEET GROSVENOR HOUSE INDYA BY VINEET LE ROYAL MERIDIEN BEACH RESORT & SPA

ELLI KRIEL ELLI’S KOSHER KITCHEN

VERONICA VICTORIO BUHAYRA LOUNGE PALACE DOWNTOWN

NICK ALVIS & SCOTT PRICE FOLLY BY NICK & SCOTT SOUK MADINAT JUMERIAH

DWIYANTI CINTANINGRUM INDOCHINE - DIFC

PRABA MANICKAM THE MEAT CO. SOUK MADINAT JUMEIRAH

MOHAMMAD, WASSIM AND OMAR ORFILS ORFILS BROS - AL WASAL

PAWEL KAZANOWSKI ZUMA - DIFC

LIBOR DOBIS ROKA - BUSINESS BAY IZU ANI GAIA - DIFC CARINE EMIRATES GOLF CLUB

YUGAL KISHOR REFORM SOCIAL & GRILL THE LAKES

ANDY TOH CHYE SIONGN HAKKASAN ATLANTIS, THE PALM

by

FLAVEL MONTEIRO

AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR

This book is dedicated to the memory of Hanan Jozaih Shafair, José Esbelto deCastro Monteiro, Maya Cointreau, Baron Wolman,Claire West Parr and Sanjay Poduval.

You all have touched and made a difference in people’s lives.

COVENT GARDEN LONDON

VEGETARIAN

49 TORTELLI DI BURRATA – ANDIAMO!

50 PAO DE QUEIJO – LOLA TABERNA

51 PANI POORI – ARMANI/AMAL

52 WILD GREENS AND FETA BÖREK – NASSAU

53 SEAWEED PARKER ROLL – HOWARD KO

54 ROASTED BEETROOT SALAD – KILIKIO BY MYTHOS

BURG SALAD – ROKA

SADDLE – FOLLY BY NICK & SCOTT 174 VEAL CHATEAUBRIAND – LA SERRE 175 PO SPICED A5 WAGYU – INDOCHINE 176 MODERN KIBBEH – ORFALI BROS 177

DESSERT

Text ©2020 Flavel Monteiro / ©2023 edited text Flavel Monteiro

Photo Credits - All photographs are Copyright

Cover design: ©Flavel Monteiro

Foreword and Introduction: Dr. Naim Maadad, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Sarah Hedley Hymers and HAMA MEA

Commissioning Editor: Fabian deCastro

Editorial Assistants: Maria Aquino

Design: IZZY and WG

Picture Editor: FJMdesign

Content Creator: IZZY Media FZ-LLC and WG Magazines

Published by: Izzy Publishing Pvt. Ltd.

Unit 14, Agnelo Colony, Kerant, Caranzalem, Goa www.wgmagazines.com

Copyright ©IZZY Publishing Pvt Ltd. 2021.

THE BEST OF DUBAI - THE DINING DESTINATION is by award-winning author Flavel Monteiro. The author hereby asserts his rights to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright Design and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

5 YEARS, 17 BOOKS, 27 AWARDS

538 OF THE FINEST CHEFS & 4 CO-AUTHORS

2019 INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS AWARDS

GOURMAND WORLD COOKBOOK AWARDS

2020, 2021 & 2022 BEST IN THE WORLD

2019 BEST COFFEE BOOK

2020 BEST CHOCOLATE BOOK

2021 BEST TOURISM BOOK

2021 SPECIALIZED COOKBOOK PUBLISHER

2022 FUTURE FOOD 21ST CENTURY

DUBAI, THE DINING DESTINATION

October 2020, I released The Best of Dubai: A Dining Experience with 34 of Dubai’s home-grown chefs and six months later with The Best of Dubai: The Dining Destination this number has doubled with a handful of female chefs and pastry chefs.

Since the 2020 launch, my goal was to mount this formidable task of not only making Dubai a dining destination but to bring the best chefs of Dubai together; one-of-a-kind gastronomic events have since taken place around the city at Reform Social & Grill on December 5, 2020, and February 6, 2021 – it is truly amazing what one can accomplish when you join efforts.

With being the fourth most travelled city in the world, Dubai is a culinary hub with an unbelievable collection of cuisines all in one place, unlike any other city in the world, this makes Dubai a unique dining destination. The Best Of Dubai: The Dining Destination conveys the finest restaurants and the best home-grown chefs of Dubai.

A special thanks to Laila Suhail, CEO, Dubai Tourism for her continued support, also Gregory Fuller and the Dubai Tourism team for the video on Dubai, foreword and for creating The Best Of Dubai: The Dining Destination logo for me, thank you.

Also a big thanks to Dr. Naim Maadad, Sarah Hedley Hymers, Amit Nayak and Hospitality Asset Managers Association – Middle East & Africa for the forewords and introductions; the brilliant home-grown chefs who have earned a place in the world of gastronomy and allowed me to create The Best of Dubai: The Dining Destination. And my incredible team at IZZY and WG – thank you. I dedicate this book to four beautiful people who made a difference in people’s lives.

Unfortunately, due to conflict of interest and certain individuals fabricating malicious stories with their false claims due to jealousy, this eBook has been edited.

Welcome to Dubai, the dining destination!

BRINGING CULTURES TOGETHER AND BACK TO THE TABLE

As a city that prides itself on being a melting pot of cultures, gastronomy has long been a key pillar of Dubai’s destination offering – showcasing authenticity, innovation and excellence, and satisfying every palate.

Above all else – it has always brought people together: from the head chefs, through the rest of the kitchen, out to the front of house, right to the patrons savouring the food served to them, the city’s restaurants and dining establishments reflect those 200 nationalities that call Dubai home.

Millions of visitors over the years have also come to understand that those flavours they experience here leave a mark on the memory just as strong as the soaring towers, majestic dunes, historic sights and warm hospitality.

Over the past year, the profound importance of the communal dining experience has been crystallized. In Dubai, restaurants were at the forefront of efforts to return to a semblance of normalcy; having shown admirable resilience through a short period in which they had to shut their doors, they embraced stringent yet prudent guidelines to ensure they could safeguard the health of every guest.

And within those safe environments, whether in five-star hotels enjoying food in restaurants from Michelin-starred chefs, or in vibrant neighbourhoods devouring street eats, visitors and residents alike have an almost unlimited range of culinary options to choose from.

It is therefore our pleasure to once again be supporting the publishing The Best of Dubai – The Dining Destination, which continues to vividly provide readers with a taste of Dubai’s food scene and flavours of the incredible work being done by restaurateurs, chefs and culinary professionals around the city.

As the city that has been leading the global tourism rebound, we have put gastronomy – and the ability for people to savour new flavours and culinary experiences in a safe setting – at the forefront of our destination offering.

We hope you are inspired and we look forward to welcoming you to Dubai to try it all yourself!

Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) visitdubai.com

The title of this book – the best of Dubai – is also the subject of my work. As a travel guide author, journalist and television presenter, it’s my job to identify the emirate’s finest dining experiences and I’m delighted to see so many of them gathered in one weighty tome curated by the indomitable Flavel Monteiro.

With more than a decade of Dubai restaurants reviews under my (yes, elasticated) belt, I’ve enjoyed a front-row seat at the emirate’s culinary evolution. Just as Dubai itself has so swiftly bloomed into a global metropolis, its dining scene has matured. Hungry explorers can find cuisines from all corners of the world, representing the 200 nationalities that live here. Alongside Dubai’s famously Bacchanalian brunches, artfully curated menus boasting Michelin standards have emerged. Local ingredients, now firmly in focus, are styled in a delightful variety of ways. Emirati fish, for example, can be pan-fried in the Gulf’s historic spiced rice dish machboos, or marinated in leche de tigre in ceviche. And while Wagyu will always be a favourite ingredient in a destination known for luxury, Dubai has become vegetarian-friendly, too.

This book shares shining examples of plant-based recipes created by Jose Avillez, a delicately crisp and creamy avocado tempura, faithfully replicated by Luciano Marques at Tasca, atop the Mandarin Oriental Jumeira.

This book is all about temptation. It will whet your appetite for Dubai, introducing you to its pioneering chefs and their creations while inspiring you to cook like a professional – and what better way to learn than to sit at their tables?

~ SARAH HEDLEY HYMERS

Travel guide author, journalist and television presenter

A CULINARY HUB: DUBAI

Dubai is fast realizing the dream of making itself the global culinary hub and craft a trendsetting niche for itself in the international food arena.

Dubai has made no secret of its aspirations to becoming an international culinary hub and thanks to an explosion of investment in both unique home-grown restaurants and globally-recognised food & bverage brands, the realization of a vision is fast becoming true.

There is every cuisine available for every price scale, ranging from the casual, spacious eateries found in malls and quirky, independent cafés to standalone dining destinations and high-end hotel-based venues. Middle Eastern cuisine is a must-try and now, it’s offered at all ends of the spectrum, with around 45 restaurants specialising in the cuisine. This doesn’t take into account the regional variances, with numerous Lebanese concepts and a host of Turkish, Moroccan and Persian restaurants too.

Nearly 90% of the UAE’s roughly 10 million inhabitants are foreign nationals. When it comes to international cuisine, Dubai’s population of 200 nationalities means that every taste is catered for. There are restaurants specialising in African, American and Asian cuisine; British, French, Italian and German food; Spanish, Mexican and Peruvian delicacies; Indian, Korean and Filipino flavours; and Chinese, Japanese and Thai cuisine, not to mention restaurants specialising in everything from steak to seafood, and burgers to baos.

With greatest of pleasure and absolute delight I wish to place on record my sincerest appreciation for my dear friend Flavel Monteiro who has been playing an iconic role in placing Dubai as the

true international hub vide his publication The Best of Dubai – A Dining Experience which had a successful first edition in 2020 – and this year will have its second edition. A phenomenal effort which in no time has received international recognition and created a pedestal for the chefs and business owners in this extremely vibrant city.

Am certain that the extremely informative content and unique recipes well curated by celebrity chefs play a significant role in promoting the culinary industry of Dubai to the world arena and would continue to make huge contributions in the field of exciting cuisine and gourmet art.

There is a special section dedicated to the best of culinary entities of the Emirati cuisine and showcases the richness and huge talent of the chefs from this part of the world.

I take this opportunity to sincerely applaud all the contributing celebrity chefs who are part of this wonderful publication and have played a truly significant role in brining their art to the culinary centre-stage.

It is such untiring and dedicated efforts that being Dubai to the pedestal it truly deserves and significantly elevates the stature of the city as the world’s fastest growing tourism hub.

I wish the venture all success and may the new decade we have just begun turn a positive leaf in all our lives after the year of challenges we have just successfully steered through with gut and resolution.

~ DR. NAIM MAADAD Chief Executive & Founder Gates Hospitality

DUBAI FOOD SCENE THROUGH THE EYES OF AN ASSET MANAGER

Dubai has been the hub and a crossroad for various cultures to unite over the last few decades. The most soulful way to do so is through food. Over time the food scene has evolved from the small shops in the Souqs by the Abra stations to the amazing eclectic array of gourmet cuisine all across the city with some of the biggest global brands fighting for a spot in the Dubai food scene.

During COVID a new trend emerged which was a keen drive to support and engage with home grown concepts which has evolved through the soul of the city and is trending well, gaining a broader identity and finding strength in its localness. Looks like this trend is here to stay for a while and we will see a lot of engagement through platforms like “Taste the Best in Dubai” which will assist and engage these local talents and grow them beyond our shores.

For us at HAMA MEA we strive to support this local ecosystem with some of the biggest global brands, partner, evolve and engage with them at grassroots level. Understanding costs, logistics and other local challenges to ensure optimum performance and delivery to the shareholders. The key focus at the end is to deliver a healthy bottom line which has a lot of touch points primarily being a customer base that supports your product 365 days of the year which what we all strive for.

The best is yet to come, stay safe, stay blessed in #mydubai

~ HOSPITALITY ASSET MANAGERS ASSOCIATION MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

Since the release of The Best Of Dubai and a chefs gathering on November 3, 2020, one-of-a-kind gastronomic events took place around the city with the first at Reform Social & Grill on December 5, 2020, and then later on February 6, 2021 in collaboration with Naim Maadad and Gates Hospitality; and further collaborations with this trusted partner at Folly by Nick & Scott and Bistro Des Arts - it is truly amazing what one can accomplish when you join efforts.

CHEBAB

Chebab also known as the Arabian pancake, this thin crisp and sweet bread is eaten for breakfast with date syrup or butter or honey or am or with just plain sugar. The main ingredients is all-purpose flour, eggs, yeast and butter and it gets its name chebab from the golden brown on both sides.

BALALEET

Balaleet is a combination of sweet and savory elements which is the traditional Arabic breakfast. An omelet and vermicelli are the main ingredients along with rose water, sugar, cinnamon, saffron and cardamom are added to enhance the flavor. Local spices is added to the sweetened vermicelli, and is topped with a plain omelet.

REGAG

Regag is a paper-thin crispy bread, similar to a crepe. An Emirati staple eaten fresh at any time of the day but especially for dinner during the Holy Month of Ramadan. It’s best eaten with cheese or honey or with an egg or with some fish salona (sauce). Made from wheat flour and the flattened rolled dough is cooked on a flat pan.

KHAMEER

Khameer is a round, puffy, flatbread with two layers, a very popular flatbread in the United Arab Emirates and the softest bread in the world. It is made with slightly sweet dough and is very soft. Back in the day, coal; ovens were used to bake the Khameer. Made with bread flour or all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, a touch of baking powder and yeast, milk, olive oil, cardamom powder, saffron threads and sesame seeds.

FISH SALOONA

Saloona is a classic Arabic stew made with a tomato based broth with sautéed onions, garlic, ginger, seasonal vegetables, local spices (cumin, fennel and coriander seeds, dried red chilies, turmeric, black peppercorns, and cinnamon) and fish, it can also be made with chicken or lamb. Saloona is usually paired with white rice.

LAMB MACHBOOS

Machboos is one of the most popular dish in Emirati cuisine and served at every family gathering. A version of the biryani but prepared in a different way. This slow cooked basmati rice dish with onion, local spices, and dry lemon with either with baby lamb or chicken or fish. A traditional dish in the UAE.

HAREES

Harees is wheat porridge with meat, cooked for over 3 hours in salt water until it fluffs up. The meat is then added and it is heated again to form a nice thick porridge. Usually homemade ghee (clarified butter) is added before serving. This traditional dish is served for weddings, during the Holy Month of Ramadan and Eid.

LGEIMAT

Lgeimat, a sweet fried dumplings or fritter made of milk, sugar, butter, flour, infused with saffron, cardamom and then covered in date syrup. This deep-fried dough balls are perfectly crunch on the outside, fluffy and delicate on the inside. It is undoubtedly the most popular traditional dessert, However, be warned, once you start it’s difficult to stop at just one!

VINEET BHATIA

Vineet Bhatia is one of the world’s most exciting, creative and accomplished Indian chefs. Throughout his career Vineet has created history with his progressive approach to Indian food, transforming perceptions of the cuisine globally through his portfolio of restaurants in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Born in Mumbai, Vineet Bhatia’s influences have been based on the traditions of Indian life and family. His almost military style training at the Oberoi School of Hotel Management stood him in good stead but at the same time the rigid traditional kitchens did not allow him freedom to experiment and develop his own Indian cuisine.

Vineet Bhatia moved to London in 1993, where he hoped to find the freedom to express and evolve his modern approach to Indian gastronomy. Perhaps ahead of his time, the London of that era offered a limited outreach for Indian cooking, with many establishments serving a cuisine of ambiguous authenticity. Unperturbed he began his career with his trademark determination.

Indego by Vineet was launched in the summer of 2005 at a time when Dubai Marina was in the early stages of its existence. With the Michelin starred chef at the helm, it paved the way for progressive Indian fare. Vineet then decided to spin in an entirely different genre of finger–licking sharing plates and regional delicacies with Indya by Vineet. Inspired by the informal neighbourhood eateries of India where family and friends can come together on a table and not only catch up on gossip and latest happenings but also share and indulge in exciting food and flavour combinations. His menu draws on the diverse regional offerings as well as cooking techniques. Less structured, it is all about food that is served as it gets prepared with the advantage that the flavours can be combined at will and everyone can become a food guru, designing their own meal according to their desires and sharing taste combinations with friends.

PESHAWARI SAMOSA, COFFEE SHRIKHAND

Chocolate samosa or “Chocomosa” is my most copied signature dish and provided a new ‘avatar’ to the iconic samosa, catapulting it from a savoury to a sweet genre. Ever since, I h ave come across countless sweet variations of the samosa and have even been served the ‘ Chocomosa’ in a couple of restaurants with the server oblivious to who it is being served. Peshawari samosa is another of my variation of a sweet samosa and is inspired from the Peshawari Naan.

INGREDIENTS

Peshawari samosa

100g desiccated coconut /30g ground almonds / 30g flaked almonds / 30g pistachio nuts, chopped / 30g raisins, chopped 80ml unsweetened condensed milk / 4 tbsp granulated sugar

1tsp ground cardamom

8 double-layered spring roll sheets, cut into squares / plain flour glue for sealing / vegetable oil for deep frying

Coffee shrikhand

30g instant coffee powder / 100g caster sugar / 1tsp green cardamom powder / 250g thick Greek yogurt

Espresso sauce

30g instant coffee powder / 80g moscavado sugar

Garnish

Baby meringues / chocolate chips

Method

Plain flour glue

Take 2 or 3 tablespoons of plain white flour and add a few tablespoons of warm water to the flour. Keep stirring the mixture and adding more water if necessary. The consistency of this mixture should resemble glue- slightly runny but sticky.

Peshawari samosa

In a bowl add all the ingredients and mix together to form the sweet filling.

For samosa, divide the cut out spring roll squares into two to form a triangle. Fold to form a cone, sealing the pasted straight edge with the flour glue. Then lift the cone with the tapered end at the bottom and fill with the sweet mix. Seal the open end with the flour glue, pressing the edges firmly together. The prepared samosa should be kept refrigerated for about 30 minutes or till you are ready to use. Deep fry in hot oil till golden, remove and place on absorbent paper to soak excess oil. Samosas can be optionally garnished with melted white and dark chocolate lines, piped through a fine tipped piping bag.

Coffee shrikhand

In a bowl add the instant coffee powder, green cardamom powder and caster sugar. Pour in 40mlof warm water, whish well till the coffee and sugar dissolve in the water. Add the thick Greek yogurt to the coffee mixture and whisk till coffee is well incorporated. Keep in refrigerator.

Espresso sauce

Whisk all the ingredients in 20ml of warm water till a smooth glaze.

Serving

Spoon coffee shrikhand on a plate and top it with the coffee glaze. With the back of the spoon, smear the shrikhand and coffee glaze on the plate.

Arrange the samosas, meringue and chocolate chips alternatively on the plate.

BENJAMIN WAN

Born in Liverpool, UK and moved to London at age 12. Benjamin grew up in a kitchen environment; his father was a chef who owned 2 restaurants. It was Marco Pierre White’s book White Heat which really pushed him into pursuing the culinary arts as a career and led to his move into a catering college. He was very fortunate and his second job was to work for Marco Pierre White at The Restaurant.

His first job was at the L’Odeon, the 1990s renowned French casual restaurant for rustic French food from the southwest of France by Bruno Loubet. From there he went on to work with Marco Pierre White at The Restaurant and The Oak Room. Benjamin continued through fine dining cooking, working for Philip Howard at The Square as well as working for Richard Neat and Gary Rhodes. France was his next destination; he worked as a private chef for a season in the South of France before returning to London to train at La Petite Maison under Chef Patron Rafael Duntoye in preparation to open La Petite Maison Dubai and spent 2 years as the head chef. He then went on to work with Shane Osborn in Hong Kong for a year which gave him an insight on Asian cuisine and ingredients.

After six months of training in Coya London, gaining experience in Peruvian flavours and ingredients, Benjamin assumed the role of head chef for Coya in Dubai before taking the role of Middle East Executive Chef with the opening of Coya Abu Dhabi and pop ups in the Middle East. For Benjamin it is all about knowing what a guest would want, knowing what works and builds his menus which are more accessible to all the guests. “I wouldn’t label our cuisine as traditional Peruvian, luckily our kitchen is filled with chefs with a much diversified culinary background and the influences we are able to learn and develop from each other have helped a lot in evolving the menu to where it is now.”

His philosophy is all about using the best quality of ingredients and then keeping it simple with letting the ingredients speak for itself. Although simplicity can be the hardest thing to do at times, chefs tend to get carried away with a need to impress, for Benjamin creating a dish with the best quality and complimenting it with the right amount of flavours and techniques which is tried and tested to make it really stand out.

CREMA DE CALABAZA

Pumpkin cream, manchego cheese, puffed rice, sweetcorn powder, black truffle

INGREDIENTS

Soup

2kg pumpkin

1kg pumpkin juice

250g butter

200g cream

300g milk

300g Manchego cheese

Maldon salt for seasoning

Method

Lightly caramelize the diced pumpkin in butter and season it with salt. Add the pumpkin juice and reduce it by half. Add the cream, milk and gently simmer until it cooks. Blitz it with the cheese until you get a smooth texture. Transfer it to an espuma gun, charge and keep hot.

Garnish

5g Manchego cheese

2g puffed rice

2g sweetcorn powder

1g crispy quinoa

2g chives, chopped

1g togarashi pepper

2g black truffle

2g extra virgin olive oil.

Plating

Gently squeeze the pumpkin cream from the gun into a soup bowl.

Micro plane over the Manchego cheese.

Garnish it with the puffed rice and crispy quinoa.

Dust with sweetcorn powder and a little togarashi pepper.

Finish it with black truffle, chopped chives and extra virgin olive oil.

ILIAS KOKOROSKOS

Determined to be cook at the age of 15, Ilias decided to further his culinary dream and study at the Culinary Academy but was advised by the principal that it would be better to finish school first, get a proper education and then come back and start his culinary journey. He took his advice and graduated from high school and then went on to university to get his degree in Business Administration. Since he had already decided that cooking is what he wanted to do, he took up his first job in the kitchen of a small tavern in Athens.

Ilias brings authentic Greek food to the table with his simple, yet appetising menus at Mythos Kouzina & Grill, Nola Eatery & Social House and recently opened Kilikio by Mythos. His immeasurable passion for cooking and obsession with finding seasonal Greek products sourced from small, independent honest producers brings a magical touch in every dish he creates. Every ingredient has its own characteristics, he likes ingredients that are unique but at the same time can fit to his type of cuisine and his character.

CHICKEN LIVER KREATOPITA

INGREDIENTS

Stuffing

150g chicken liver, chopped

50g dry apricot, cut in cubes

60g mushroom, chopped

4 pcs onions, slices

20g pine nuts, toasted

100g spring onions, chopped

30ml chardonnay

2 eggs

40g Kefalograviera cheese, grated or brunoise

4g stale bread, cubes

100ml olive oil

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Method

Place a heavy based pan over high fire, once it gets smoky add the olive oil and allow to heat for a while. Place the chicken liver in the pan [the pan should be really hot otherwise the temperature will drop down rapidly and the liver will not get seared properly] and allow to sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onions and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Add the mushroom and continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1/3 of the spring onions, the stale bread and the chardonnay. Cook till it looks like a gravy, cook for another 4 to 5 minutes on medium fire. Remove from the fire and add the pine nuts, rest of the spring onions, the eggs and season. Once it cools down add the cheese and set aside

Dough - makes around 12-13 portions

500g four T65

300g butter

10g salt

5g sugar

25g white wine vinegar

175ml wter

Method

Place all the ingredients except from the water in a mixing bowl with the paddle. Mix in slow speed and add the water slowly. The dough should be lightly sticky but firm. Rest in cool environment for 45 minutes, if the dough is warm it is recommended to rest in the chiller or the butter will cause the dough to collapse.

Pie Egg wash

Black sesame

White sesame

Method

Cut the dough in 80g balls and allow to rest again for 30 minutes in a cool environment. Open with a rolling pin in slightly oval shape around 1cm thick. Place in each dough around 90g of stuffing. Close the dough in half moon shape, apply the egg wash on top and finish with 50/50 black and white sesame. Bake in preheated oven with as less air as possible at 220 for around 45 minutes or till it gets golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Praba Manickam’s name may not ring a bell with many in the culinary circles but he is responsible for overseeing 11 brands, 21 restaurants in counting and a team of 350 chefs across the Middle East, South Africa and Europe. Besides being the group executive chef of Food Fund International, he handles product sourcing, dealing with suppliers to ensure restaurants are able to meet the demands and bringing quality products to all of his restaurants. Praba is reinventing Dubai’s restaurant business with every new brand launched by FFI. He creates excitement, implementing new ideas and strategies, menu developments, new concepts and currently working on new projects in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and heading up major expansion plans for Saudi Arabia.

With a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management, cooking is a philosophy for Praba, an art and a way to express himself and his special attitude towards those he cooks for. It’s not about following recipes - it’s a philosophy – where one has to be able to think.

Praba’s career journey has seen him win Best Commis Chef, Head Chef of the year, Dubai’s Best African Restaurant award, Taste New Zealand Chef of the year award and Chef of the Year by Pro Chef Middle East.

PRABA MANICKAM CHARRED CAULIFLOWER STEAK

INGREDIENTS

400g cauliflower slice

30ml sumac aioli

100g spiced labneh

5g coriander leaves

20g crispy quinoa

10g parmesan cheese

15g roasted pine nuts

2g salt

1g black pepper

50ml olive oil

2g smoked paprika

10g garlic

Method

Preheat your charcoal oven to 300C. Wash the cauliflower and remove leaves from stem, leaving the core intact. Place the cauliflower core side down on a work surface. Using a large knife, slice cauliflower into four steaks from the centre of cauliflower, each steak should be approximately 2 centimetre thick. Reserve the loose florets. Combine olive oil, crushed garlic, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper in a small bowl. Rub evenly over the cauliflower steaks both sides. Place the cauliflower steaks in the grill basket on charcoal oven.

Grill until well-marked and charred in some spots, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the steaks and baste with olive oil mixture. Grill until the other side is tender and well-marked and charred in some spots, 4 to 5 minutes more.

When the cauliflower steaks are done, remove from oven and transfer onto individual serving plates with spiced labneh on the bottom.

Sprinkle with crispy quinoa, roasted pine nuts and grated parmesan cheese on top.

Garnish with sumac aioli, coriander cress and drizzled some olive oil

Sumac aioliI

60g mayonnaise

1g sumac powder

5ml yuzu juice

Salt and pepper for seasoning

2g lemon zest

2g minced garlic

Method

Mix mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper and sumac powder in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

& NICK ALVIS SCOTT PRICE

Listed on the 50 Best ‘Discover’ list in 2019 and with a strong culinary history, the British duos greatest achievement to date came in early 2017 with the opening of Folly by Nick&Scott at Souk Madinat Jumeirah. As part of a long-term, multiple restaurant partnership with Gates Hospitality, the two conceived the concept from scratch and guests will spot their signature style not just in the menu – with its unfussy, innovative dishes and commitment to quality ingredients – but in the decor, craft cocktails, music playlist and general vibe.

Ever since their creative partnership when Table 9 was launched at the Hilton Creek Dubai in 2009, both of Ramsay’s alumni have played an instrumental part in developing the UAE dining scene. And then in 2013, Nick & Scott developed a home-grown concept Taste Kitchen, with an objective to appeal to as many people as possible, removing the limitations that can come with a highend restaurant. Appealing to a wider demographic, including families, Nick & Scott created a brand that has gone on to open in three locations throughout Dubai.

Much like their previous ventures, Folly has already received and array of awards and accolades, including Time Out’s Best European Restaurant and Best Bar with a View.

JASMINE RICE MARMITE AND COURGETTE

INGREDIENTS

Purée

100g jasmine rice

1 litre mineral water

50g cream

100g marmite

15g agar agar

2 x gelatine sheet

2g salt

2 x CO2 gas cream whipper chargers

Method

Wash the rice, drain and bring up to the boil in the mineral water, simmer until grains are breaking (around 30 minutes), soak gelatin sheets in iced water until soft, squeeze them to remove excess water, drain rice and blend in a food processor with marmite, cream, salt and the squeezed dry gelatine leaves. Pour into a tray and cool, whisk the agar powder in to the cooled rice puree in a deep saucepan and bring up to almost boiling which will activate the agar (carefully as will catch and burn at the bottom of the pan so always keep stirring and this also will spit) pour into a blender and blend for 30 seconds, again pour into a tray and set cold. Blend the cold mixture again strain through a fine mesh chinois/conicle strainer/sieve and pour into a cream whipper/siphon. Add 2 gas chargers and give a good shake. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Pickled courgettes

100g white vinegar

50g castor sugar

5g salt

5g ascorbic acid / vitamin C powder

Method

Slice the courgettes 1mm thick length ways using a meat slicer machine or a Japanese mandolin to give you nice long strips that can be rolled up. Lay all strips evenly in a deep dish, bring all ingredients to the boil, cool the liquid and then pour over courgettes to cover, leave for 3 hours in the chiller to marinade before using.

Jobs tears

50g jobs tears / coix seed

1 litre water

50g marmite

Method

Wash the seeds then bring up to the boil and cook until soft (around 45 minutes) drain and spread on a tray evenly then dehydrate at 75 degrees Celsius for 24 hours or until fully dried. Boil 50g water and add the marmite set to one side. Heat a pan frying oil to around 220 degrees Celsius being very careful, using a sieve submerge the seeds into the oil so the puff up then remove and roll into the marmite liquid, completely coating each seed and spread on a tray again, dehydrating for an hour until marmite is dry and no longer sticky.

Serving

Roll up 7 courgette strips leaving room for the jasmine rice mousse, place some crispy jobs tears inside the rings, then gently fill each one with mousse, finishing by sprinkling the jobs tears over the top and scattering around the outside of the courgettes.

FRANCESCO ACQUAVIVA

Growing up in Rome with a passion for food in his blood, Francesco’s extrovert and incredibly curious with a touch of craziness, always wanted to be a chef since he was a child, and thanks to his mother who inspired him to become a chef. His only professional link to the culinary world was his uncle Orazio, the soul behind a small restaurant in Basilicata, Vecchia Matera, every time he came to Rome, he always had a present for his nephew. One time it was Nobu’s book, another it was Ducasse’s, and the third was a book on French pastry making.

Inspired by famous chefs, Francesco used to dream of working in a three Michelin-starred restaurant. Having passed through the kitchens at La Taverna Angelica, Giuda Ballerino, Splendid Royal, Jolanda Ristorante, Hotel De Russie, Casa del Jazz, Il Convivio Troiani, l’Hosteria dell’Orso with Gualtiero Marchesi and Open Colonna.

Francesco looked up to Heinz Beck in particular, sent his resume to La Pergola several times before finally getting the opportunity to work with him. His dream, as a child, was to arrive at La Pergola. Eventually, as a result of the young chef’s determination, Heinz Beck answered him seven years later and took him in La Pergola where Francesco showed his passion for the sweet side of the meal. For Francesco, being mentored by Heinz Beck was a great motivation, always had the opportunity to freely share his ideas and follow Heinz Beck’s philosophy - serving Italian-inspired dishes without sacrificing taste.

In 2013, he joined Social By Heinz Beck at the Waldorf Astoria Palm Jumeirah in Dubai as the pastry chef and in 2018, he was given the position of the chef de cuisine.

VEGETABLE SPAGHETTI WITH TOPINAMBUR AND BEETROOT

INGREDIENTS

Vegetable spaghetti

80g fresh green zucchini

80g fresh yellow zucchini

70g fresh orange carrots

70g fresh purple carrots

50g fresh green asparagus

50g fresh white asparagus

40g fresh black salsify

Method

Clean the vegetable in cold water and dry very well. Slice the vegetables with the slicer and cut with a knife 2mm rectangles pieces 15 centimetres long. Boil each vegetable separate in hot water for few second and cold down immediately with ice water and salt. Keep in the fridge before to use.

Topinambour purée

50g fresh topinambour

10g sparkling water

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Method

Peal the topinambour and cut in a small cubes. Blanch in hot water and salt for 3 minutes and blend whiles it is still hot for 5 minutes, slowly add the sparkling cold water. Season with salt and pepper, strain and keep in the fridge before to use.

Beetroot gel

30g fresh beetroots

1g agar-agar

1.5g white balsamic vinegar

Method

Peal the beet-root and cut it into small cubes. Blanch in hot water and salt for 5 minutes and after blend whiles still hot for 5 minutes. Add the agar-agar when is still hot and add the white balsamic vinegar. Strain and keep in a fridge before to use.

Garnish

Crispy eggplant skin

Crispy black salsify

Mixed herbs

Plating

Remove the vegetables from the fridge and sauté them in olive oil, salt and pepper for 5 minutes. In the centre of the plate, place a spoon of topinambour purée, place the vegetable spaghetti on top, and add a few drops of beetroot gel with the help of a piping bag. Garnish with some crispy eggplant skin and crispy black salsify.

PRADEEP KHULLAR

Since taking on the mantle of executive chef at Mint Leaf of London, Pradeep Khullar has spent time behind the scenes developing innovative menus to freshen Dubai’s Indian fine dining scene. Bringing a wealth of knowledge and refined skills, having worked for notable restaurants throughout the last decade both in India and Dubai, award-winning Khullar’s expertise have truly upped the dining experience at the popular DIFC venue.

Pradeep has accomplished monumental milestones throughout his culinary career including recently being awarded the prestigious ‘Chef of the Year’ title at the Masala Magazine Food awards. Other significant achievements entail awards for ‘Best Modern Indian’ from Hindustan Times, as well as contributing to the success of Indian Accents being featured in Asia’s Top 50 restaurants for three consecutive years. He even secured the honour of ‘Top Chef of the Year’ award for Excellence in North Indian cuisine in 2014, before his move to Dubai.

SESAME CHICKEN SATAYS, MASALA BHEL

INGREDIENTS

750g boneless chicken thighs / 30ml dark soya sauce / 50g parsley, chopped / 50g mayonnaise /20g cinnamon powder / 30g cumin powder / 100g curd / 20g chicken stock powder/ 50g roasted sesame seeds / 2tbsp lemon juice / 2tbsp garlic juice / 20ml sesame oil / salt for seasoning

Method

Cut the chicken thigh into cubes & marinate in lemon & garlic juice with salt. Make a marinade with the rest of the ingredients except sesame seeds. Mix the chicken with the marinade and refrigerate it for 2 hours. Skewer the chicken and grill over open flame. Sprinkle the satay’s with toasted sesame seeds & serve with masala bhel.

Masala bhel

1kg potato, juliennes / 100g onions, chopped / 200g tomatoes, chopped / 50g coriander, chopped / 40ml lemon juice / 1tsp chat masala / oil for frying

Method

Fry the potatoes till crisp. Add the chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander and chat masala. Drizzle lemon juice just before serving.

TORTELLI DI BURRATA, CREMA DI ZUCCHINI, POLVERE DI OLIVE E ARIA DI LATTE AROMATIZZATO ALLA

MAGGIORANA - IVAN VASILEV

PAO DE QUEIJO

by DAVID PAROLIN

INGREDIENTS

4 cups tapioca flour

1¼ cup milk

½ cup water

6tbsp oil

1½ cup grated Parmesan

1 cup shredded Mozzarella

2 eggs

2tsp salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C. In a sauce pan, combine the milk, water, oil and salt bring to a boil over medium high heat.

Add the tapioca flour to the bowl of a stand mixer and, once the milk mixture boils, pour it over the flour and mix it well. The texture will be fondantlike, white and sticky. Add the eggs, one at a time. Once the eggs are incorporated, add the cheese gradually, until fully incorporated. To shape the balls, wet your hands with cold water and, using a spoon, scoop some of the dough to shape balls sized to your like.

Place the balls on a baking sheet covered with baking paper and bring it to the oven.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are golden and puffed. Serve while warm.

PANI POORI

by ROHIT SHARMA

INGREDIENTS

Poori

256g semolina / 128g all-purpose flour / salt for seasoning / 60ml warm water / 1l oil for frying

Method

In a mixing bowl add semolina, flour, salt to taste and warm water as required. Knead into a stiff dough. Cover it with wet muslin cloth and keep it for rest for 30 minutes. Roll out the dough and cut it with the help of a round cutter and deep fry until golden brown colour.

Tangy water

250g mint leaves / 125g coriander leaves / 50g ginger / salt and rock salt for seasoning / 3 green chilies / 15g roasted cumin powder / 30g jaggery / 250ml water / 7g chaat masala / 45g tamarind pulp

Method

In a bowl, add mint leaves, ginger, coriander leaves, green chili, jaggery and salt to taste. Transfer this into a grinder and grind into a smooth paste, add little water while grinding. Transfer this into a bowl, add black salt. Cumin powder and water mix well and strain it in a deep container. Add tamarind pulp and mix well.

Quinoa potato masala

100g quinoa mix, red, white and black / 1 potato boiled, diced / 10g roasted cumin powder / 10g rock salt / 10g chaat masala / 10g red chilli powder / 15g coriander, chopped

Method

In a bowl. Add boiled quinoa, potato, cumin powder, coriander, black salt, chaat masala and red chilli powder mix everything well.

WILD GREENS AND FETA BÖREK

INGREDIENTS

200g fresh wild watercress

300g fresh wild rocket

2tbsp olive oil

200g feta cheese, crumbled

1tsp black pepper, crushed

1tsp red pepper, crushed

2 eggs

250ml milk

6tbsp unsalted butter, melted 20 sheets of filo pastry

2tbsp nigella seeds

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C fan/gas mark 7.

by SILVENA ROWE

In a pan, sauté the watercress and rocket in the olive oil for 2 minutes on medium heat, until just wilted. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess liquid. Place in a large bowl and combine with the feta cheese and the black and red pepper. In a separate bowl beat the eggs, then stir in the milk and melted butter.

Lightly oil a 35 centimeter baking tray and lay in the first sheet of filo pastry. Brush generously with the egg mixture and top with another sheet. Repeat this until you have used 10 of the filo sheets.

Spoon on the wild greens and feta mixture and top with the remaining 10 filo sheets, brushing with the egg mixture between each sheet, as before.

Pour any remaining egg mixture over the final layer and sprinkle with the nigella seeds. Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

250g bread flour

35g sugar

3g salt

2g instant yeast powder

1 egg

50g butter

100g warm milk

3g seaweed lettuce

Equipment

Stand mixer (If you don’t have a mixer, you can knead all ingredients together in a bowl), brush, scale, spatula, kitchen towel.

Method

Attach the dough hook to your kitchen aid and add flour, salt and sugar in the bowl. In another bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk for 5 min, then add the seaweed powder (or your substitute). Please note that boiling milk will kill your yeast, you will need warm milk. Add this mix to the mixing bowl, plus the egg. (All ingredient except butter).

Start the mixer on low speed until the dough begins to come together, about 2 minutes.

Increase speed to medium and add the softened butter. This mixture will be very sticky, continue to mix for another 3 minutes until the dough is shiny, smooth and doesn’t adhere to the wall.

Stop the mixer and cover bowl with a kitchen towel. Rest at room temperature for one hour.

Punch down the dough. Fold it in three. Place back in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the fridge overnight for at least 6 hours, up to 12 hours.

Punch dough using the heels of your palms, gently flatten and stretch the dough to 40g balls.

Roll the dough into 12 balls and place into a round cake mould pre-greased. Repeat with remaining portions of dough.

Loosely cover the dough with a kitchen towel and rest at room temperature. Leave dough undisturbed until dough reaches the top of the mould.

This will take anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours depending on room temperature and humidity.

Preheat oven to 175C. Brush the buns with egg wash, sprinkle with maldon salt or fleur de sel, and black sesame seeds. Bake for 12 to 15 min. Once the time is over leave the bread to cool down and enjoy it!

SEAWEED PARKER ROLL

by HOWARD KO

ROASTED BEETROOT SALAD WITH CARAMELIZED HAZELNUT AND ROASTED SESAME

INGREDIENTS

Roast the beetroot

1kg beetroots, washed / 1 sprig of thyme / sea salt / 2tbsp olive oil, per beetroot

Method

Wash the beetroot thoroughly. Season with salt and olive oil and place them in aluminium foil with thyme sprigs. Bake then in an oven at 180C for around 1 hour or till the beetroots are tender and the knife passes through easily. Allow to cool in the foil and set aside. Once lukewarm remove the skin carefully not to damage the beetroot. Cut in 2cm cubes and set aside. Note: you can keep the beetroot seasoned with some sea salt and olive oil.

Caramelized hazelnuts

300g hazelnuts / 1 vanilla pod / 50g mineral water / 150g superfine sugar / sea salt for seasoning

Method

Place the hazelnut on a baking sheet, put it in the oven and toast for 20 minutes. Put the nuts in a towel and roll it over to remove the skin. Split the vanilla pod and put the seed in a sauce pan with the mineral water and sugar. Cook at 118 and then add the hazelnuts. Stir the nuts in the syrup until it crystalizes around them. Return the sauce pan to medium fire and cook until the syrup darkens to a deep colour. Sprinkle with salt and pour out immediately on a silicon pad, spread and allow to cool. Chop coarsely and store in a dry container.

Amaranthus

200g Amaranthus, washed

Method

Remove the thick stems from the leaves and wash thoroughly. Place a pot with water and a pinch of salt over high fire and allow to boil. Once the water is boiling place the greens for 2 minutes. Remove and place them directly in ice cold water for another 2 minutes. Strain and set aside.

To Serve

150g roasted beetroots / 200g amaranthus / 2tbsp Greek yoghurt / 6tsp sesame, roasted / 3tsp sesame oil / 3tbsp caramelized hazelnuts / 3tsp olive oil / sea salt for seasoning

Method

Place the amaranthus leaves in a bowl with half of the sesame and olive oil, add some sea salt and 2 teaspoons of the roasted sesame and mix well.

In another bowl place the beetroot cubes with the yoghurt, half quantity of the hazelnuts, 2 teaspoons of roasted sesame, 1 table spoon of hazelnut, the rest of the oils and mix well. Plate with the amaranthus at the base and beetroot on top. Finish with drops of sesame oil, the rest of the sesame and hazelnut and some sea salt.

by ILIAS KOKOROSKOS

ICE BURG SALAD WITH CARAMELISED ONION WAFU DRESSING AND NORI

by LIBOR DOBIS

INGREDIENTS

1 large ice burg lettuce

1 sheet nori

2 spring onions, finely chopped

2tbsp roasted sesame seeds

Caramelised onion wafu dressing

500g white onions

200ml low sodium soya sauce

20g carrots

½ nashi pear

100ml grape seed oil

30ml sesame oil

Method

Finely cut the white onions into fine dice, caramelize the onions in a heavy based sauce pan until rich in colour being very careful not to burn and set aside.

Remove the core from the apple and grate on a Japanese oroshi this can be substituted with a micro-plane, do the same with the carrot and mix both with the onions off the heat. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well, season with a little salt if required, this will depend on the sweetness from the nashi and the carrot.

Assemble

Cut the ice burg into quarters and lay on a serving plate with the cut surface facing up, spoon the wafu sauce over ensuring it gets between the layers.

Cut the nori into fine slices and sprinkle over the top with the sesame seeds and the spring onions.

BEETROOT SALAD WITH PAN FRIED TOFU

by JOÃO GARCIA

INGREDIENTS

230g beetroots

50g edamame, peeled

30g wakame

10g orange vinaigrette

2g salt

2g sakura cress

50g tofu

1g baby spinach

1g pistachio

3g orange zest and segments

Method

Cook the beetroots and let it cool. Peel and cut in cubes. Mix the wakame, edamame, orange segments and the beetroot together. Season with orange dressing and add the pistachio.

Pan fry the tofu, cut in cubes and place it on top of the salad along with the baby spinach.

INGREDIENTS

Dough

1kg semolina flour

400g water

50g olive oil

25g salt

Method

Put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix until all the ingredients come together and forms a firm dough. Cover it with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for about 1 hour.

Roll the dough to 1 centimetre thickness and with a cutter get strings about 10 centimetre long. Roll the strings with your hand to get a nice spaghettoni. Place them in a tray in the fridge until required.

Cheese and pepper mix

25g parmesan cheese

75g pecorino Romano

50g warm water 70C

5g black pepper

Method

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blitz to obtain a creamy consistency. Do not add any salt since the cheese is salty and ensure that the water is not at a boiling point or the cheese will curdle forming lumps. Store it in the fridge until required.

Finishing

In a large pot, bring water to boil the spaghettoni. Season it with a small pinch of salt. Drop the spaghettoni into the boiling water and wait for it to come to surface, for around 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the fire and drain the water. Add the cheese and pepper, stir it to cream the pasta. Plate the spaghettoni and sprinkle it with some freshly grounded black pepper and pecorino cheese.

Please note: do not cook or mix the cheese and pepper mix while on the fire since the fat of the cheese will split.

PICI CACIO E PEPE HOMEMADE SPAGHETTONI WITH PEPPER AND CHEESE

by DANIELLE MARCELLINI

IMAM BAYILDI

INGREDIENTS

Burnt eggplant

by MOHAMMAD ORFILS

2 Japanese eggplants / ½ garlic clove, minced / ½ tsp fruity olive oil / ½ cup Greek yogurt / 2 tbsp lime juice / salt for seasoning

Method

Grill the eggplant on charcoal or over gas burner until the burned the skin, peeled the eggplant and discard the seeds. In a mixing bowl mix the garlic, olive oil, yogurt, lime juice and season with salt deep the eggplant in to marinate for about 1 hour. Refrigerate until use.

Imam bayildi sauce

2tbsp olive oil / 8 garlic cloves / 1 slice sour dough bread, cut into cubes / 4 medium red onion, sliced / 2 green Serrano chilies, stemmed and minced / 1.1kg tomato jus / salt and black pepper for seasoning / 100ml red vinegar / 10g sweet onion powder / 3g sweet paprika / 4tbsp sugar

Method

Mix all the ingredients together in a sauce pan and let it simmer for 10 minutes, remove from the heat and let it cool. Pass it through a sieve and set aside.

Jalapeno and herbs fluid gel

50g parsley / 20g basil / 75g fresh jalapeno / 50g chives / 150g tomatoes water / 6g salt / 15g extra virgin olive oil / 100g water 15g sugar / 5g agar / ½ g xanthan gum / salt and olive oil for seasoning / 10g green tabasco

Method

Blend all the herbs, chives, jalapeno, tomatoes water and salt in Thermomix, strain and reserve 200 grams.

In a small pot combine the water, sugar and agar and bring them to boil for 2 minutes then add the herbs jus and simmer for 1 minutes.

Transfer immediately to ice bath to chili down and then process the mixture with olive oil until become smooth.

Ash powder

15g vegetables ash powder / 2g activated charcoal / 50g

dried black trumpet mushrooms powder

Burnt onion

2 medium yellow onions / 2tbsp olive oil / ¼ cup tomatoes sauce

25 grams ash powder

Method

Blend the dried mushroom to a fine powder vegetables then mix with ash powder and activated charcoal. Strain the black powder and Keep in an airtight container.

Cut the onion into half and then brush with oil and tomato sauce and sear the middle of onion until caramelized. Basting the onion with remaining tomato sauce and then dust the onion with ash powder to cover well.

Transfer the onion to vacuum back with tomato sauce, cook at 75C for 40 minutes.

Before the service dust the onion again with black powder.

Tomato sauce

In a pot brown the garlic with sour dough in olive oil, then stir in the onion and chili and sauté them until it caramelized. Add the tomatoes jus, vinegar and cook for 40 minutes. Season with salt, black pepper, onion powder, paprika and sugar, remove the sauce from fire and process the sauce by immersion blende, pass through a sieve and set aside.

Garnish

Aleppo peppers / dried mint powder / edibles flowers / micro parsley

INGREDIENTS

15g cauliflower / 20g labneh / 2g bhunanesan / 5g mustard

4g curry paste / 20g coriander roots / 3g honey / 2g ginger, chopped / 2g chilli powder / 2g turmeric powder / 15g red capsicum / 2g salt / 15g carrots / 15g black olives / 10g brown cashew nuts

5g jalapenos / 15g leeks / 10ml white wine vinegar / 15g gherkins / 50g cream / 2g coriander powder

5g mozzarella / 10g gruyere cheese / 5ml olive oil / 1g green chillies

Method

Cauliflower

Cut the cauliflower into big cubes and parboiled with salt and turmeric. Cool in ice bath and pat dry them. Mix the labneh, ginger garlic paste, bhunabesan, curry paste, coriander roots, honey, salt, turmeric powder together and apply on cauliflower and keep aside. Cook it in tandoori on high heat.

Korma sauce

Make a fine paste with the onions and cashew nuts. nuts. Heat oil in a pan and add the whole spices, ginger & garlic paste and sauté for a minute Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and sauté it. Then add the curd and cook it well. Add the onions and cashew nut paste, cook it till it evaporates. Strain the sauce; add the cream, saffron water and butter to finish.

Raw vegetable fondue

Cut the red capsicum, black olives, leeks, carrot, gherkins, jalapeno into brunoise and keep aside. Melt both the cheese together with cream and add nonalcoholic white wine. Add the vegetables before serving.

Assembling

Put the sauce on the plate and place the tandoori cauliflower on it. And smoke with hickory wood and cover with a cloche. While serving to the guest, open the cloche and add raw vegetable fondue over and garnish with pomegranate and chives.

CAULIFLOWER STEAK

by PRASHANT CHIPKAR

Method

TRUFFLE RISOTTO

by YUGAL KISHOR

INGREDIENTS

200g cooked risotto rice

15g button mushroom

15g porcini

15g portobello

8g white onions, chopped

4g garlic, chopped

Salt and pepper for seasoning

10g olive oil for cooking

50ml cooking cream

20ml vegetable stock

50g butter

7g parmesan cheese grated

5g truffle paste

5ml black truffle oil

10g rocket leaves

3g shaved parmesan

Heat olive oil in a sauce pan, sauté the onion and garlic until it is soft. Add the sliced porcini, Portobello, button mushroom and cook it until it is soft, add the cooked risotto, vegetables stock and mix well and let it cook for a minute. Add the cooking cream, truffle paste and cook for 2 minutes on low heat. Finish it with soft butter, parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl, garnish with shaved parmesan cheese and rocket leaves. Drizzle Truffle oil and serve.

Risotto

1kg Arborio rice

300g chardonnay

75g butter

1 small white onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

5g thyme

Vegetable stock

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Method

Heat the butter in a small pot, sweat the onions and garlic until it is soft. Add the thyme, rice and cook till translucent, add chardonnay and cook till it evaporates. Add 1 ladle of stock at the time keep stirring until the rice is al dente.

This dish is made as an example of genuine comfort food transformed into an even better vegetarian comfort dish.

INGREDIENTS

400g yellow onions

200g carrots

100g celery

80g chickpeas

50g lentil

5ooml tomato, juice or pulp

20ml black currant juice

10ml balsamic vinegar

30g salt

20g sugar

15g garlic

1 sprig thyme

4 bay leaves

2 summer zucchini

150g kachckaval cheese

Method

Put the chickpeas in a pot with water and let it cook, gradually adding water for about an hour and a half. Cut the onion on julienne, grate the celery and carrot, put it in the pot with garlic mar and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add lentils, currant juice and vinegar and sauté all of it on high heat very briefly, just to let the liquid evaporate. Now add the cooked chickpea together with water, also add tomato pulp, all spices and herbs. Turn down the heat to low and let it cook until the liquid has totally evaporated. Meanwhile cut the yellow zucchini length-wise, 2mm thickness. Spread it on a baking sheet with the baking paper underneath and bake for 3 minutes on 180C.

When all of the water from ragout is evaporated, it is time to assemble moussaka.

Take a 10mm radius ramekin and start putting your zucchini inside, just enough to cover the bottom of the ramekin and getting over the edge. Inter lap every zucchini with the one before for the half of its width. When you have all zucchini in place, start layering the ragout and kaskaval cheese, 30g of ragout or one table spoon, and 10g or a half of table spoon of grated kaskaval cheese. Finish it on the top with cheese and start closing moussaka with the ends of the zucchini again one over each other. Heat it up in the oven on 200C for 10 minutes and flip it over on plate. Garnish with zucchini spaghetti and cherry tomato on top.

SUMMER ZUCCHINI MOUSSAKA WITH CHICKPEA AND LENTIL RAGOUT

by UROSH MITRASINOVIC

SZECHUAN STYLE SAUTÉED BABY EGGPLANT

by KAM FAI CHEE

INGREDIENTS

200g eggplant

10g garlic and ginger

5g dry red chili

30g green pepper

30g onions

30g oyster sauce

3g soya sauce

30g sweet chili ketchup

10g corn flour

½ cup water

Method

Fry the eggplant and set aside. Sauté the eggplant with all the ingredients. Mix the corn flour with water and add it to the eggplant to thicken the sauce. Serve hot.

WILD MUSHROOM RISOTTO WINTER TRUFFLE CREAM, SEASONAL ASPARAGUS

by RAYMOND WONG

INGREDIENTS

2tbsp butter

2tbsp olive oil

2 cups flavourful mixed mushrooms such as shiitake, chanterelle, button, or oyster mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into half inch to inch pieces

4 pc green asparagus cut into spears

Dry white wine/Optional

500ml vegetable mushroom stock or stock cube

70g shallots, minced (OR 1 yellow or white onion, finely chopped)

White truffle oil

Fresh truffles for shaving

100g arborio rice or other high in starch rice

50g freshly grated parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

2tbsp chopped fresh parsley or chives

Hand full rocket salad

Olive oil

Sour cream

Micro cress/optional

*If cooking gluten-free, use homemade stock or gluten-free packaged stock.

Method

Bring stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Prepare the mushrooms by cutting them into the same size sauté the mushrooms: Melt the butter in a wide saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and shallots and sauté about 5 minutes (if using chanterelles, dry sauté first for a minute or two and let the mushrooms cook in their own juices before adding the butter).

Add the rice and stir to combine and bring to a boil, and reduce liquid by half, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the simmering stock, 1 ladle at a time, stirring enough to keep the rice from sticking to the edges of the pan. Stir the rice almost constantly — stirring sloughs off the starch from the rice, making the creamy sauce you’re looking for in a risotto. Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup.

This process will take about 25 minutes. The rice should be just cooked and slightly chewy.

Stir in the parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or chives. Simply mix truffle oil and truffle paste into the sour cream and season with salt and pepper. Finish of with chives.

ADOUR jacket worn by Chef Grégoire Berger, Ossiano Restaurant Dubai UAE

ANNE LAURE MORISSSET

Growing up in San Malo, Brittany, France, Anne’s childhood and family has played an important role in her culinary journey. Her grandfather was a butcher, her uncles – one a chef and the other a baker and it was her mother’s cooking which brought them all to the table. However, being a chef was not her first choice and at a young age of 15, it was difficult for her to understand what she wanted to do with the rest of her life but one thing for sure Anne was ready to work hard to achieve her goal.

Worked in some of the finest kitchens in France and Switzerland, from Restaurant SeaSens in Cannes to the Michelin-Starred restaurants Yoshi and Joël Robuchon in Monaco to working at the Mandarin Oriental in Geneva where she had the pleasure to work with Diego Oka, Pierre Gagnaire, Anton Mosimann, Thierry Marx to working at Le Louis XV at the famous Hotel de Paris in Monaco.

At La Serre, Anne’s cuisine is inspired by the French traditional food, it’s all about balance with the right quality of ingredients. Although French cuisine could seem complex, she keeps it simple and believes that good product is the key to get the right mix.

TOMATO SOUP, CHEESE TOAST AND AIOLI, TOMATO TARTARE

INGREDIENTS

Tomato soup

500g San Marzano tomatoes / 500g coeur de boeuf tomatoes / 20g shallots / 60g white onions / 50g carrots / 30g celery sticks / 1 garlic clove / 1 bay leave / 30g tomato paste / 500g vegetable stock / 150g cream / 2g thyme / Olive oil / salt / pepper / espelette

Method

Cut roughly the tomatoes and add them in a tray. Sprinkle them with olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme then bake them at 180C for about 20 to 30 minutes

In a large pot, start cooking the onions, carrots, shallot and celery and

slightly colour them.

Add the garlic, bay leave, and season. Cook until all the vegetables get cooked then add the tomato paste. Cook for 5 minutes then add the water.

Once the pot is boiling, add the baked tomatoes and the cream.

Bake again the whole preparation for about an hour and half at 180C

Once done, strain the soup, pressing the mixture to get the maximum of flavours.

Cheese toast

800g pain de mie bread, sliced / 500g milk / 1 pinch of nutmeg powder / 50g butter / 50g all-purpose flour / 300g Gruyere cheese / 20g egg yolk / salt and pepper for seasoning

Method

With the milk, butter, flour and nutmeg, make the béchamel sauce,

Once the béchamel is done, add the grated gruyere into it. Cool it down.

Cut all your slices into rectangle, all the same size. For each portion you need 3 rectangles. Keep two rectangle as it is. Take one rectangle and make a hole in the middle

Start with a full rectangle. With a brush, put some egg yolk on the sides then stick the rectangle with hole on top, adding the egg yolk on the sides to stick them together.

Fill the hole with the mornay sauce, then finally close with the second full rectangle.

Tomato aioli

20g mustard / 2g egg yolks / 2g salt / 8g grapeseed oil / 30g olive oil / 12g sherry vinegar / 15g garlic paste / 10g tomato paste / 15g water

Method

Place the egg yolk, vinegar, salt, mustard, water, garlic paste and tomato paste in a blender. Turn the blender on and slowly pour the oils in through the lid. Blend until mixture thickens. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Tomato tartare

400g coeur de boeuf tomato / 100g chives / salt and pepper for seasoning / 30g parsley oil

Method

Blanch the tomatoes and remove the skin. Remove the seeds from the inside then dice.

Plating

In a frying pan, colour each side of the cheese toast. In a deep plate, add a small amount of tomato tartare in the middle of the plate

Reheat then pour the tomato soup all around. In a separate plate, add the cheese toast, then add some dots of tomato aioli on top.

ELLI KRIEL

A self-professed foodie with a deep respect for ancient history and cultures, Elli was born and proudly raised in South Africa within a Greek and Jewish environment, Elli grew up in an entrepreneurial family in the F&B industry, travelled extensively, lived in Argentina where she worked in a pasta factory and moved to the UAE in 2013 with her family.

Her appreciation and strict kosher diet made it difficult to eat in restaurants so she invited guests her home and Elli’s Kosher Kitchen was born. Launched in 2019 during the inauguration of the Year of Tolerance, Elli’s Kosher Kitchen offered kosher and Jewish foods in the UAE.

Her passion for food is not so much about the cooking but about the expression of her multi-cultural identity and the exploration of other cultures. She understands food to be a blend of social location, family-life stories and social histories. The food she prepares is also a material expression of her identity, which is made up of the influences of her environment.

Kosher is similar to halal, following religious rules in the production, serving and consumption of food and food products. Makes use of fresh ingredients that are carefully checked for quality and safety. Jewish incorporates into delicious, unique and popular Ashkenazi and Sephardic recipes developed with a Middle Eastern flair, or “Kosherati” fusion.

Elli wants to celebrate and enhance that cross-cultural aspect of food through Elli’s Kosher Kitchen, which is also why she started doing food ‘mash-ups’ like combining Emirati flavours into Jewish foods. “Cooking is a new creative outlet through which I am developing myself, understanding the world better and hopefully bringing people closer together in a way that can help overcome stereotypes.”

POTATO LATKES

Traditionally eaten at Channukah, I find these are delicious all year round. They are my little canapé style treats for visitors.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups grated potatoes (strained)

1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

3tbsp sliced green onion

3tbsp unsweetened soya or almond milk

1tbsp corn starch

1¼ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

Method

Squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the grated potatoes. I place in a sieve over a bowl and let the water seep out.

Combine the grated potato, flour, green onion, almond milk, corn starch, salt, baking powder. Mix well to develop the gluten in the flour (which helps with binding.)

In a frying pan, preheat vegetable oil over medium heat. The oil should be 1-2 centimetres deep.

Spoon the equivalent of 1/3 cup of potato mixture into the palm of your hand. Flatten it with you other hand to make a patty about ¼” thick. Fry until golden brown, flip, and fry the other side.

Drain excess oil on paper towel if necessary.

Serve with your favourite toppings - cream cheese and salmon; apple sauce.

SILVENA ROWE

Growing up in the city of Plovdiv, or Philibe, an old Turkish city, which was once part of the glorious Ottoman Empire, later and now part of Bulgaria. Silvena Rowe’s childhood was the most delicious, colourful and inspired journey through food, eating was and still is a huge pleasure for her. Her daily routine as a child was around food, its aroma, its origins, its seasons and food always made her feel like my home.

Getting married and moving to London, at a very early age, food was her reminder of home, it was her passion, her cooking, her love affair with food, to make her strong, and she stayed loyal to that love, as it has always kept her happy and content.

The leading vegan chef in Dubai, with her beautiful Nassau restaurant in Jumeirah Golf Estates. Silvena’s culinary philosophy is simple - You are what you eat, so she makes sure to cook the most delicious food, with the most super foods, antioxidants and organic ingredients. “Food is the original medicine, so when I create food, I do so with intention, I tend to avoid completely sugar, almost no salt, all my meat is highest quality, grass fed, fish ideally to be wild, lots of fibre and my cuisine tends to be mostly plant based. I was the first chef in the UAE that popularised locally grown UAE organic produce, to date I remain an ambassador of UAE locally grown food”.

Her ideal plate is mostly plant-based with some high quality non plant based protein, like grass fed meat or wild fish or seafood. She aims to cook mostly with locally sourced ingredients and her food is full of colours and textures, and aims for the rainbow colours when she create her plates. Her main consideration when she chooses ingredients is that they are humanly sources, produced or grown, local whenever possible, always organic and free of hormones and antibiotics. The most important combination for her is passion, creativity and of course beautiful produce.

EMIRATI ZA’ATAR MARINATED HALOUMI WITH TOMATO AND ZA’ATAR DRESSING

INGREDIENTS

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2tbsp olive oil

1tbsp za’atar

zest and juice of 1 orange

300g haloumi cheese, cut into slices

Dressing

2 large ripe tomatoes, skinned and very fi nely chopped

3tbsp olive oil

1 shallot, grated

1tsp runny honey

1 garlic clove, crushed

3tbsp white wine vinegar

1tbsp za’atar

Garnish

Few purple basil cress leaves

Method

2 hours in advance

Combine the garlic, olive oil, za’atar and orange juice and zest. Place the haloumi in a bowl and cover with the mixture, making sure that the cheese is completely coated. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Haloumi

Using a heavy non-stick pan, fry the haloumi cubes on a medium heat for 3 minutes on each side, until golden all over.

Dressing

Simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl and season to taste. Drizzle over the hot haloumi, garnish with cress leaves and serve with fresh bread.

LAURE DUMAS

Laure Dumas is one of the most passionate French pastry chefs in the industry. Born and raised in France, she began her journey after inheriting the art of pastry making through her parents, who gave her a taste for the food through fine dining restaurants and also influenced by her grandmother who made traditional desserts for family dinners, and the buttery chocolate crepes she baked after school.

Her passion for pastries also stems from exploring French pâtisseries both in France and across the globe. Ten years later, Laure landed her dream job in Dubai, working alongside Howard Ko at one of the most talked about restaurants in the region, CÉ LA VI.

At the age of fifteen, she began her apprenticeship in a small pastry shop with Hervé Defaye and continued in Lyon, at Nicolas Pépin’s Boutique. After her five years of studies were complete, she graduated with three diplomas and participated in ‘The Best Apprentice in France’ contest, where she gained further knowledge in the art of pastry making.

At the age of twenty, Laure moved to Hong Kong, where she worked for over a year next to Julien Zampieri. The skills she gained allowed her to pursue her dreams and move to Dubai, where she gained further knowledge at Roberto’s Restaurant.

Working at CÉ LA VI means everything to Laure as she explains, ‘I have worked for over ten years to get my dream job and working alongside Howard Ko at one of the most talked about restaurants in Dubai is something I am very proud and passionate about. I am thrilled to have the opportunity here.’

For Laure, pastry is like chemistry, you need to know the history of the ingredients, the use, the way it reacts with another, in order to create a brilliant dessert, with combination of textures and balanced flavours.

FOIE GRAS SNIKERS

INGREDIENTS

Shortbread

300g all-purpose flour

200g butter

100g sugar

Method

Mix all the ingredients together and spread it on a backing paper. Bake at 180C and cut in a rectangular shape, 7 by 4 centimetres.

Marshmallow

800g sugar

300g water

100g glucose

350g egg whites, whipped

50g gelatine

Method

Cook the sugar at 130C, add the gelatine and pour the whipped eggs white. Slowly as an Italian meringue and let it cool.

Foie gras ice cream

800g Foie gras escalope

10g salt

50g brandy torres

400g cream

Method

In a sauce pan on medium heat add the cream and cook the Foie gras with the brandy torres and salt. In a blender, blend the marshmallow mix and the foie gras mix. Pour in a pacojet container.

Caramel peanut

525g cream

350g sugar

50g peanut

20g butter

Method

Make a caramel, deglaze with cream and add butter, blend. Add the crushed peanuts.

Finishing

Temperate the milk chocolate and brush all over a mould. Coat one more time by moulding. Add caramel, ice cream on the top, and close by a short bread.

DWIYANTI CINTANINGRUM

Winner of the 2019 F&B Masters Pastry Completion, Dwiyanti grew up in Bandung, Indonesia. As a child, she always had a passion for baking, helping her mother prepare special homemade cookies during the Holy Month of Ramadan. This was the starting point for her to understand how flour, butter, an egg can turn into something delicious. After graduating from senior high school, she wanted to enhance her pastry skills and decide to continue her studies in catering management at the Indonesia University of Education.

Dwiyanti went on to work with some of the best five-star hotels and her greatest influence comes from the French chefs she worked with. Learning several French classic styles which inspired her to create her desserts with brilliant products and the finest chocolate.

As the head chef at Indochine, she loves the feeling of making something beautiful that puts a smile on people’s faces after they taste my desserts, seeing this makes her day. It is the science and creativity of creating dessert keep her motivated.

MATCHA STORY

T his dish I created during the quarantine days, the inspiration came when I was drinking a cup of matcha latte, and I felt good. The matcha light sponge paired with the matcha opalys mousse and crunchy matcha crumble and coconut water caviar.

INGREDIENTS

Matcha sponge

130g caster sugar

80g eggs

½ pcs lemon zest

95g cake flour

3g baking powder

6g green tea powder

125g liquid cream

80g melted butter

Method

Beat the eggs and caster sugar until it is fluffy. Fold in all the dry ingredients and lemon zest. Add the liquid cream and melted butter. Put the mixture in cake pan and bake it at 160C for 15 minutes.

Matcha opalys mousse

80g egg yolks

40g sugar

90g milk

20g matcha powder

230g white chocolate opalys

1 pcs gelatine

420g whipped cream

Method

Make an Anglaise by boiling the milk and the matcha powder. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl and pour in the hot milk and whisk lightly. Return to the pan and cook to 83C for 5 seconds. Strain, then add the chocolate and mix well, add the gelatine. Remove and keep it over an ice bath or in chiller, then fold with whipping cream. Pipe in cake mould.

Coconut water caviar

250g coconut water

2.5g alginate

500g water (1)

5g colour

1000g water (2)

Method

Hand blend the coconut water and alginate. Keep this coconut water alginate mixture in squishy bottle. In separate bowl hand blender water 1 and clorur. Pipe in the water colour mixture. Keep it for 1 minutes, strain and wash in water 2.

Matcha spray

100g cocoa butter

100g opalys chocolate

5g matcha powder

Method

Melt the cocoa butter and white chocolate. Add the matcha powder. Spray the cake whiles it is frozen to get a matcha velvety colour.

Matcha crumble

50g cake flour

50g butter

50g sugar

50g almond powder

5g matcha powder

Method

Mix all the ingredients together until you get a crumble. Keep it in the chiller for 30 minutes and bake it at 170C for 7 minutes.

Assembling

Layer the matcha sponge with matcha opalys mousse in a silicon mould. Freeze, remove from the mould and spray it with matcha cocoa butter spray. Serve with coconut water caviar and matcha crumble.

VERONICA CHRISTINE

VICTORIO

Growing up in Quezon City, Philippines, Veronica watched her grandmother host gathering for birthdays and special occasions, she would accompany her grandmother to the market and helping in the kitchen peeling vegetables and washing dishes for her. At first her parents didn’t approve when she choose to study culinary and she did her best to convince them otherwise. She studied at San Sebastian College Manila and did her training at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Makati City. She extended her trainings during summer to get a chance to learn more about pastry and she trained in every sections of the kitchen and found pastry and bakery most interesting.

Veronica culinary career started off with the pre-opening of Oryx Rotana in Doha followed by moving to Dubai to join the Ritz Carlton JBR and then got the opportunity to work at by Burj Al Arab. She joined the pre-opening team of Al Habtoor City which was then branded as St. Regis, W & Westin pastry complex. and then on to Renaissance Downtown as a pastry sous chef before joining Palace Downtown in 2019 as the pastry chef. Her desserts are simple that are clean, thoughtful and full of flavour.

SAFFRON MILK CAKE

INGREDIENTS

Sponge

87.5g sugar

87.5g butter

87.5g flour

2 eggs

2g baking powder

20g condensed milk

20g oil

Method

In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg, oil and condensed milk and followed by flour and baking powder.

Soaking milk

220g fresh milk

140g evaporated milk

119g condensed milk

2g saffron

2 pcs gelatine

Method

In a bowl of ice water soak the gelatine. Boil the 3 milk and remove from the heat. Add the gelatine. Pour into the sponge. Set aside

Saffron milk sauce

100g cream

100g milk

15g sugar

22g egg yolks

2g saffron

Method

Bring the saffron, cream and milk to a boil. Temper in the sugar and egg yolk. Cook to 86’c and remove from the heat. Let the saffron infused and blend. Keep in chilled temperature.

Feuilletine crunch

100g butter

100g Demerara sugar

50g flour

50g Feuilletine flakes

2g Maldon salt

Method

In a bowl with paddle attachment mix all the ingredients until well combined.

Bake at 160’c till golden brown colour.

Mango gel

1l mango purée

150g sugar

10g agar

Method

Boil the defrosted mango puree, add sugar and agar. Let it set and blend until smooth for piping.

SALMON CRUDO - THE MEAT CO. - SOUK MADINAT JUMEIRAH

SASHIMI PLATTER

by JIN CHUL KIM

INGREDIENTS

300g tuna belly

300g tuna

300g salmon

300g yellow tail

300g sea bass

300g scallops

300g sea urchin

30g shiso leaves

100g fresh wasabi

200ml kikkoman soy sauce

50g radish, shredded

Method

Slice all the fish for the sashimi in 3 pieces. Put the sea urchin in a bowl.

Then put 3 pieces each sashimi with shredded radish on the plate. Serve with fresh wasabi and sashimi soy sauce.

INGREDIENTS

4 black cod filets (200g each) with the skin not removed

2tbsp salt

Marinade

130g saikyo miso

130g sake

130g mirin

150g castor sugar

Method

Combine in a sauce pan mirin and sake, bring it to a boil (30 seconds), remove the pan from the heat, add miso and mix with a whisk until it forms a smooth paste. Set aside and let it cool.

Sauce

125g miso marinade

50g lemon juice

15g wasabi

10g light soy sauce

Method

In a bowl - using the ready cod marinade combine all the ingredients together until the liquid is smooth, keep it refrigerated.

Sprinkle cod filets with salt and set aside for 30 minutes (the salt will remove unnecessary moisture from the fish).

Next, wash the fish under cold running water from the salt, dry carefully with a paper towel, place in a container and cover with earlier prepared marinade –the fish fillet should be completely covered with the marinade.

Place the fish in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Cooking

Remove all the marinade carefully from the fish, put skin down on an oven tray covered with baking paper and place it into 200C heated oven, bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Once the fish is baked, transfer it to a plate skin down, and serve with sauce on the side.

MISO MARINATED BLACK COD

by PAWEL KAZANOWSKI

A dish full of omega 3 fatty acids. A famous and beautiful dis h you can simply prepare at home. With its delicate taste and buttery texture, the fish simply mel ts in your mouth.

GROUPER WITH CANELLINI BEANS, CHORIZO OIL AND BOUILLABAISE

by YANNIS MANIKIS

INGREDIENTS

Manila clams

1kg Manila clams, washed / 15ml olive oil / 10g thyme / 40ml chardonnay

30g fresh basil / 200g cannellini beans, cooked / 60g baby olives / 100g chorozo oil / 50g Spanish chorizo, diced

Method

Soak the clams ın salted water for 2 hours. Sauté the clams ın oıl wıth a lıd on for 30 seconds. Add the chardonnay and thyme and wıth a lıd on cook tıll clams are fully opened (dıscard any that does not open). Chıll over ıce. Remove and clean the clams. Straın cookıng lıquıd and keep clam meat ınsıde that lıquıd.

Grouper and seafood

1kg – 8x80g grouper fillet / 400g – 8pcs shrimps, 8/12 / 400g –3pcs calamari tubes / 60g vegetable oil

Method

Season the grouper, shrımp, and calamarı wıth salt. On a tepanaki grıll sear and cook all the above. Warm the whıte bean purée and sauce. Spoon and pull purée on plate. Place a grouper at the base of the purée. Spoon sauce ın the groove of the purée. Garnısh wıth chorızo, vanılla clams, beans, basıl, shrımp, calamarı, olıve oil and chorızo oıl.

White bean purée

200g dried cannellini beans / 5g garlic head / 100g carrots, peeled and diced / 100g onions, peeled and quartered / 2 sprigs thyme / 30ml olive oil / salt for seasoning

Method

Soak beans overnıght. Draın the beans and place them in a saucepan. Cover wıth 8 cm of water. Make a sachet wıth garlıc, carrot, onıon, thyme wıth a cheesecloth. Add sachet to beans and brıng to a sımmer. Cover and cook for 45 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of beans for fınal plate. Contınue to cook remaınıng beans tıll they fall apart about 30mın more. Remove sachet and puree beans wıth 1/4 cup of theır cookıng lıquıd, olıve oıl. Season and chıll.

Bouıllabaısse sauce

120g fish bones / 30ml olive oil / 100g fennel, chopped / 50g carrots, sliced / 30g shallots, sliced / 10g garlic / 200g tomatoes, peeled / 3g saffron / 60ml Pernod / 60ml chardonnay / 240ml fish furnet / 240ml chicken stock / 240ml lobster stock / 100ml Manila clam cooking liquid

Method

Heat olıve oıl ın a pot. Sear the fısh bones tıll lıghtly brown. Add the fennel, carrot, shallot, garlıc, saffron and sweat. Deglaze wıth Pernod and reduce tıll almost dry. Add the chardonnay

and reduce tıll almost dry again. Add tomatoes, fısh fumet, chıcken stock, clam lıquıd. Sımmer for 30mın.Puree entıre mıxture and push through a chınoıs. Blend agaın and straın for 5-6 tımes.

Chorızo oıl

200g fresh chorizo / ½ cup canola oil

Method

Remove chorızo from ıts casıng. Heat oıl ın a pot. Add chorızo and slowly render for 150 mın. Remove from heat and let steep for 3hrs.Straın chorızo from oıl. Can be kept ın frıdge for 1 week.

SEARED TURBOT WITH BEURRE BLANC SAUCE

by JOÃO GARCIA

Because of my passion for fish, I create this dish bringing the flavours of a very noble fish with a traditional sauce but giving a twist of crunchiness with tobiko.

INGREDIENTS

170g turbot

40g baby onions, chopped

50g carrots

50g asparagus

50g romanesca

20g butter

40g cream

30g chardonnay

5g tobiko eggs

2g salt

1g pepper

5g shallots, chopped

Method

In a sauce pan, add the onions with a little butter for 2 minutes, add the chardonnay, cream and let reduce to half, season with salt and pepper and blend everything.

Boil the vegetables and after sauté them in the butter, add the tobiko to the beurre blanc and mix. Sear the turbot well on both side.

YELLOW PEPPER ROASTED SALMON

INGREDIENTS

180g salmon filet, skin on

3g ginger garlic paste

4g salt

3g lemon

2g bhuna besan

20g yello capsicum

15g labneh

15g garam masala

0.3g turmeric powder

3g fresh coriander

3g ginger, chopped

1g chat masala

3g jalapeno

30g red bell pepper, purée

10g sunflower oil

35g snow peas

15g onions

5g coconut, grated

1g mustard seeds

0.5g curry leaves

6g isomalt

2g lime juice

120ml puff pastry

4g glucose

0.5g dill leaves, garnish

5g unsalted butter

35g baby asparagus

Method

Marinade the salmon filets with ginger garlic paste, salt and lemon juice.

Tandoor cook the yellow capsicums and make a fine paste.

Mix labneh, bhuna besan, yellow capsicum paste, garam masala, chopped jalapeno, coriander steam, turmeric powder and chat masala. Marinade the salmon again with this paste.

Cook salmon in tandoor.

Cut the snow peas into thin slices and peel the asparagus and cut in half. In a pan boil the snow peas and asparagus for a couple of minutes, remove and put it in cold water.

Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, chopped onions and curry leaves, sauté well and then add the coconut and boiled vegetable. Finish it with lemon juice, salt and coriander leaves.

In a pan heat the isomalt, glucose, and red pepper purée, mix it well together. Set aside and let it cool.

Cut the puff pastry with small round cutter and stack it together and bake it for 20 minutes at 160C till crisp.

by PRASHANT CHIPKAR

Cacciatora style sea bass fillet, heirloom cherry tomatoes, black olives, caper, basil and light fish

consommé

INGREDIENTS

1 sea bass fillet

5 tomatoes

5 cappers

1 potatoes (cut into cubes)

5 olives

20g red onions

1 fennel

1 carrot

1 celery

Sage and rosemary

Carcass of the fish

Method

Consommé stock

Chop 1 celery, 1 carrot and 1 fennel into cubes, roast the mixture together. Add the carcass of the fish to the mix. Add the rosemary and sage to the mixture, once you see a brown colour starting to emerge, add 1 litre of water. Allow this mixture to simmer for 20 to30 minutes. Finely strain, and keep to one side.

Garnish

Cut the potato into cubes. Boil in 1 litre of water in a deep pan and add 20 grams of salt to pan.

Let it boil for approximately 10 minutes. Then gently remove the potatoes from the water, and roast it on a frying pan.

Add the fish to the frying pan, skin side facing down. Once the fish is cooked, add onion, olives, capers, and tomatoes to the frying pan for approximately 2 minutes. Finish the plate by placing the fish, skin side up. Add Garnish (potatoes and the rest of the ingredients) to the plate. Finally, pour the hot consume to the plate.

BRANZINO ALLA CACCIATORA CACCIATORA STYLE SEA BASS FILLET

by IVAN VASILEV

DANUBE STYLE FISH STEW WITH NILE PERCH AND MUSSELS

by UROSH MITRASINOVIC

This dish is made with a sense of awareness for our waters as the traditional Danube stew was made with fish and water from the Danube River. This dish is a reminder of how hard we need to work to bring our waters back to the purity they once had.

INGREDIENTS

1 whole Nile perch

1 whole catfish

1000g mussel’s

700g yellow onions

300g carrots

150g celery

600g tomato juice/pulp

2 garlic cloves

4 bay leaves

30g paprika powder

15g garlic powder

15g onion powder

30g salt

Method

Fillet the perch and the catfish, putting the carcass on the side. Take the skin off the fillets, check for any bones and cut them in 50g pieces and set aside. Check on the mussels and scrub them thoroughly. Take two large pots and put mussels in one, and fish carcasses in the other. Fill both pots with water and add some bay leaf and garlic cloves in them and bring to boil.

Roughly chop up the onion, carrot and celery and bake on 200 C for 15 min. When they are done put them in the broth with the fish. Mussels should be done, as soon as you see them opening you can take them out and put to cool down, strain the remaining water and add to the fish broth together with tomato pulp. When you get half of the broth reduced, strain it, pick out the vegetables and put them together with the strained broth and blend. Now add all of the spices and the portioned fish, let it cook on a low heat for about 30 min. In the meantime, half out the mussels shell so it is easier for service and platting.

When serving, pour in the stew with a couple of pieces of fish and add two mussels on the side. Drizzle with a little bit of chili oil.

FISH & CHIPS

INGREDIENTS

250g cod fillet

2g sea salt

1g crushed black pepper

150g refined flour

80g all-purpose flour for fish dusting

50g green pea

5g mint

by YUGAL KISHOR

Ale batter

800g all-purpose flour / ½ l ale / ½ l full fat milk / 1 egg / 1tsp baking powder / 1½ tsp dry yeast / salt for seasoning / 1tsp smoked paprika

Method

In a medium size bowl make the ale batter by whisking together the flour, baking powder, salt, yeast, egg, paprika, milk, beer & whisk until combined and smooth. Let it rest for 1 hour.

In a large pot, heat oil on high heat.

Peel and slice potatoes into wedges. Add potatoes to the frying oil until its soft, remove from oil and transfer to a paper towel and let it cool.

50g tartare sauce (mayo, chopped capers, shallots, parsleyand gherkins)

½ lemon

8g maldon salt

200g potato chips

Ale batter for coating

Dust the cod into the flour then into the batter to coat and then place directly into hot oil Fry until its golden brown and flaky. Remove from the oil and transfer to a paper towel, season with maldon salt.

Refry the potatoes until it’s crispy and transfer on the paper towel. Heat the green peas with butter and crush them, then add the chopped mint and season with salt and pepper.

Assemble the plate by presenting lemon wedges, tartare sauce, minted green peas, chips, fish & sprinkle maldon salt.

ANDY TOH CHYE SIONG

It may be a cliché to say that Andy learnt from his mother, well in his case it is true and all credit goes to his mother for the introduction and the experience she shared with him. He still lives by the words of his mother “Cooking is art and it takes time to be an artist – don’t rush” and here he is trying every day to be one.

Andy’s passion for Cantonese and Asian cuisine began at a young age in Penang, Malaysia and inspired by his mother’s home cooking. It was not until several years later, that this passion ignited with his love to travel and got the opportunity to work is some of the highly regarded establishments in Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Hong Kong and with Star Cruises, the largest cruise line in Asia-Pacific. His indepth knowledge of Asian cuisine has been nurtured with more than a decade of working his way up through the industry.

Asian cooking is not only highly skilled, it is also renowned for being beautifully presented, and inspired by the simple authentic dishes from his childhood as well as his mother’s humble delicacy, and combined with years of exposure to various kitchens. He avoids overthinking while creating a menu and never compromises on the quality of ingredients and the authenticity of the dish - when both combines the balance is natural.

Using traditional techniques with very contemporary results, Andy’s food celebrates the very best ingredients to highlight Hakkasan’s authentic yet modern philosophy. He has achieved the status of Executive Chef of Hakkasan Middle East, and truly believes that there is nothing more important than bringing a unique experience to every individual customer that visits the restaurant.

OSMANTHUS WAGYU

INGREDIENTS

160g wagyu rib eye

8pcs - 80g mushroom oysters

10pcs - 50g mushroom baiyu

8 -10pcs - 15g fresh lily bulbs

5pcs - 10g spring onion stems

150ml vegetable oil

1tsp potato starch

Osmanthus sauce

15ml osmanthus syrup

1tsp light soya sauce

¼ tsp dark soya sauce

½ tsp hot bean paste

Garnish

Lettuce lolo roso and blinq blossom

Method

For the sauce, mix well the osmanthus syrup, light soya sauce, dark soya sauce and the hot bean paste. Heat up the wok and add the vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add the wagyu previously cut in cubes. Pan fry both side of the beef, and set aside.

Blanch the mushrooms in boiling water, and set aside.

Add few drops of oil and quick fry lily bulb and spring onions previously cut in diamond shape.

Add the osmanthus sauce, wagyu rib eye and mushrooms. Quickly stir fry all the ingredients together adding the potato starch.

To serve, arrange the beef on the plate.

Arrange the garnish with blinq blossom and serve immediately.

LUCIANO MARQUES

Luciano Marques culinary started his career at the age of 18 with his first experience in a Japanese restaurant as a steward. It was the Japanese culture with its minimalism among many other cultural riches that inspired him to the world of gastronomy. His hunger to learn took him back to Portugal and then to Spain, back to Brazil at the invitation of Grupo Lezama / Grupo Alabardeiro. Having had the opportunity to join the 41º degree team and Tickets with the two most renowned chefs in the world, Ferran Adrìa and Albert Adrìa, Luciano returned back to Spain.

In 2014, Luciano returned to Portugal to join the José Avillez Group, the first was Mini Bar and he consolidated working together with José Avillez in the development, planning, management, pre-opening of new projects, which over the years added up to 12 different concepts, the last being Tasca in partnership with Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai.

His culinary philosophy is the authenticity of knowledge and respect for the origin of products, providing different emotions through the concept of the moment. The complexity of a cooking environment and being responsible for the awareness of being better in favour of the evolution of the environment. His connection with nature touches on his experience and the contact since his childhood. “In my journey I went through different projects in different places where the excellence of quality was and are linked to the origin of the human being. The way we get involved and value the environment in which we live, unlimited creativity to create sustainable mechanisms based on the valorisation and collaboration, emphasizing the shared knowledge to develop and offer solutions for the best product, in every way, creating a unique experience and full of values.”

Luciano’s creative process consists of the identity of the concept and what it represents in the tradition of Portuguese flavours.

INGREDIENTS

Grilled blue lobster

600g blue lobster without shell cut in half / 3tbsp olive oil / 30g yuzu truffle mayo / 1g fleur de sel / 50g tasca sauce / 1g basil leaves / 1g chilli salt

60g seaweed salad

Method

Brush the lobster with olive oil and fleur de sel. Grill the lobster on both sides being very careful not to overcook.

Tasca sauce

5g olive oil / 100g unsalted butter / 2g garlic, sliced / 1g fleur de salt / 2g red chillies, sliced / 20ml lemon juice

1g parsley, chopped

Method

Lightly sauté the garlic in olive oil, add the red pepper and butter. Finish with the rest of the ingredients. The texture of the sauce should be creamy and smooth.

Yuzu truffle mayo

100g plain mayonnaise / T5g ruffle paste / 6g truffle oil / 30ml yuzu juice

Method

Mix all ingredients until a stable emulsion is obtained.

Seaweed salad

50g mix the seaweed / 7g red onions, sliced / 5g red peppers, brunoise / 1g coriander leaves / 5ml olive oil / 5ml yuzu juice / 1g fleur de sel

Method

In a ball, add the oil, yuzu, fleur de sel and beat until emulsified. Add the remaining ingredients and wrap for the flavours to emerge.

Tip

To achieve the perfect harmony, serve with warm crusty bread.

BLUE LOBSTER FROM PORTUGAL, GRILLED WITH TASCA SAUCE, CITRUS, TRUFFLE AND SEAWEED

YANNIS MANIKIS

Discovering his passion for cooking, Yannis was born is a famıly who were deeply ınvolved ın the restaurant ındustry. His strong belief of preserving heritage, Yannis’ creative approach involves plates of food with modern presentation but never forgets his roots. His cooking is all about innovation and thinking outside of the box as he believes it’s not just about food but also the whole package and experience that comes with it.

With over two decades of culinary experience, he first started out at the Boutique Hotel Place D’Armes in Old Montreal, he then went on to join Hilton and later Jumeirah International chain of hotels, and today with Conrad Dubai he combines flavours with modern panache.

BURRATA TAMARILLO FENNEL POLLEN

INGREDIENTS

Confit tamarillo

280g or 4 large tamarillos / 50ml olive oil / 50g sugar

Method

Score the base of each tamarillo with a cross. Blanch for 5 seconds in a pan of rapidly boiling water, then drain and plunge into a bowl of iced water. Peel, then cut lengthways into quarters. Pour the olive oil into a baking tray and sprinkle over half the sugar. Place the tamarillos in the tray cut-side down and scatter over the remaining sugar. Place them in the oven on its lowest setting for about 30 minutes, basting regularly with the pan juices. Turn the tamarillos on to the other cut side and repeat the process. Finally, place on the exterior side and repeat the process once more. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Serving 240ml olive oil / 20g basil leaves / 400g or 2 pcs burrata, halved / 16g fennel pollen

Divide the olive oil between 8 serving bowls. Place 4 basil leaves on the right-hand side of each bowl and top with a slice of burrata. Sprinkle a pinch of fennel pollen over each one. Place a wedge of confit tamarillo alongside.

JIN CHUL KIM

Recognised for his innovative presentation and unique food concepts, South Korean Jin Chul Kim began his culinary career over 20 years ago with a passion for creativity in the kitchen and on the plate. A specialist in sushi and traditional Japanese fine dining, Jin joined Armani Hotel Dubai as part of the pre-opening team in 2010 as specialty chef de cuisine and now as head chef Armani/Hashi.

Jin’s culinary philosophy is all about creating impactful memories that guests will remember for a lifetime. Making time to speak with each and every diner to learn about their preferences and create tailormade dishes that consistently surprise and delight. Over the years, Chef Jimmy and his team have created unique dining experiences that bring the Armani/Hashi philosophy to life with an enhanced level of culinary artistry that focuses on beauty and distinctive flavours, and highlights some of the more unconventional Japanese cooking styles. A hands-on leader with an intuitive eye and sharp commercial mind, he places added emphasis on implementing cost-saving initiatives for the restaurant, which starts with ingredients and their usage. For example, when preparing dishes using blue fin tuna, he ensures that the whole fish is utilised - with zero wastage. A proud environmentalist, and will only source certified farmed fish, not caught in the wild.

WARM COCONUT CAKE

INGREDIENTS

Coconut cake mix

1000g unsalted butter

1250g icing sugar

625g fresh coconut, grated

375h flour T-45

750g fresh eggs

3 vanilla beans

Method

Mix the butter and icing sugar together until you get a creamy texture, then add the eggs one by one. Add the flour, coconut and vanilla bean. Bake it in inox rings (90100g per ring) for 15 min at 160C and then for the 5 to 10 minutes at 130C.

Caramel sauce 20grs for 100 pax

720g fine sugar

384g glucose syrup

1080g cream

120g unsalted butter

20g fresh ginger, chopped

Method

In a pan add the sugar and glucose to make a caramel. Then add slowly the cream and the ginger. Add the butter when the mixture had cooled down a little bit and blend it.

Sugar floss

200g glucose

200g white fondant

Method

In a pan cook the glucose and white fondant to a nice brown caramel colour and make the floss. Save it in closed Tupperware box with silica gel for humidity.

Vanilla cream

1.8kg whipped cream

210g cocoa butter

180g tremolin

180g glucose

3 vanilla beans

660g white chocolate

2.7kg liquid cream

Method

Blend all the ingredients together until you get a smooth creamy texture.

MARC MANOSA

Marc Manosa’s passion for cooking was inspired by his grandmother. The person who made him love cooking and created that passion. It all began when Marc cooked his first omelette at the age of 6. From then on, he was his grandmother’s assistant, learnt all the tricks that she used in the recipes and he has kept each and every recipe that his grandmother taught him which some of them are used in his menu here in Dubai.

Bringing over 10 years of extensive experience in the F&Be sector, Marc joined Le Méridien Dubai Hotel and Conference Centre as head chef for Bebemos , the Spanish tapas restaurant. Having spent years of his culinary journey working across Barcelona’s, Marc has a nuanced understanding of the city’s vibrant culture, expressing the city’s unique vibe in his culinary creations. He honed his talents while working for Mugaritz and in Bilbao with Nerua.

His creative menu is all about 4 to 5 ingredients, whether it is to create a newly revamped dish or to create a new one. It’s all about keeping the flavours of the main ingredient as present as possible and hunt for a garnish or compliment it with something to make the main product best.

LETTUCE HEART WITH HOMEMADE SALMON, ORANGE AND VEGETABLE VINAIGRETTE

INGREDIENTS

1 fillet salmon / 1kg salt / 500g sugar / 200g whole black pepper / 1 fennel bulb, sliced / 2 lettuce heads / 1 red capsicum, brunoise / 1 green capsicum, brunoise / 1 carrot, brunoise / white onion, brunoise 20ml extra virgin olive oil / 1 orange / 10ml sherry vinegar / 1 spring onion

Method

To cure the salmon, mix the salt, sugar, whole black peppers and the fennel bulb. Cover the salmon fillet with the mix and put in the chiller during 8 hours.

Prepare the vinaigrette with olive oil, sherry vinegar, orange juice, and the rest of the vegetables. Prepare segments of orange without skins.

Cut the lettuce in 4 pieces each one and put it in a bowl, season it with the vinaigrette and the orange segments.

Put the lettuce at the base of the plate, add the vinaigrette on top, the orange segments, and on top add the slices of the homemade cured salmon. Garnish with spring onions.

YANG TAO

Growing up with his mother and grandmother, who were fantastic cooks, Yang Tao was fascinated by the extensive range of ingredients, seasonings, sauce bottles which were always in the kitchen. It was incredible to think that all of these things, when combined together, would create flavours which were so rich, intense and aromatic. Every single ingredient and seasoning had its own unique flavour profile, and Yang Tao was always curious to experiment with them and create something new every time I would cook.

With over the 13 years of culinary experience, Yang Tao has worked in different hotels across France and the UAE with every role has been a learning experience and has allowed him to create unique dishes as well as manage and inspire the next generation of talented chefs.

At Zhen Wei, Caesars Palace Dubai, Yang Tao takes Dubai city gourmands straight to the streets of Hong Kong, he combines PanAsian flavours and modern cooking techniques.

CANTONESE STEAMED SEA BASS WITH TOASTED SESAME OIL AND SOY

INGREDIENTS

1.2kg fresh sea bass / 3g hot sesame oil / 3g ginger, julienne

Method

Remove the centre bone of the sea bass, butterfly style. Season with salt and pepper, then steam it in the oven around 15 minutes, temperature of 120C.

Once the sea bass is cooked, place it on a plate and add the ginger on top, pour the hot sesame oil on to the ginger and add the hot soy dressing around the fish. Garnish it with spring onions, red chillies, carrots and sakura mix.

125g soy dressing / 80g lee kumkee brand soy sauce / 2g sugar / 30g water

Method

Mix all the ingredients

Garnish curled

2g spring onion / 1g red chilli / 1g carrots / 3g sakura mix

UROSH MITRASINOVIC

Growing up back in Serbia was very different to what you see nowadays. Family gathering around a table for all meals, no restaurant outings and such, inspiration was all around for Urosh Mitrasinovic. He was particularly fond of Sunday lunches at his grandmother’s house. By the time I was 8 years old, he already knew that he wanted to be a chef. Years went by, burning pans and failing to create anything remotely edible. His opportunity finally came about the time he went to college; a trip to the US to work at a small Mexican place on Cape Cod. All he needed was one rush hour and he was totally hooked on to cooking. That made me go door to door of every restaurant in the Cape until he got a spot in a few more restaurants. It was the summer he realized his love for cooking.

As the head chef of 21grams bistro in Dubai, Urosh executes traditional and family recipes where he tells a story starting from an amuse bouche to the dessert, he combines emotions and techniques, and strives that each dish satisfies at least two of three conditions: memory, texture, and surprise.

WAGYU CEVAPI WITH URNEBES

INGREDIENTS

1560g wagyu brisket /840g wagyu brisket fat / 25g salt / 5g black pepper powder / 10g sodium bicarbonate

Urnebes

1500g labneh / 60g ajvar, red pepper relish / 3pcs red eyed chili

Method

Separate the fat and meat from the brisket. Measure it and grind in on 2mm only once. When grounded, put it in the meat mixer and add all of the spices. Mix it for at least 10 minutes or until the fat is totally incorporated in the meat. Store it a container and let it rest for 24h. After resting, put it again in the meat mixer and mix again for 1o min. Having done that, take a classic sausage stuffer and fill it up with cevapi mixture. Get the meat out form the nozzle and cut it when its approximately your palms length, one cevap should be 40g. Now you have them portioned out let them sit for 24h more before grilling. When grilling be very fast in turning them as they are full of fat and burning them from sides is very easy.

Urnebes

Chop the chilies together with seeds. Mix the with labneh and ajvar with whisk, manually.

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INGREDIENTS

1kg octopus / 150g red onions / 200g carrots / 60g celery / 2g bay leaf / 10g salt

2g black peppercorn / 1 orange / 5g thyme

Method

Fill a pot large enough to hold the octopus with the octopus and enough cold water to cover. Set over high heat. Bring water to a simmer with all the herbs and veggies, then lower heat to maintain simmer. Once the octopus is fully submerged adjust the heat to poach the octopus. The water should be steaming vigorously, but not bubbling.

Cook the octopus until tender, approximately 45 minutes, then remove from the water carefully. Remove the skin by rubbing it from the legs, preferably while still warm. It should fall off easily.

To assemble the dish

120g cooked octopus / 100ml chilli

lemongrass cream / 40g quinoa / 5g parsley / 2g pea shoot / 60g fregola sarda

30g salicornia / 10ml lemon and olive oil

Method

Season the octopus and grill it on high fire charcoal grill till gets crispy tentacles. Combine the cooked quinoa and boiled fregola with chopped parsley and lemon olive oil.

Arrange the grilled and slices tentacles on top of the fregola and serve them with lemon grass sauce as a dot.

Garnish them with the blanched salicornia and drizzle with olive oil.

Chilli and lemongrass coulis

100g shallots / 10g garlic / 250g red chillies

300g lemon grass / 5g salt / 100g tomato paste / 50ml olive oil / 1l cream / 2g black pepper

Method

In a pot, heat the butter and fry onions, garlic & lemongrass until starting to colour. Add the chilies and sweat for further 5 minutes.

Add cream and reduce by quarter. Season with salt and pepper. Pass it through a sieve. Cool down in an ice bath.

CHAR GRILLED OCTOPUS

by PRABA MANICKAM

ACHARI JHINGA

by ROHIT SHARMA

INGREDIENTS

20pcs prawn U10

350g labneh

60ml turmeric oil

125g mixed pickle paste

20g roasted cumin powder

50g panch puran, cumin, fennel and onion seeds

40ml mustard oil

30g red chilli powder

Salt for seasoning

Method

Marinade the prawns with red chilli powder, lemon juice and salt for 20 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, put the turmeric oil and add the rest of the ingredients together and mix it.

Check the seasoning and add the marinated prawns in the bowl with the turmeric oil and mix well.

Before cooking the prawns, wrap the tails with aluminium foil and cook it in a tandoor or in an oven.

Remove the foil before serving.

INGREDIENTS

8 prawns, peeled tail on

40g ginger garlic paste

5g yellow chilli powder

20g white cheddar cheese

100g Greek yoghurt

25g cream

2g turmeric powder

2g cumin powder

5g red chilli powder

5g chaat masala

60ml saffron water

2g green cardamom powder

10g ginger, chopped

2 green chillies, chopped

15g salt

10ml lemon juice

Method

Marinate the prawns with ginger garlic paste, salt, and yellow chilli powder. Make the second marinade with cheese, oil, powdered masalas, Greek yoghurt, cooked turmeric and mix them to make a smooth paste. Add the chopped ginger, green chilli and salt. Drain the prawns and dip it into the marinade and rub well. The marinade should be semi thin and sharp, keep it for 2 hours.

Roast it in a tandoor for 7 to 8 minutes or in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 10 minutes, and finish with lemon juice.

SAFFRON TANDOORI PRAWNS

by ANUP PAWAR

INGREDIENTS

Pumpkin cream

40g butternut squash fresh pumpkin / 10g full fat milk / 30g white onions, chopped / 3g butter / 10g extra virgin olive oil / salt and pepper for seasoning

Method

Peal the pumpkin and cut into small cubes. In a pot place the butter and the chopped onions, let cook it gently for 2 minutes, add the pumpkin, milk and let it cook for 15 minutes. Blend it in a mixed for 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Keep it in the fridge t cool.

Brussels sprout cream

40g fresh Brussels sprout / 3g butter / 10g extra virgin olive oil / salt and pepper for seasoning

Method

Clean the Brussels sprouts and blanch them in hot water with salt for few second. Blend in a mixer for 5 minutes, add the butter and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Strain and keep it in the fridge to cool.

Red onion jam

20g fresh red onions / 7g white sugar / 20g sparkling water / 10g butter salt and pepper for seasoning

Method

Peal the onion and slice in a fine julienne. Melt butter in a pan, add the onions, sugar and the sparkling water, cook it on low heat for 45 minutes. Blend the mixture in a mixer for 7 minutes, season with salt and pepper and strain. Keep it in the fridge to cool.

Black truffle cream

20g fresh winter truffle / 20g butter / 10g whipping cream / salt for seasoning

Method

Chop the truffle in a fine brunoise. Melt the butter in a pan and add the truffle, sauté it for 1 minute then add the cream and let it cook for a few minutes until the liquid is absorbed and has a nice creamy texture.

Scallops

80g fresh Hokkaido scallops / extra virgin olive oil / salt and pepper for seasoning

Method

On medium heat, place a non-stick pan with a few drops of olive oil. Place the scallops in the pan and season with salt and pepper. Sear each side for 2 minutes until they a lovely gold colour.

Garnish

Blanched Brussels sprouts / blanched pumpkin triangle / purple potato chips / fresh winter truffle sliced / edible flowers

Plating

On a plate, place 3 drops of each cream and spread it with a small coffee spoon. Place the scallops, add the pumpkin triangle and the Brussels sprouts. Garnish it with purple chips, fresh truffle and edible flowers.

HOKKAIDO SCALLOPS WITH PUMPKIN, BRUSSEL SPROUD AND BLACK TRUFFLE

by FRANCESCO ACQUAVIVA

HARISSA PRAWNS

“It’s so easy to eat healthy. When you cook, you know exactly what you are eating.”

Izu aims to encourage people to reconnect with their kitchens, eat well and understand the health benefits of their ingredients.

by IZU ANI

Method

Marinade

Fill a large oven pan with olive oil, sliced chillies, rosemary and garlic. Place the whole prawns in the marinade and cover with cling film, leave it to soak overnight.

Harissa

Slice the garlic thin and fry it in olive oil, ensure the colour stays light for the best flavour.

INGREDIENTS

6 whole prawns per person

3 chillies, sliced

3 sprigs rosemary

2tbsp roasted cumin seeds

1tbsp salt

4 garlic cloves

4tbsp olive oil and more for marinade

1 lemon

Once cooled, add the fried garlic to a pestle and mortar with flaked chilli, roasted cumin seeds, salt and half a clove of garlic, and crush together.

Prawns

Remove the marinated prawns and place them into a deep cooking tray with a good quality olive oil, a generous squeeze of lemon and salt. Layer the prawns with the harissa mixture and place under a high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and add another generous squeeze of lemon and sprinkling of harissa before serving Serve alongside toast, to soak up the juices and enjoy!

TEPPANYAKI LOBSTER

by JIN CHUL KIM

INGREDIENTS

1500g lobster

500g foie gras

200g eringi mushrooms

200g enoki mushrooms

200g simeji mushrooms

200g asparagus

100g green apples

30g micro cress

30g salt

30g black pepper

200ml Kikkoman soy sauce

400g unsalted butter unsalted

Method

Clean the lobsters and cook the lobsters on a teppan until it is wellcooked with salt, pepper, soy sauce and butter.

Cook the asparagus, eringi, enoki, simeji mushrooms cook on the teppan with salt, pepper, soy sauce and butter.

Plate it all together on the plate and serve it with fresh wasabi and teriyaki sauce.

This dish is very much an exercise in unique flavour combinations. We found the combination of the nuoc cham with the burnt butter to be extraordinary, and very complimentary to the scallops. The addition of kinome, a Japanese pepper berry, helped to cut the richness. The kaluga caviar and uni gives it more a luxurious finish.

INGREDIENTS

3pcs scallops

2tbsp fish sauce

2tbsp sugar

1tbsp rice wine vinegar

1tbsp lime juice

6tbsp water

100g unsalted butter

2g xanthan gum

2lobes of uni

30g kaluga caviar

1 kinome leaf

Method

First make the nuoc cham sauce, by combining fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, sugar and water. Then make the Brown butter, by slow melting butter in a sauce pot over medium low heat. Just as it starts to caramelize remove from heat right away, the residual heat will carry over and finish off the caramelization. Remove and cool. Add the nuoc cham to the brown butter, and season with salt to taste. Add a touch of xanthan gum and stir to thicken slightly. It should light cover the back of a spoon.

Pat dry the scallops and season, then sear on one side only on medium to high heat. The one side should be caramelized and the interior should be still slightly rare.

Plate with the scallops with the Butter sauce, top with Caviar, Uni, and garnish with the Kinome.

PAN ROASTED SCALLOPS NUOC CHAM BEURRE NOISETTE, KALUGA CAVIAR, UNI, KINOME

by STEVEN NGUYEN

DEVON CRAB WITH BASIL AND SEAWEED

by NICK ALVIS AND SCOTT PRICE

INGREDIENTS

Dressed crab

250g white crab claw meat / 75g mayonnaise / 50g vinaigrette / 50g lemon juice / 5g salt

Method

Carefully pick through the crab to remove any broken shell pieces. Use a stainless-steel tray with a deeper tray underneath full of ice to keep the crab meat cold as it will spoil fast if it gets warm. Using two bowls, again one full of ice and the other one on top of the ice to keep the crab cold, place the meat inside and then add the other ingredients but keep a little of each back just to be sure it’s not too much liquid and moisture. When you’ve mixed all together, add any of the additional ingredients that are need. Taste the mix and correct seasoning if needed, keep chilled in the fridge.

Basil bisque

500g crab shells, chopped square inch pieces / 100ml olive oil / 50g tomato paste / 1500ml water / ½ bunch of basil, stalks and leaves separated / 75g crème fraiche

Method

Heat a deep pan with the olive oil inside, when the oil starts to smoke add the crab shells being very careful of the oil spitting and splashing. Roast the shells until the browning begins, then add tomato paste and cook out for no more than 30 seconds, add the water and basil stalks then simmer for 1 hour.

Strain the stock, then reduce on a medium heat until almost a syrup, whisk in the crème fraiche, tear the basil leaves, add them to the pan and bring up to the boil again, infuse for 5 minutes then strain the bisque and cool.

Seaweed

500g dark green savoy cabbage leaves / 2l vegetable oil for frying / salt for seasoning

Method

Heat the oil to 120C in a deep pan. Very finely slice the cabbage leaves into long thin strips and then deep fry until the bubbling stops, remove and place on to a tray with absorbent paper and season with a little salt while there is still a little oil coating the outside that it can stick to. Keep in a warm dry place until needed.

Serving

Pour a little basil bisque in the bowl, then using a small steel ring or cutter place a little of the dressed crab inside and gently push flat to make a level surface then take a heaped spoon of the crispy seaweed and place on top.

WOK FRIED LIVE CRAB IN BLACK PEPPER SAUCE

by NIM FAT KWAI

INGREDIENTS

800g live mud crabs / 6g garlic, minced / 3g black pepper powder / 5g spring onions, cut lengthwise / 10g onions, cut lengthwise / 3g red chilies, cut lengthwise / 40g corn oil / 2gsesame oil / 10g all-purpose flour

Sauce

2g oyster sauce / 3g light soya sauce / 2g dark soya sauce / 2g sugar / 2g corn flour / 20g chicken stock

Method

Clean the crabs and cut in small pieces. Mix all the sauce ingredients.

Coat the carb pieces with corn flour. In a wok, heat 35g of corn oil and cook the crabs until it is golden brown. Remove and set aside. In a wok, heat 5g of corn oil and stir fry the garlic, pepper, spring onions and red chilies.

Add the sauce with the crabs and garnish with sesame oil. Serve hot.

INGREDIENTS

120g Bomba rice

120g baby squid

Method

Clean the baby squid, season with salt and place in the oven or Josper grill.

Set aside to add to the black paella as seen in the image.

Paella sauce

1kg tomatoes / 50g olive oil / 50g garlic / 75g sweet paprika for seasoning

Method

Cut tomatoes into cubes and blend in in a food processor. Pre-heat the olive oil in a pan and sauté the garlic until golden brown. Add the paprika and the tomato paste. Let it simmer, stir occasionally until reduced into half until it reaches smooth texture, add a pinch of sugar to balance the taste of the tomatoes

Seafood stock

2kg blue crab / 2kf fish, sultan Ibrahim / 3 garlic cloves / 1kg tomatoes, grated / 20g sweet paprika / 1.5l water

Method

Clean the fish. Clean the crab and cut them into half. Place the fish and crab straight to the oven for 30 minutes at 180Cto achieve the desired colour and set aside. Grate the tomatoes, crush the whole garlic then sauté in olive oil until golden brown. Add the paprika, grated tomatoes and let simmer for 20 minutes.

In another pot put the crab and fish, sautéed the tomatoes, garlic, paprika then add water. Let it simmer for 20 to 45 minutes and let it infuse for an hours.

Saffron water

10g saffron / 20ml water

Method

In a pan on low heat add the saffron water, boil it until it turns to orange colour.

Seafood sofrito

1kg cuttlefish / 500g chardonnay / 500g onions

Method

Sauté the sofrito, add stock and bring to a boil. Add, black colour, let it simmer and check the consistency. Add the rice and avoid stirring or mixing as not to break the rice and lose its starch. As soon as it dries, place straight to the oven and heat for 3-5 minutes in 200C. Add the grilled squid, aioli and spring onion on top and serve.

PAELLA NEGRA CON PUNTILLAS Y AIOLI

by DANIEL DELGADO

INGREDIENTS

Stock

60g duck fat

50g flour

350ml brown veal stock

350ml chicken stock

350ml bisque

Method

Place a pot over a medium fire and add the duck fat, let it melt and then add the flour, reduce the heat and stir until golden brown. Add the both stock slowly to avoid creating lumps. Increase the fire to bring the mixture to a boil. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to simmer and allow to reduce till you get a thick sauce.

Gumbo

10g Cajun spices

20g duck fat

100g celery, brunoise

100g red onions, brunoise

100g green bell peppers, brunoise

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

50g spring onions, finely chopped

50g okra, slightly blanched

50g beef chorizo, brunoise

16pcs mussels, with the shell

120g sea bass, cubes

16pcs shrimps, peeled, cleaned, deveined

100g crab meat

Pinch of smoked paprika

Method

Add the duck fat to a heavy based pan over medium fire, once heated add the vegetables except the garlic and okra. Cook the vegetables till they become translucent. Add the garlic and continue cooking until vegetables becomes mushy. Add the Cajun spices and the stock, increase the fire till it starts boiling and reduce to simmer. Add the chorizo, seafood and okra and remove from the fire, allow the seafood cook with the temperature of the stock. Finish with some smoked paprika. Best served with creole rice.

SEAFOOD GUMBO

by ILIAS KOKOROSKOS

INGREDIENTS

120g Hokkaido scallops / 100g green pea purée / 20g beef chorizo / 30g green peas

50g butter / salt and pepper for seasoning

1g smoked paprika / 20ml olive oil / 20ml fish stock / 15g aged parmesan

Garnish

Pea shoots

Method

Rinse the scallops with cold water and pat dry, slice them into two and marinate with salt, black pepper and smoked paprika Place a pan on the high heat, then add the butter and olive oil, make sure oil is hot. Now carefully add the scallops; they should not touch each other.

Pan sear the scallops for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until light brown. Add the parmesan cheese on the top of the scallops using micro plane grater. Gratinate them on the salamander for a crust. Meanwhile, cut the chorizo into 5mm slices and add to the reduced fish stock with the peas. Mix over a low heat, finish them with butter.

Serve scallops immediately once cooking is complete or hold in the pan for final assemble to plate.

Assemble the scallops on the middle of the plate and Garnish them with green pea purée and chorizo mix.

Green pea purée

400g green peas / 2g salt / 200ml fish stock

1g white pepper / 5ml lemon juice

Method

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, blanch the peas for 2 minutes. Add the peas to a blender along with a white fish stock. Blitz the peas, adding more liquid in small additions as needed. Blend for no more than 2-3 minutes, until a fairly thick, smooth purée has been achieved. Pass the purée into a fine sieve and use the back of the ladle to push it through - this will give you a silky-smooth finish.

Taste and season with salt and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

PAN SEARED HOKKAIDO SCALLOPS

by PRABA MANICKAM

AKIL AHMED

Growing up in India, Akil I learned the ropes of the culinary trade between 1991 and 1995 with a collection of hotels. As an ambitious chef, he worked my way up the ranks quickly. The inspiration to become a chef was his mother as he watched her cook and he learned the abc’s of cooking from her.

He initiated his career with AccorHotels in 1998 as chef de partie at the Sofitel City Centre, where his passion for gastronomy shined through everything he did and went on to lead the kitchen brigade and subsequently, the immense task of rebranding the property to Pullman Deira City Centre Dubai. His foray into Accor properties continued around the country including holding the position of executive chef for the pre-opening of Novotel and Adagio Abu Dhabi Al Bustan and now at Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach.

Akil’s preoccupation with classic French sauces forms the basis for much of his work. He has called sauce ‘the verb of French cuisine’, and has tried to fully comprehend its place in cuisine as the one single component that can unite other, mostly diverse, flavours in harmony. For him, this is what differentiates ‘cuisine’ from ‘food’, and many of his recipes hold true to this philosophy. His dishes are created with simple ingredients combined with rich sauces and subtle flavours elevate them to a culinary art form.

DUCK LEG CONFIT

Duck confit is a dish by itself, a technique, a fancy French dish. A favourite method of preparing meat in pre-fridge France was to preserve it in its own fat. It is similar to maceration, but instead of infusing booze with fruit, you’re infusing meat with fat and flavour. Harmful bacteria cannot thrive in dense fat, so historically; confit did not have to be chilled to stay fresh. The legs and thighs are the fattiest portions of the bird and therefore the ones you want to use. Allowing the legs to sit overnight or longer with herbs imparts more flavour into the meat and fat. Since the meat will be hanging out in the fat for a nice long time as it slowly cooks, it’s worth it to seek out high-quality fresh herbs.

INGREDIENTS

4 duck legs

3tbsp kosher salt

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 juniper berries, crushed

4 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

4 cups duck fat, melted

Method

Mix all the seasonings together and coat the duck pieces with the mixture. Place them in a container or a zip lock bag and store it in the refrigerator for 24 to 72 hours.

Remove and brush off the excess seasonings.

Preheat the oven to 225C and place the duck legs in a single layer skin side down in a large pot. Pour the melted duck fat over top and place in the oven for 3 to 4 hours until the meat can be pulled from the bone.

ANUP PAWAR

Growing up in a large family that was very close and dining together where friends and family come together to cook, this was an essential part of Anup’s childhood. As a result, it wasn’t difficult for him to choose a passion that he would pursue professionally, which would keep his soul and the people around him happy. At 14, he decided to become a chef and enrolled at an up-scale hotel management school in India. He received a post graduate culinary degree at the Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development and was part of the Delhi Management Programme, where they hand-pick 10 chefs per year to be part of the school.

He started off working alongside people considered veterans in the kitchen who were trained by French chefs at The Oberoi Mumbai and had the privilege to work with chefs from around the world. This taught him the knowledge that expertise has to be earned, that nothing in life is achieved easily. One of the most influential chefs who shaped his career is Alain Gobeil, Alain showed him that keeping things simple is a great culinary approach and used to say that ‘being simple is very difficult’.

Anup truly believes that the most important thing is to respect ingredients and not to overthink and complicate dishes, menus or concepts. Simplicity and consistency are key to running a successful kitchen. The inspiration behind each dish should be to satisfy all of the senses, from its appealing look, mouth-watering smell to unforgettable taste – every one of a customer’s senses should be equally satisfied.

CREAM CHEESE AND GRANNY SMITH STUFFED CRISPY CORN KEBABS

INGREDIENTS

Kebabs

500g sweet corn

200g potatoes

50ml ghee

10g nigella seed

5g turmeric

5g ginger chopped

3g green chili chopped

10g green coriander

1g salt black

2g star anise powder

C5g cumin powder

2g yellow chilli powder

1g kasoori methi powder

200g crushed corn flakes

Batter

200g chickpea flour

150ml water

2g salt

Stuffing

100g cream cheese

40g green apple chopped

Method

Boil the potatoes until soft, mash the potatoes and keep aside.

Roughly chop the corn and keep aside.

Heat the ghee in a pan, add the nigella seeds, turmeric add the corn and cook for 10 minute. Keep aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl add the mashed potatoes, corn and mix all the powder spices. Season with salt and pepper, and make small 30g kebabs, stuff the patties with cream cheese and apple mixture.

Make a batter of gram flour and water. Coat the kebabs in the mixture and then crumb with crushed corn flakes. Set the oil temperature to 170C and deep fry the kebabs until they are golden brown.

DANIEL DELGADO

Hailing from the beautiful town of Jerez de la Frontera, south of Spain, Daniel Delgado comes from a humble family that has always taught him that simple things are better than wealth. At a young age, he wasn’t that passionate about working in the restaurant industry. However, as the years passed by, he started learning about recipes, different cooking techniques, and about quality products. This sparked the love for the culinary arts and today he loves what he does and puts his heart into every dish.

Having worked in several fine dining restaurants and casual bars, what matters most to Daniel is serving unpretentious dishes, cooking with love just as his mum cooks. He finds inspiration for his menu from traditional homemade cuisines, memories from his childhood and tries to keep everything simple and full of flavour. It’s all about balance

“There are lots of flavours and ingredients in Mediterranean cuisine, so the secret is to use each ingredient for what it provides, all ingredients added for the final result of the dish to get the right balance on a plate”.

TORTILLA CON TRUFA DE TEMPORADA

INGREDIENTS

450g Agria potatoes, cut as per your preference / 300g eggs / 5g rosemary / salt for seasoning / 5g truffle paste / 2g truffles, grated

Caramelized onions

150g brown onions, chopped / 200g sunflower oil

Method

Caramelized onions

In a pan with olive oil on low heat, add the chopped onion and slowly cook until they are richly browned. Stir occasionally and set aside for serving pre portion

Potato confit

In a pan with oil on low heat, add rosemary. Mix the potatoes and caramelized onions, add the eggs and truffle paste when the potatoes is cooked and season with salt. Grate some fresh winter truffle on top of the omelette.

DANIELLE MARCELLINI

Never considered to be a chief, Danielle always thought it was boring and the lifestyle is repetitive. After finishing university with science as a major subject, Danielle’s dream back then was to become an astronomer or archaeologist as he was always a curious person, discovering new horizons was his passion until he found out an entire universe behind the kitchen where he explored thousands of ingredients and different techniques. The next was to become a chef as he realized the happiness and joy that food provides to people. His grandmother taught him the importance of flavours, food aroma, and the warmth it can bring to others. Every taste tells a story: it could be someone’s childhood, or cultural dishes that reminds one of a specific country.

Having worked with chefs, Danielle learnt different things from all of them especially the importance of produce, creativity and technique “Chefs revolve their lives around these factors. Everyone’s technique and unique cooking style make it different. Creativity is vital for every chef and adaptability plays a role in making sure we deliver the best dishes. I create my own vision and style, inspired by others and apply it to his techniques. Knowing the product is essential and it is all about blending it together with other ingredients to create a perfect dish”.

RISOTTO ALLA PESCATORA RISOTTO WITH SEAFOOD

INGREDIENTS

300g carnaroli rice

3 langoustines

100g calamari ring

80g shrimps

150g mussels

150g clams

30g cold butter diced

100g fresh tomato sauce

1 shallot

Sprig of fresh parsley

15ml olive oil

Salt for seasoning

1.2lts bisque stock - the bisque is made of crustaceous shells (crab, lobster, and shrimps) or use a fish stock

Method

Toast the rice in a sauce pot with butter and shallots, once toasted keep aside.

In a separate pan, sauté all the seafood in hot olive oil, make sure the pan is large. Add the rice to the seafood and stir frequently for 2 minutes. Start adding the bisque stock (preferably very hot) very slow. Make sure you add enough stock as much the rice can absorb, this will allow the rice to cook evenly and get all the flavour. The rice will take about 16 minutes to cook. Once the rice is cooked remove from the fire and let it rest about 30 seconds, add the chopped parsley and the butter.

Born and raised in Brazil, David Parolin has seen half of the world and loves exchanging food knowledge and getting to know local cultures and ingredients. However, his decision to become a chef came as an accident. He was a mechanical engineering student who decided to take a break from university to travel to Sydney, Australia. In order to help with the expenses, he got his first job as a kitchen hand at Hugo’s in Sydney’s Kings Cross, a restaurant owned by the celebrity chef Pete Evans and the rest is history.

Extremely grateful for having the opportunity to work with Nobu Matsuhisa, Daniel Boulud during his time on-board Crystal Cruises has definitely added depth to his palate and made him a better rounded culinary professional. As a graduate from Le Cordon Bleu School of Culinary Arts and currently the chef de cuisine at Fogueira, David’s menus are driven by quality produce, composition of flavours “Balancing flavours is somewhat of an art and science. Tasting as you cook and adjusting the flavours is a skill that a chef must master to perfect dishes”.

DAVID PAROLIN CUPIM BRAHMAN HUMPS

INGREDIENTS

Beef humps

Rock salt for seasoning

250g unsalted butter

Dry herb mix

Method

Preheat oven to 160C. Cover the whole extension of the humps with a thick layer of butter. Cover the butter with rock salt and the dry herbs.

Wrap all in cling film until is totally sealed.

Wrap it in aluminium foil and transfer to the preheated oven for about 6 hours.

Growing up in Forli, Northern Italy, Davide has the fondest memories of my childhood and most cantered around food. Big meal, celebratory dinners, late afternoon lunches was a way of life for us. The day started early with him and his Nonno (grandfather) Sergio Gardini (a barber by profession and a chef at heart) visiting the local farms to pick the produce of the day. The memories of that little walk to the farms is still etched in his brain, they would wander from one stall to another, picking the best ingredients, along the way his grandfather was thinking the dishes he would put on the table that afternoon. Each interaction with local vendor was a lesson in cooking for Davide, sharing tips, recipes, techniques of how the ingredients was to be cooked and where it came from. So it would be right to say that his culinary education started way before he enrolled into culinary school. “My family has always been a huge influence on my cooking. What I have learnt early on are simple yet delicious dishes cooked in our humble home. My cooking style is a homage to all things Forli and my family, who have taught me to cook with love”.

Davide has been conceptualizing the menu since 2017 at BiCE Ristorante which is famed for its superior quality, attention to detail and the combination of food and art incorporated to create a unique dining experience.

DAVIDE GARDINI OCTOPUS IN VIOLET

INGREDIENTS

Octopus

150g octopus legs / 1 white onion / 1 large carrot / 2g sea salt / 1g pepper / 2g rosemary / 2g thyme / 1 bay leaf

Method

Wash and clean the octopus removing eyes and the beak. In a large pot, add the white onion (cut in to 4 pieces), the diced carrot and all the herbs and species.

Arrange the octopus in the pot along the vegetables and the herbs. Fill the pot with water to ¾ and make sure all the ingredients are fully covered with the water.

Leave the pot on a high heat till the water starts boiling and then reduce it to medium heat.

Sear the pot with aluminium foil and leave it cook for about 45-55 minutes.

After this time, leave the octopus in the cooking water at room temperature, until it will be cold. Once the octopus is cold, drain the octopus, cut the legs separately and leave it a side.

Purple potatoes

100g violet potatoes, skin on / 10ml extra virgin olive oil / 2g salt

Method

Boil the potatoes with the skin in salty water. Once cooked, peel the potatoes and mash them finely. Season it with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

Beetroot gel

40g beetroots / 2g xantana

Method

Cook the beetroots in boiling water until it is soft. Once cooked, peel them, and

cut it in small cubes. Blend the beetroot with the xantana for about 5 minutes. Strain it and pour it in a squeeze bottle.

Pickled red onion

50g red onions / 20ml vinegar / 10g sugar 10g salt / 10ml water

Method

Cut the red onions in to petals. Arrange the onions in a container and pour the marinade on it. Leave it to marinade for 8 hours in the fridge.

Onion marinating

Mix all the ingredients, water, sugar, salt and a tea spoon of beetroot purée. Black olives crumble 4 black olives

Method

Dry the black olives in the oven at the temperature of 50C for 3 to 4 hours. Once the olives are completely dry, blend them grossly or chop it with the knife.

Garnish

Sakura micro leaves mix

Finishing

Cut the octopus legs in 3 parts, arrange it in a small bawl with a teaspoon of olive oil, cover with cling film and reheat it in microwave for 10 to 15 seconds or you can wrap the octopus with cling film and leave it in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes. Re-heat the purple potatoes either in the microwave or a pan, make quenelles or any shape you like. Plate all the ingredients and serve warm.

FADI NAIM

Born in Liberia and raised in Lebanon, Fadi’s interest and curiosity about cooking started at a young age of 15 in the family kitchen. He spent a lot of time watching his mother cook as he grew up. It was from her hand that he gained confidence in the kitchen. She encouraged his curiosity and pushed him to pursue the culinary arts. His favorite memory is definitely from every weekend, his mum would gather the family and would prepare two of his all-time favorite dishesKibbeh nayyeh (a dish made of minced raw lamb or beef mixed with fine bulgur, spices, mint leaves, olive oil, and green onions) and a traditional roast leg of lamb with mint, carrots and potatoes roasted with butter.

His first summer job was as a commis at an Italian restaurant in Beirut where he continued working until he earned his diploma in Hospitality Management from the Lebanese International University. After university, he landed roles as a line cook in several renowned restaurants in Beirut, and worked my way up to sous chef.

In 2009, Fadi was an integral member of the team that launched the first branch of Couqley French Bistro. After 6 years maturing as a sous chef, in 2011, he was appointed as the head chef. He continued honing his management and culinary skills, and went on to successfully launch another Couqley branch in Lebanon and several other restaurants owned by the Couqley Group. In 2016, Fadi moved to Dubai to launch Couqley’s first restaurant in the UAE, as the Executive Chef, he skilfully leads the kitchen team and successfully developed the brand’s culinary offerings.

RAVIOLI CEPE

INGREDIENTS

Filling

125g Cepe mushrooms, cut fine

60g Portobello mushrooms, cut fine

2g fresh thyme

5g garlic, chopped

25g shallots, chopped

3g salt

2g white pepper

Method

In a pan on medium heat add the olive oil and sauté the shallots for 3 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, sauté for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a strainer to cool and to take out any excess liquid.

Dough

1255g flour 00

2 egg yolks

1 egg

4g olive oil

19g milk

Method

Place the flour on a working table and make a well in the centre. Slowly add the egg yolks, the whole egg and mix well. Once the dough is mixed, add the olive oil and milk to and mix it well. Knead the dough after mixing all the ingredients at least for 15 minutes to form smooth dough. Once the dough is soft let it rest in the chiller for 30 minutes.

Cream ali sauce

½ garlic clove

250g cream

2g rosemary

2g salt

1g white pepper

Method

Add all the ingredients to a pan and let the sauce simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, until it gets the right consistency.

Ravioli cepe

20g sautéed mushrooms

2g chives, chopped

Finishing

Cut the dough into two pieces and roll each through the pasta machine from 0-9.

The pasta sheet should be thin until it reaches 9. Once the pasta sheet is done cut the dough into desired shape.

Brush the dough pieces with egg yolk, place the filling in the centre then close with another dough piece on top. Close the edges tightly, avoid having air bubbles inside the ravioli. Once the ravioli is made, cook it in a salted boiling water for 4 minutes.

Transfer the cooked raviolis to the sauce, let it simmer together for a minute. Transfer the raviolis and the sauce to a plate finish with sautéed mushroom and chopped chives on top.

HOWARD KO

Raised in Los Angeles, Howard recognised a deep-rooted love for food and found himself exploring his curiosity in the kitchen throughout his childhood. To pursue his dream of becoming a chef, he moved to New York to train at The Culinary Institute of America, which focuses on culinary, baking, and pastry arts education with renowned alumni including Anthony Bourdain and Grant Achatz.

He began his culinary journey in 2006 at DANIEL, a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York, and worked with several other Michelinstarred restaurants across New York and California including Picholine, Restaurant Mélisse, The Restaurant at Meadowood and The French Laundry, where he worked alongside Timothy Hollingsworth, famous restauranteur and winner of Final Table.

Throughout his career, Howard has reinvented classics by finding the ideal balance between tradition and modernity. His commitment to delivering well-thought-out and provocative fine cuisine has built him a gastronomical fan club across the United States. Howard is delighted to continue his incredible journey at CÉ LA VI Dubai and continues to create dishes using inspiration from his favourite food capitals of the world – Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Shanghai and Tokyo.

WAGYU BEEF TARTARE WITH PRAWN TOAST, MARINATED RED PEPPERS, ASIAN PEA AND SESAME

INGREDIENTS

40g kiwami beef, diced

30g beef tartare marinade, recipe on the right

2g egg yolk jam - 5 eggs cooked at 64C for 2 hour and only the yolk

3g blistered marinated red peppers, recipe below

4g prawn toast – 35g bread, 115g mousse and 4g sesame seed

Asian pear battens

1g micro shiso

2g shallots, crispy

Beet tartar marinade

325g soy

50g sesame oil

125g honey

85g sesame

40g scallion

40g minced garlic

Method

Mix all the ingredients

Blistered marinated red peppers

200g long red chilli peppers, sliced

12g mirin

12g garlic

9g sesame oil

13g soy

22g honey

7g Korean chilli flakes

9g sugar

¼ cup water

6g canola oil

12g garlic

Method

Slice long red peppers on a base. Mix the mirin, garlic, sesame oil, honey and chilli flakes.

In a pan use 6 grams of canola oil until it is smoking and add the blistered red pepper and 12 grams of garlic, and then add in the mixed ingredients. Add water at the end and bring to a boil and cool down.

Prawn Toast

500g shrimp deveined

40g ginger, minced

35g garlic, minced

35g scallion, sliced

2 eggs

38g fish sauce

15g soy

Sesame seeds

35g slice of pain di mie

IVAN VASILEV

Originally from Tuscany, Italy, Ivan’s passion for food was inspired by his parents and their love and respect for quality and tradition. He started cooking at the age of ten and by fourteen he was working in kitchens learning the fundamentals of traditional cuisine. After graduating from culinary school at the age of 18, Ivan’s culinary repertoire flourished during his time in Italy. He gained tremendous knowledge and experience during his time in Montepulciano and Cortona, before moving to Dubai to work under Chef Alessandro Salvatico at the Armani Hotel. Throughout these experiences, he further developed his creativity, refined his culinary techniques, and learned the discipline and attitude necessary for success- It was the beginning of a new era, and a new way of looking at food for Ivan.

In 2017, he joined Grand Hyatt Dubai’s culinary team as sous chef at Andiamo!, a vibrant Italian restaurant and bar, where he quickly became an indispensable asset to the restaurant, bringing his exquisite palate and creativity to everything he touched. In August 2020, he was later named chef de cuisine, a role in which he continues to delight guests with his refined, contemporary cuisine. In addition to his hand-made pizzas and pastas, Ivan as an excellent reputation for his traditional lobster ravioli, Spaghetti All’astice, Tagliata di Manzo con guanciale di coccia, and Astice al Cartoccio - just to name a few.

He believes the most flavourful cuisine is made simply with the best, highest quality products, and he considers it part of his job to inspire and educate guests about fine Italian cuisine.

SQUID TORTELLI STUFFED WITH RICOTTA CHEESE

AND LEMON, AMBERJACK TARTAR AND CELERIAC CREAM

INGREDIENTS

Pasta

1kg semolina / 35ml egg yolks / 100ml egg whites / 1tbsp white vinegar

2tbsp olive oil / 15g of salt / squid ink

Method

Start by mixing the flour (semolina) and salt together in a mixing bowl. Then add egg yolk, egg white, squid ink, olive oil and vinegar to the mixing bowl. Slowly mix all together. Later, construct a dough ball, and store the mixture in a cling film wrap for 1 hour. Let this rest.

Filling

500g ricotta / 1 lemon zest / 3 tbsp olive oil / salt and pepper for seasoning / 10g thyme leaves

Method

Mix the ricotta, lemon zest, 10 g of thyme leaves, olive oil and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Place them mixture in a piping bag, and then store in a chiller.

Demi-glace

1 carrot / 1 shallot / 1 celery / 1 onion

1 rosemary and sage stick / 200g fish bones

Method

Cut shallots, celeriac, onion, and carrots into cubes. Roast the mixture in a large pan. Add fish bones. Keep roasting until you see a dark colour. Add 1 litre of cold water. Add 1 stick

Celeriac cream

1 shallot / 1 celeriac root / 1l stock, vegetable

Method

Chop the celeriac. Roast the shallots. Gently mix together. Continue to add vegetable stock to the mix, until is softens. Once the mixture softens, season with salt and pepper, and then use a blender to blend until you reach a smooth consistency. Finally store in a chiller.

of rosemary and 1 stick of sage. Let the liquid reduce, and strain with strainer. Keep cooking until you get a dark brown sauce.

Tartar

100g Hamachi fish / 10 chervil leaves

1 spring onion

Method

Start by chopping the Hamachi fish into cubes. Chop the chervil leaves and spring onions. Mix altogether,

Finishing

Start by flattening the pasta dough. Use a stencil to cut rings to shape the pasta

Once you have the shape, start adding the filling. Close the pasta down the middle, similar to a half moon

Pinch both corners of the pasta, and slowly bring them together downwards, to create a shape of a button. Boil the pasta in salty boiling water. Once it’s come to a boil, strain the pasta

Heat the celeriac cream, and brush across the plate (for plating)

Place the Tortelli on top of the brushstrokes of celeriac cream

Add the tartar cubes on top of each Tortelli

Add a light touch of the demi glass sauce.

IZU ANI

“I believe as a Chef I am a storyteller through my food, but we must remember that foods belongs to the culture it comes from, by understanding the culture, you have the privilege of understanding how to extract the food experience and tell the story as from the sources. My aim in life is to keep adding to my life journey through food and to be able to share this with the eagle-eyed new generation who are as keen as me to explore how to extend they limits of creativity.”

Born in Nigeria and raised in London, Izu’s passion for the kitchen began at a young age, from cooking breakfast at home to his home economics classes at school. He finished his studies and launched into his career by joining Michelin star restaurant The Square at the Mayfair where he started doing pastry and progressed from one section to the other and finally to the meat section. Izu recalls “sometime in 1998 when The Square got its second star, we were so very busy, for lunch we had 120 covers and 130 covers for dinner, after that service I remember Phil Howard came and shook my hand, I was only 20 then and that was the proudest moment of my life”.

Izu lives by the ethos that life is not about ownership, everything is learned and borrowed and when you learn that nothing belongs to us, you can consider that you have learned only a small proportion of what there is to learn in life. His ambition to share his knowledge and process of learning with others and to pass this knowledge onto future generations. Inspired by the plethora of cultures surrounding him and his love to travel.

Izu loves to understand the story behind the ingredients and dishes he is creating. Having the knowledge of the background of an ingredient, looking after unusual products, understanding the culture aspects behind it, discovering new flavours… is the reason for Izu’s goal, to keep creating. Inspired and he has been learning that being constantly challenged is what has accelerated his forward-thinking. Expand his skills and increasing his knowledge through the process of learning is one of the most important philosophies of Izu and this process is the perfect way to respond to the changing and dynamic environment of Dubai and the Middle East.

POACHED EGGS & SMOKED SALMON

INGREDIENTS

5 eggs (3 for hollandaise sauce, 2 for main dish)

Water

White balsamic vinegar

Salt for seasoning

Clarified butter

Bread

Smoked salmon

Olive oil

Black pepper

Method

Hollandaise Sauce

Boil water in a saucepan

Place one egg and the yolk of two eggs in a bowl and pour in a splash of water. Pour in the white balsamic vinegar and salt, one of my favourite ingredients due to its beautiful balance of sweetness and acidity

As soon as you add the salt, begin to whisk the mixture. Aim to ensure you are getting the most air into the sauce as possible to make it fluffy

Place the bowl above the boiling water while whisking, to add heat to the mixture

Once you have achieved a thick, fluffy consistency, add clarified butter while whisking, little by little to keep the sauce light

Poached Egg

I always like to use a large pan, which gives a teardrop shape to the eggs

Bring the water to boil, with a little salt

Place the eggs into the water, cook for around one minute and a half to two minutes until your desired consistency

Finish

Toast your bread of choice and top with fresh smoked salmon

Place the poached eggs on top, followed by the Hollandaise Sauce, black pepper and olive oil to taste

Tips

Use the freshest eggs for the best flavour. You can check this by breaking it, older eggs have a runny, water-like consistency, whereas younger eggs are plumper.

JOÃO GARCIA

Inspired by his family, their love of fresh produce and watching other people to cook and learning from his grandma. Because the family house was by the sea, he liked to cook seafood and everything related with the sea. After studying Mediterranean cuisine at The Culinary Institute of America and undergoing training at the Alain Ducasse School, João’s culinary repertoire has flourished over a 10year period, working at Lisbon’s Hotel Real Palácio as chef de partie and junior sous chef. Mentored by Joachim Koerper, João continued to rise through the ranks at Eleven Restaurant in Portugal. Joachim showed him a new side of the culinary world which made him change his work philosophy with love and passion, and taught his from the most basic ideas to the most complex nothing was impossible.

Relocating to Dubai, he joined GQ Bar at JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai, thereafter, La Cantine du Faubourg and later the group head chef of Meraas Holding. Currently with Gates Hospitality as head chef at Bistro des Arts where he aims to elevate the bistro concept with his standards and ideas.

DUCK LEG CONFIT WITH LENTILS RAGOUT

One of my favourite dishes, reminds me my childhood, when my grandma was cooking the lentils and finishing with roasted duck.

INGREDIENTS

299g duck confit leg

100g lentils

50g carrots, cubes

10g shallots, chopped

5g garlic

100g demi-glace

20g butter

10g beef chorizo

2g salt

5g parsley

1g pepper

Method

Cook the duck leg in duck fat for 4 hours at 88C. Add the shallots and garlic. Then add the chorizo, carrots and let cook for more 2 minutes. Add the lentils and the demi-glace, slow cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Finish with parsley and butter.

When plating, put the leg on the top.

KAM FAI CHEE

As a young boy, Kam Fai Chee discovered his passion with everything related to the culinary world. He decided to pursue it as a career which led me to where he is today, with over 3 decades of culinary expertise. In 2006, Kam’s journey commenced at Le Meridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre, bringing his culinary skills all the way from Hong Kong and his experiences from Canada, and Taiwan. Due to his culinary deeply rooted in epicurean traditions of China with elusive references to contemporary flavours, and a master in the craft, Kam has become an expert of Peking and Cantonese cuisine.

To be a great chef, one has to be willing to experiment, willing to try something new and push the boundaries in what they know and don’t know. Overcoming his uncertainties in trying new things has helped Kam grow and reach his goals not only for his own self but also for the people around him who are aspiring to be successful chefs. Kam draws his inspirations from age-old practices and traditional specialties handed down from generations and his culinary expertise is reflected on his curated menus specializing in authentic Cantonese and Szechuan fare.

SLICED STRIPLION BEEF ONION LEEKS

INGREDIENTS

250g striplion beef, sliced

3g onion leeks

1g garlic

5g oyster sauce

1g dark soya sauce

2g white vinegar

2g corriander leaves

Method

Cut the striplion beef and set aside. Cut the garlic, onion leeks. Sauté the garlic, onions and leeks together. Put back the beef in the wok. Add soya sauce, oyster sauce and dark soya sauce. Mix well and add white vinegar at last. Ready to serve.

SMOKED LAMB CHOPS

by ANUP PAWAR

INGREDIENTS

500g – 8pcs lamb chops

3g cumin powder

5g coriander powder

5g salt

6g malt vinegar

5g pineapple juice

10g corn oil

40g ginger garlic paste

5g Kashmiri red chili paste

150g Turkish labneh

10g gram masala

Smoking

2pcs shisha charcoal or wood charcoal

2 whole cloves whole

10ml ghee or butter

Air tight glass 14 cm high or utensil that has a tight lid

A small stainless steel bowl to keep the live coal

Method

Marinate the lamb chops with ginger garlic paste, pineapple juice, malt vinegar and salt.

Make the second marinade with oil, powdered masalas, labneh, and mix them to make a smooth paste. Add the lamb chops into the marinade and mix well.

Roast it in an oven or on a barbeque for 10 to 15 minutes and finish it with lemon juice and butter.

Smoke it in a jar with live charcoal, cloves and ghee.

MATZAH BALLS SOUP

by ELLI KRIEL

Matzah ball soup is the one thing everybody looks forward to during Pesach (Passover). While they can be eaten any time of year, the most common time is during Pesach or over Shabbat. Here is a recipe that I love and use every year.

INGREDIENTS

1tbsp schmaltz or chicken fat

1tsp cinnamon

1tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup fine matzo meal

1 cup water or soda water

1tsp baking powder

Method

Mix the chicken fat, cinnamon and salt together. Add the eggs one by one. Beat till light and fluffy. Then fold in the matzah meal and baking powder and add water. Mix well and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes until all the water is absorbed and you can form balls.

Wet hands and roll into balls.

Neshama

chop half an onion and fry it in oil. Add half teaspoon of cinnamon and mix together. When forming the matzah balls, add the filling into the centre of the ball and then close. Boil them in salted water for 10 minutes. Then boil another 10 minutes in your favourite chicken or vegetable soup broth.

POLLO BABY DE CORRAL AND ROMESCO

by DANIEL DELGADO

INGREDIENTS

450g baby chicken

Method

Debone the chicken, season it with salt, thyme, oregano and rosemary, olive oil, fresh orange juice and grill the chicken.

Romesco

500g plum tomatoes

1 garlic clove

40g bread crumbs

30g sherry vinegar

125g olive oil

100g hazel nuts

35g tomato paste

10g parsley

Method

Grill the tomatoes in an oven or in a Josper.

In the pan with some olive oil, fry the bread and nuts. Save the oil for emulsifying later.

Mix all the ingredients and blend. Season with salt and strain.

PIRI PIRI CHICKEN SMOKED AVOCADO CREAM AND TASCA PIRI PIRI SAUCE

by LUCIANO MARQUES

“Chicken on the Portuguese barbecue”. Traditional Portuguese fla vours project our creative essence in exploring knowledge by adding a hint of unlikely combinations.

INGREDIENTS

Tasca sauce

200g chicken legs, boneless

50g piri piri sauce

40g avocado cream

1g salt

10ml olive oil

2g chili salt

Method

Marinate the chicken legs for 12 hours with 10g of piri piri sauce, olive oil and salt. After 12 hours, place it in a vacuum bag and seal it. Cook at 68C for 35 minutes in a sous vide. Remove the chicken from the bag and grill it on both sides. Cut into slices.

Piri piri sauce

1l olive oil

500g 4 different types of seasonal chilies, Chopped 100g brown onion, chopped

50g garlic, chopped

100ml white vinegar

3g salt

5 bay leaves

Method

Sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil, add the peppers and let it simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for another 10 minutes. Let it stand for 5 hours and then blend it in a food processor.

Avocado cream

300g avocado pulp

300ml lemon juice

6g salt

5g cumin

10g Tabasco sauce

30ml smoke oil

Method

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend it until you get a smooth and stable cream texture.

Plating

Brush the base of the plate with the avocado cream, placing the chicken on top. Finish it with the piri piri sauce, avocado cream and chili salt. Serve it with homemade French fries.

INGREDIENTS

1kg duck boneless / 200g chana dal / 200g ghee / 3 whole red chillies / 1tsp black pepper / 1tsp cumin seeds / 5 bay leaves

2tsp whole coriander seeds / 2 cinnamon sticks / 2 black cardamom / 3 green cardamoms / salt for seasoning / 15g fresh ginger / 10g garlic / 5g mint leaves / 10g fresh coriander / 5g garam masala / 1 egg

Method

Boil the duck meat and chana dal with fresh mint leaves, cinnamon, bay leaves, black cardamom, green cardamom& coriander leaves till tender.

In a pan, heat the ghee and add the chopped ginger, garlic, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, whole red chillies along with whole black pepper. Add the boiled meat and dal mixture to the pan with spices (remove cinnamon, bay leaves, black & green cardamom).

Cook the duck mixture till it is dry on slow heat. Adjust the seasoning by adding salt and garam masala. After the mixture is dry, cool it down and add the egg white to the mix.

Make patties and grill on medium hot pan till golden brown and crisp.

Peach compote

500g fresh peach / 5ml lemon juice / 30ml peach purée / 1tbsp fennel seeds / 30ml cooking oil / salt and sugar for seasoning

Method

Heat oil in a pan and add the fennel seeds followed by fresh peaches. Add peach purée and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust the seasoning by adding salt, sugar and vinegar. Blend the mixture in a blender and serve with the duck shammi patties.

DUCK SHAMMI KABAB AND PEACH COMPOTE

by PRADEEP KHULLAR

SPICED ADANA KEBAB

by ZULFIKAR CAMBAZ

8 pcs pita bread or naan bread

2tsp red pepper flakes

2tsp ground coriander

2tsp cumin

2tsp black pepper

2tsp salt

Method

INGREDIENTS

450g ground lamb

450g ground beef meat

4tsp olive oil, for brushing on pita’s

4tsp salted butter, small cubes

1 red bell pepper, minced

1 medium yellow onion, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup yoghurt

2 medium red onions, sliced very thin

1tsp of sumac

1tsp of lemon juice

In a large mixing bowl add lamb and beef. Add the minced bell peppers and onions to the bowl followed by all the spices and mix well. Cover and let it rest in the fridge for a few hours and best overnight. Mix the lemon juice, sumac and red onion in small bowl cover and put in the fridge.

Remove the lamb and beef from the fridge and let it rest for 10 minutes before shaping the mixture into long and flat Adana Kebab shapes. Place on a hot grill and cook until it gets darker red and turns brown, the kebabs will be done when they feel spongy. When it is done place the kebab in a pita bread if you want to make a durum (wrapped) Kebab and top it with yogurt sauce and sliced red onion mixture or place it next to kebab in plate. This can also be served with a side of rice.

INGREDIENTS

1kg lamb mince / 100g beef bacon / 50g celery, minced / 40g white onions, minced 40g fennel, cored and sliced / 50g olive oil

8g sage leaves / 10g rosemary leaves off the branch / 10g garlic clove / 1g bay leaf

4tbsp tomato paste / 60g burgundy / 100g blended pomodoro tomato with hand blender / 40g water / 20g chicken powder

10g salt / 10g black pepper

Method

Mince the bacon and set aside. Mince the vegetables and mix all vegetables together. Ensure it is not overdone.

In a sauce pan on high heat, add bacon, olive oil, rosemary and sage and cook until browned. Add the vegetables. Lower the heat slightly and cook for about 15 minutes until caramelised.

Add the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes until all vegetables are coated. Add the lamb and cook until all juices start to release. Season it with salt and pepper. Cook until the meat is cooked. Add the burgundy and cook until for 5 minutes. Add the water mixed with chicken powder and blended tomato. Simmer for 1 hour.

Pasta

110g campanelle pasta / 25g yellow bell peppers, sliced / 25g red bell pepper, sliced / 2g red Thai chilli, sliced / 50g butter

350g lamb ragu / 10g Thai basil / 4g

pecorino cheese / 3g garlic bread crumb

Method

In a medium heated pan add the olive oil, add the peppers. Once browned, add Thai chilli and Thai basil followed by the lamb ragu and butter. Then add the pasta and cook with a pinch of chicken powder and 2 pinches of pecorino cheese. Plate with garlic bread crumbs and enjoy.

CAMPENELLE PASTA WITH LAMB RAGU, CAPSICUM, RED BIRD CHILI, THAI BASIL, PECORINO ROMANO

by HOWARD KO

LAMB SADDLE, WHIPPED PINE NUTS AND SALSA

by NICK ALVIS AND SCOTT PRICE

Pine nut salsa

100g crispy lamb skin, chopped / 250g toasted pine nuts / 20g red chilies, chopped / 50g lemon juice / ½ bunch coriander, chopped / 100g banana shallots, finely diced / 10g minced garlic / salt for seasoning

Method

Mix all ingredients apart from coriander which must be added at the very last second and mixed to keep it super fresh.

Lamb sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 whole lamb saddle

Method

Remove the bone and chop for the sauce. Cut through the centre dividing the 2 loins and then remove the belly flap (keep separate for the crispy lamb) cutting only up until the meat, leaving a nice piece of fat covering the length of the saddle loin meat. Remove the membrane on the outside of the fat and then carefully shave off the fat leaving approximately 2/3 mm thickness of fat. Divide the loins into 4 pieces giving you 4 evenly sized portions of trimmed up lamb saddle ready to roast. Keep in the chiller until needed.

Pine nut emulsion

150g toasted pine nuts, lightly crushed / 300g sunflower oil –infuse for 1 hour / 1 egg, egg white / 20g white vinegar / Salt for seasoning

Method

Warm the oil and then add the toasted, crushed pine nuts with a pinch of salt. Infuse in a warm place for one hour. Strain the oil through a semi fine sieve and cool. In a blender add the egg, vinegar and another pinch of salt and blend quickly until foamy. Whisk the oil to distribute the pine nut sediment, and gradually add to the egg mixture (as for hollandaise/mayonnaise) being careful not to add too much at once as the emulsion will split. When thick and glossy turn of the machine and fill a good size squeeze bottle with the emulsion. Chill until needed.

Crispy lamb skin (must be done the same day)

Lightly season the skin with salt and then in an oven proof pan with a little vegetable oil place the skin in the oven proof pan with another pan on top, ideally 2 iron frying pans with the skin sandwiched in between. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius, checking after 10 minutes and every 5 minutes thereafter until golden and crispy. As soon as you smell roast lamb it’s pretty much done, remove and cool, then chop to give you crispy bits.

1kg roasted lamb bones / 2l white chicken stock / 2lt brown veal stock / 150ml white vinegar / 100g shallots, finely sliced / small bunch of thyme 1 head garlic, split / 2 bay leaves

Method

Roast all the lamb bones at 180C and drain off the fat. In a saucepan sweat off the shallots with the thyme, garlic and bay until lightly golden, add the bones and then add the vinegar, reduce until almost nothing and add the stocks. Bring to the boil and carefully skim any fats, leave on a slow rolling boil for 90 minutes, strain through a fine sieve (or cheese cloth preferably) and reduce to a nice thick saucing consistency. Strain again then chill until needed.

Serving

Remove the lamb, emulsion and salsa from the chiller at least one hour before cooking.

Pre heat a pan large enough for all 4 pieces of the lamb, add a little cooking oil, lightly season all over the lamp with table salt, add to the oil fat side down and caramelize for no more than 1 minute, turn the lamb on to the other side and colour again for 1 minute.

Add a knob of butter and continue to turn the lamb over on to each side every 30 seconds, constantly basting with the foaming butter, ensuring the lamb is not left to cook on 1 side and making sure its caramelizing nicely.

For a medium cooking then remove after 5 minutes of this process, for further cooking just continue until you are happy (the firmer the meat, the more cooked), remove the meat and rest on a cooling rack for 5 minutes.

While the lamb is resting, bring the sauce to the boil, warm the salsa (without the coriander), shake the emulsion to make smooth. On warm plates squeeze a good table spoon of emulsion on to slightly right of the plate centre, add coriander to the salsa and mix, then spoon on equal amounts to each plate under the emulsion. Slice the lamb through the middle fat side up and put a piece on the left and the other on the right of the salsa. Spoon sauce around the emulsion and serve.

LIBOR DOBIS

Slovakian born Libor Dobis started his culinary journey in London in 2004, when he worked at Italian restaurant I Sapori by Stefano Cavallini. With a passion for South-East Asian flavors and cooking techniques, Libor went on to work at well-known restaurants Nobu, Nahm and Naamyaa by Alan Yau.

Known for its unique style of contemporary Japanese cooking and award-winning Japanese robatayaki concept, in 2014, Libor joined the ROKA family, working at both the Mayfair and Canary Wharf locations and working his way up to head chef. He moved to Dubai in 2019 as the new ROKA executive head chef, to head up the launch of ROKA Dubai.

SEA BREAM WITH WHITE MISO

INGREDIENTS

4 fillets sea bream fillet

100g white shiro miso

100g sweet saikyo miso

50ml ginger juice

50ml mirin

Method

Check that the fish has no scales or bones, whisk together the miso, ginger and the mirin to form a marinade. Spread the marinade evenly over the sea bream ensuring it is well covered and leave to marinade in the chiller at least 6 hours.

Time to grill

Skewer the sea bream with large metal skewers and grill on the robata. Grill flesh side down first and cook until the miso paste is rich golden colour, turn gently and cook on the skin side again until golden. Turn the fish a few times to ensure it is cooked through. Cooking time will depend a lot on the heat in the charcoal this one will need to be done by touch and feel.

MOHAMMAD, WASSIM & OMAR ORFALI

Three brothers, two passions with one goal, a story of how Orfali Brothers came to be - Mohammad, Wassim and Omar - three brothers who have travelled far and wide to inspire and be inspired by the delectable world of food, art, travel and culture. They aspire to enrich the culinary world with creations that are distinctly influenced by their roots and experiences. Although they have since discovered their own niche in the kitchen, an ever growing appetite for adventure and baking continues to keep them together.

For them rules are meant to be bent and broken. With respect to their tradition, they constantly pushing the boundaries of cooking to discover new flavors and sensations to their food and pastries. Some of the dishes have been made over and over as they want their dishes, their cuisine to invoke a sense of creativity, pride, and joy at the many possibilities that can be born from their kitchen.

At Orfali Bros, every day is a celebration of their journey and experiences, sprinkled with contemporary ideas served in a distinctive way. It is all about taste, texture and ingredients which they stand by.

WHERE IS THE MULUKHIYAH

INGREDIENTS

Mulukhiyah

4 cups fresh mulukhiyah leaves

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

5 garlic cloves

½ cup cilantro, chopped

6 anchovy fillets

4tbsp lemon juice

Salt and black pepper for seasoning

Fish stock as required

Method

In boiling water, blanch the mulukhiyah for 30 seconds then immediately shock it in ice water. Sauté the garlic and coriander in olive oil for 1 minute. Purée the blanched mulukhiyah with all the ingredients to reach a smooth green sauce.

Pickled shallots

5 small shallots

10g salt

100g beet juice

50g white balsamic vinegar

50g garlic vinegar

40g honey

2 sprigs thyme

Method

Peel and halve the onion, mix the salt and honey with liquid until the salt dissolves. Marinate for at least 1 hour before using.

Hamour fish

3 hamour fillets

1 cup olive oil

Salt and sugar for seasoning

Method

Season the fish with salt and sugar and let it rest for 30 minutes. Wash the fish in cold water and pat dry it. Pour the olive oil to cover the fish then cook the fish sous vide at 45C or on slow fire for 45 minutes. Torch the surface of the fish before the serving.

Bread and pine nuts crumble

150g sour dough

2tbsp olive oil

1 shallot, chopped

1 garlic, chopped

1 cup pine nuts

Method

In a food processor, blend the bread with olive oil, shallots and garlic, season with salt and transfer the crumble to oven tray. Preheat the oven and put the crumble in the oven at 150C for 30 minutes. Mix the toasted crumble with pine nuts.

NIM FAT KWAI

It all started 15 years ago when Nim Fat Kwai decided to take a part time job at a restaurant in Beijing and from then on his culinary passion grew and then moved to Hong Kong and Singapore which are rich with varieties of seafood and shellfish, this gave him a lot of ideas and taught him several different ways of cooking seafood. Here in Dubai a city with several different cultures, Nim found a mixture of Asian and Western ways of cooking seafood and is one of the reasons why the Seafood Market is a market style restaurant which gives guests the choice between different ingredients and methods of cooking.

Reinventing the sea-to-table dining experience, Seafood Market has been renowned for its freshest seafood. The culinary philosophy leans heavily on Far Eastern cuisine, with unique creations that tell the story of both traditional Asian specialties with a generous mix of contemporary renditions.

PAN FRIED HAMMOUR WITH SOYA SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

800g hammour

10g spring onions, shredded / 2g ginger, sliced / 150g corn oil / 8g coriander leaves

Sauce

70g light soya sauce / 5g dark soya sauce / 5g sugar / 100g chicken stock

Method

Clean the hammour and score the top of the fish. Mix all the sauce ingredients together.

Heat 130g oil in a wok add the ginger and pan fry the hammour until it is cooked.

Place the hammour in a serving plate and put the spring onions on top of the fish.

Heat 20g of corn oil in a wok and put the fish in it and pour the sauce on top of the fish. Garnish with the coriander leaves and serve hot.

PAWEL KAZANOWSKI

Pawel began his culinary adventure at a young age watching chefs at work where his mum was a restaurant manager at a traditional Polish restaurant. He moved to London, where his professional career took shape at a popular Japanese restaurant Yoshino. After gaining experience across Europe and Asia, he moved to the UAE and joined Zuma, Dubai and in spring of 2014 he moved to Abu Dhabi to lead Zuma there. In 2016, Pawel returned to Dubai, to lead the region as Executive Chef for Middle East and Turkey. He finds time to travel to Japan frequently, believing that it is essential to his role. Japan is a country that never stops to surprise him, with every corner offering something new and surprising, and an inspiring juxtaposition of tradition and modernity.

He recalls a moment of his childhood when he walked into his mum’s restaurant and saw this tall chef wearing a big white chef’s hat, he looked at him and said to himself “I want to be like him”, guess that was the moment that determined his career as a chef.

Being non-Japanese, it wasn’t always easy to convince his team that he was worthy of their time and attention, but eventually he succeeded. It was in this environment that he learned the fundamentals of Japanese cuisine, skills that have laid the foundation for his successive professional career.

KING CRAB SALAD WITH SESAME DRESSING

This salad was originally created by Zuma Dubai and has become one of our most popular salads on the menu. The combination of juicy and crunchy mizuna, crab and avocado with sweet and sour sesame dressing, make it a perfect appetizer for the most sophisticated and demanding palate.

INGREDIENTS

Sauce

60g mayonnaise

60g freshly ground sesame seeds

24g sugar

25g rice vinegar

25g soy sauce

25g sesame oil

Method

Into a large bowl pour vinegar and soy sauce, add sugar and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Then add all the other ingredients and mix until the sauce turns into a smooth liquid. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Salad

100g mizuna leafs (or optionally any green salad)

50g cooked king crab meat

½ avocado

¼ seedless cucumber

1tbsp tobiko (flying fish roe)

Black pepper

Method

Wash your salad in cold water, then drain carefully. Cut the Cucumber into small stripes, rinse for a few minutes under icy water so that it becomes crunchy. Cut avocado into bite-size cubes.

Finishing

Once all ingredients are prepared, we can begin with our salad; in a large bowl add mizuna, cucumber, avocado and the crab meat; season a bit with black pepper and stir gently.

Then add 3 table spoons of sesame sauce and mix gently. Transfer the dressed salad onto a serving plate, pure a little more sauce on the salad and the plate, sprinkle with tobiko for the garnish.

Born in Goa, India Prashant grew up in a family where everyone was associated with restaurants or hotels in different ways. It was his earliest influence that led him to become a chef, his aunt had a hotel at Mahabaleshwar, a hill station in India, during the holidays he would visit her and shadow her during her daily routine which included managing the hotel’s restaurant, exposed to commercial kitchens which sparked his interest to pursue hotel management.

Working with some of the best Indian chefs – Vineet Bhatia, Hari Nayak and Hemant Oberoi, Prashant honed his culinary skills and learnt a lot about techniques, understanding flavours and how to run a quality kitchen. His biggest learning would be that through the years I was able to think independently in cuisine which I believed in and was able to get my thoughts onto a plate with greater ease.

His culinary philosophy is all about taking traditional dishes, fusing them with modern techniques and flavours or taking popular non-Indian dishes and infusing them with Indian flavours to enhance the flavour or to simplify them is what he strives for. He likes his dishes to influence all senses, the visual appeal, ensure the taste is well balanced, the aroma and textural components all complement each other.

PRASHANT CHIPKAR BLACKEN

CHICKEN

This dish iss homage to the Kadhaknath chicken from the rural areas of central India. The breed is extremely rare and unlike traditional chicken the meat, it is black in colour. Here, I stuff the chicken with mushroom and fresh ricotta. The dish is plated with a black mole made with fermented black beans and curry leaves.

INGREDIENTS

200g chicken

1g green chilli

50g ricotta

2g curry leaves

1g garam masala

80g onions, chopped

2g garlic, chopped

2g fresh coriander

0.5g cumin powder

90g tomatoes, chopped

2g squid ink

5g edible charcoal powder

10g curry paste

20g labneh

5g salt

20g black beans

20g black pepper sauce

30g wild mushroom mix

25g coriander leaves, chopped

10ml lemon juice

Method

Clean and cut chicken.

Stuffing

Heat oil in a pan add ginger, garlic, green chilli, onion chopped sauté it well, then add chopped mushroom and sauté well till it’s become dry, add cumin powder, garam masala, red chili powder, chopped coriander, ricotta. Toss it well and allow it to cool.

Once it cool stuff the chicken and marinade it with the chopped ginger, salt and lemon juice.

Marinade

Labneh, curry paste, Squid ink, edible charcoal powder, black lime powder, garam masala, salt ginger, coriander fresh chop mix together and marinade the chicken.

Sauce

Heat oil add ginger, garlic, onion sauté it well then add black bean, and cook it well and make it into fine paste.

Add the black pepper sauce, squid ink, finish it with garam masala and lemon juice.

Hailing from Edinburgh, Scotland, Raymond grew up in the kitchen of his family’s successful chain of Chinese restaurants with his first job at 15 was a job as a kitchen porter. Despite the fact that being a chef was in his blood, he did not consider cooking his dream career and instead pursued graphic design at college in Aberdeen, before accepting his fate and returning home to secure an SVQ Level 1,2,3 and 4 in Management and Food Preparation and Cookery.

With his training under his belt, Raymond’s first professional foray into the culinary world began at as demi chef de partie at the awardwinning Santini Restaurant located in Edinburgh’s five-star Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa. Over the course of seven years, Raymond moved up the ranks to sous chef, trying his hands at large-scale banquets, weddings, all-day dining, and fine dining. With a deeply-rooted thirst to learn and expand his horizons, Raymond began to look for roles farther afield, before making the move to Dubai to join the team as sous chef at Mj’s Steak House at the Madinat Jumeirah’s Al Qasr Hotel. This stint with the Jumeirah Group lasted two years, seeing the chef promoted to oversee the catering for large scale events such as The Dubai World Cup and the DP World Tour, as well as Al Qasr’s all-day dining restaurant The Arboretum.

In 2016 he joined Atlantis, The Palm in 2016, and the chef behind Seafire Steakhouse & Bar, one of the leading steakhouse restaurants in the Middle East, highly decorated with awards.

RAYMOND WONG WILD MUSHROOM RISOTTO

INGREDIENTS

2tbsp butter

2tbsp olive oil

2 cups flavourful mixed mushrooms such as shiitake, chanterelle, button, or oyster mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into half inch to inch pieces

4 pc green asparagus cut into spears

500ml vegetable mushroom stock or stock cube

70g shallots, minced or 1 yellow or white onion, finely chopped White truffle oil

Fresh truffles for garnish

100g arborio rice or other high in starch rice

50g freshly grated parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

2tbsp chopped fresh parsley or chives

Hand full rocket salad

Olive oil

Sour cream

Micro cress/optional

For gluten-free use homemade stock or gluten-free packaged stock.

Method

Bring stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Prepare the mushrooms by cutting them into the same size sauté the mushrooms: Melt the butter in a wide saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and shallots and sauté about 5 minutes (if using chanterelles, dry sauté first for a minute or two and let the mushrooms cook in their own juices before adding the butter).

Add the rice and stir to combine and bring to a boil, and reduce liquid by half, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the simmering stock, 1 ladle at a time, stirring enough to keep the rice from sticking to the edges of the pan. Stir the rice almost constantly — stirring sloughs off the starch from the rice, making the creamy sauce you’re looking for in a risotto.

Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup.

This process will take about 25 minutes. The rice should be just cooked and slightly chewy.

Stir in the parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or chives.

Simply mix truffle oil and truffle paste into the sour cream and season with salt and pepper. Finish of with chives.

ROHIT SHARMA

Rohit’s love for gastronomy and the influence of his mother and grandmothers, seeing them cook. He never ever thought of being in a kitchen or be able to be called a chef or cook, he always wanted to play sports and build his career around it but was introduced to the culinary world by his mother who after searching around a lot of career options wanted him to try and pursue hotel management. Rohit was not sure when he joined but got interested and attracted to cooking during his first year. And from there on it has been a memorable and glorious journey. He pursued his bachelor’s degree from Institute of Hotel Management, Gurdaspur in Punjab, India and his Master’s in International Hospitality from Vatel International Business School, Nimes, France.

In 2008 he was an apprentice at the L’Auberge Du Pere Bise, in Talloires, France and a year later moved to the UK to work at the Crowne Plaza Marlow, Buckinghamshire and in 2011. Dubai was his stop and he got the privilege to work at Pierre Gagnaire at Reflets, Intercontinental Dubai Festival City and currently the chef at Armani/ Amal.

Knowledge is what drives Rohit to learn about new cultures, flavours, combinations and so on, in order to fuse them into his dishes “A great meal is an experience that you get and something that brings you back to the source and takes you to different places to explore. There is no such thing as perfect food its always is the idea of it and something that drives you forward to create something unique and to make your guests happy”.

GOSHT KI PASILLIAN

INGREDIENTS

4pcs lamb chop / 10g ginger garlic paste / 5g red chilli powder 120g red chilli paste / 100ml balsamic vinegar / 60ml oil / 4g red chilli powder / 10g black pepper crushed / salt for seasoning

Method

Marinate the Lamb with ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder and salt. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes at room temperature. Mix rest of the ingredients together in a bowl to make the second marinade for the lamb.

Mix the lamb with marinade and set aside to rest for 15 minutes. Over a medium hot grill start to sear the lamb on both sides. Finish in a pre-heated oven at 180C.

STEVEN NGUYEN

It was around 2008 during the financial crisis, Steven had just graduated with hopes of finding a marketing job. It was probably the worst time to be job hunting, he spent the better half of the year and onto 2009 working odd jobs and or unemployed. When he finally found a job in sales, he was unhappy and disappointed. He realized it wasn’t my true calling and felt directionless. He had always cooked at home and for family and was fascinated with creating things since he was young. It wasn’t until a family member recommended that he try cooking for a living. This helped him realize the true nature of value. “Value is what you can offer, and I had to figure out and be truthful to myself about what it was that I to offered the world. It helped me realize my potential which gave me the motivation to pursue cooking on a professional level, and so I enrolled in culinary school right after that”.

Steven never had the opportunity or privilege to work at Michelin started restaurants or start his training in any top-tired fine dining establishments. At the beginning of his career, it was a means of survival and he worked hard at getting better every day and learning on as much as he could on his own. His first ever job was in the kitchen was at an amusement park on an island in Toronto, a fast food place which really taught him the methods and organization required to feed the masses. During his tenure in culinary school, he did stints in Italian and French restaurants then dabbled in high end catering. Then came the call to help open a restaurant as head chef with some friends, It was small fast-casual place serving Berlin Style Doners that became popular which then led to opening a large German style beer hall. He then got head hunted to go out to Hong Kong to cook Vietnamese food. From each opportunity he didn’t have any previous experience to prepare him but it was through his dedication, hard work and the ability to learn made it possible to push through to the next level.

TOFU BURRATA

Was trying to come up with a vegan dish, and came across these amazing heirloom tomatoes from France from le jardin de Rabelais. The classic tomato burrata salad came to mind. Was able to create a creamy texture that reminded us of burrata just from the tofu and coconut cream that gives this a southeast Asian twist.

INGREDIENTS

200g silken soft tofu

3tbsp coconut cream

2g salt

2g nutritional yeast

10ml grapeseed oil

1 bunch Thai basil

8 cherry tomatoes

2tbsp white shoyu

4table verjus

Method

Create the tofu burrata by combining, the tofu, coconut cream, salt, and nutritional yest in a blender and mix until smooth. Place the mixture into a silicone mould of choice and freeze overnight.

Thai basil oil

Blanch slightly the Thai basil and add it into a blender with the oil. Blend on high, then strain the mixture. Transfer to an airtight container.

Marinade the tomatoes

Mix the white shoyu with verjus. Peel the skins off the tomatoes and slice them in half. Let the tomatoes marinate in the shoyu verjus for 1 hour.

Unmould the tofu mixture and let slowly defrost, once it’s the texture of soft ice cream, it is ready. Plate the Tofu with the olive oil, the Thai basil oil and tomatoes. Garnish with more Thai basil leaves.

TOSHIO DATE

Growing up in Chiba prefecture, Japan, Toshio found my way into the culinary field and it’s all thanks to his family. He grew up in a restaurant environment as his parents owned their own restaurant. Culinary arts became a passion and he then decided to put himself to the test by joining the Okayama School. After graduating he started worked in various hotels in Japan, where he honed his culinary skills and after several years of hard work, Toshio is the head chef of Kiku Restaurant here in Dubai.

The beauty of Japanese cuisine is simplicity and attention to details, every Japanese meal should be enjoyed with all 5 senses and Toshio chooses the best quality of produce and prepares it with care and respect “It all starts and end with seasonal ingredients and the inspiration behind all my dishes is my culture, bringing the taste of Japan into every dish”.

Kiku is homage to the land of the rising sun with its classic Japanese cuisine. Inspired and influenced by different aspects of Japan’s vibrant culture and art, the culinary offerings evoke a sense of nostalgic comfort to Japanese expatriates and tourists who crave authentic Japanese cuisine, offering a memorable destination dining experience.

LOBSTER NEGI MISO

INGREDIENTS

1 lobster

50g white miso

20g sugar

1 boiled egg yolk

4g mustard

5ml sake

10ml mirin

30g spring onions, chopped

20g red miso

30ml water

3 cherry tomatoes

10ml vinegar

Method

Clean up the Lobster, deshell it, and put on grill. In a small bowl, combine all miso, 10 gr sugar, yolk, mustard, sake, mirin, 10cc water and spring inion. Mix well into paste. Grill the Lobster on both sides. Spread the miso paste on top of the lobster and grill it again. After turning golden brown, turn it over and spread the miso paste on the other side. Grill it again. Blanch the cherry tomatoes, and the put on ice water. Peel the skin. Heat up a stock pot. Put 20ml water, vinegar and sugar. Add the peeled tomatoes. Put the lobster on the plate, garnish it with the braised tomatoes.

VIKESH SINGH

A keen believer in cooking from the heart and enjoying the best tastes of the season, Vikesh started his culinary career working in the kitchens of Taj Hari Mahal Hotel in Jodhpur, and later joined The Oberoi Amarvilas in Agra. Since then, there was no looking back as he moved to Dubai to work at for Madinat Jumeirah and refining his skills along the way.

In 2008, Vikesh worked with Michel Roux Jr. at Le Gavroche and learned the art of balancing creative brilliance with technical excellence. Time did not matter because he was hungry to learn and experienced an unparalleled quest for knowledge and creative expression. And now with over 18 years of experience in the industry, he oversees the culinary operations at Address Dubai Marina.

His menus at the Address Dubai Marina feels both nostalgic and thoroughly modern. Every dish he believes is a labour of love as he takes the choicest of raw ingredients and craft them as per the guests’ moods. His restaurants serves freshly prepared dishes that are recognizable and creates that home-from-home feel “I always bear in my mind how the diner will approach that plate, never sacrificing flavour for a visual wow factor”.

BOKCHOY AND CHICKEN WRAP WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE

This is a light flavour packed Cantonese dish with minimal preparations and full of flavour. The black bean sauce has a deep umami flavour that is similar to soy sauce but ever richer as it’s made with fermented black beans.

INGREDIENTS

50g bokchoy / 100g chicken leg boneless / 5g potato starch / 3g chicken stock powder / 1g white pepper powder / 2g salt / 5g butter

5g black bean / 2g garlic / 3g onions / 2g ginger / 3g sugar / 3ml soya sauce / 2ml sesame oil

Method

Blanch the bokchoy and leave it in ice water for few minutes, drain it. Make a filling with chicken chop, salt, white pepper, chicken stock powder, sugar, potato starch, butter and sesame oil, mix it well.

Fill the bokchoy leaves with chicken filling and roll it.

Stir fry chop black bean with garlic, ginger, soya sauce and cook it. After some time, you will notice sauce like consistency.

To serve, add bokchoy and chicken wrap in a bowl & top with black bean sauce and steam for seven to eight minutes.

Many would have not heard of Yugal Kishor, the chef who graced the household kitchens and cooked for the Indian Prime Minister and President. Hailing from Himachal Pradesh, the northern Indian state in the Himalayas, spending most of his childhood with his grandmother and mother, they passed on their passion for food to Yugal.

His belief was “If you love food and cooking why not make a career out of it by becoming a professional chef” and so he did by getting his culinary diploma and started with Indian cuisine, over a period of time he learnt other cuisines, different styles of cooking under different chefs and today his style of cooking is very simple and different, he follows the basic thumb rule of cooking the old fashioned way with lots of love.

Today he runs the kitchens at Reform Social & Grill, the city’s first true gastropub and family-friendly restaurant based on one of London’s most vibrant venues. Located in The Lakes, Emirates Living District, featuring a restaurant, bar and idyllic garden and lakeside setting with first-class British menu.

YUGAL KISHOR CHICKEN KIEV

INGREDIENTS

1pcs or 170g chicken breast / 20g smoked cheddar cheese / 30g garlic butter / 7g parsley / 20g all-purpose flour / 50g panko bread crumbs / 2g thyme / 2g garlic, chopped / 10g melted butter / 180g mash potato / 30g pancetta, chopped / 40g green beans / 50g buttered leeks / 1 egg

Method

Grind the parsley, garlic, cheese and butter with a pinch of salt. Wrap the butter mix in a plastic wrap and refrigerate until it sets for 30 minutes.

Lay the chicken breast between on two plastic wraps. Place the butter mixture in the centre of wider end of chicken breast and fold the narrower end of breast up to over the butter to form a tight pocket around the butter. Tightly wrap the chicken breast in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer until its hold together about 30 minutes.

Season the flour with salt and pepper, mix with the panko bread crumbs, thyme, chopped garlic and melted butter.

Beat the egg and remove the chicken breast from the plastic wraps. Dust with plain flour, dip in the egg and gently coat in the panko bread crumbs. Place the chicken in a pan with hot oil, cook on either side for a minute and finish it in the oven at 180C until the chicken is cooked.

Pan fry the pancetta until its crispy and mix it with the mash potato, Heat the buttered leeks and sauté the green beans with butter, salt and pepper.

Assemble the plate by presenting with pancetta mash, green beans, leeks and the chicken.

ZULFIKAR CAMBAZ

Turkish born Zulfikar gained his culinary knowledge and skills at an early age, his family came from an F&B background and his father had his own butchery and restaurant. He was fortunate to work with Rafet Ince, one of Turkey’s best chefs. Rafet helped him to discover the beauty and wonders of cooking and has been a mentor all throughout Zulfikar’s culinary journey.

As the head chef of Fish, Zulfikar’s Aegean menu of Turkish and Greek cuisine is all about flavours with fresh, natural and seasonal ingredients in perfect balance without compromising on quality and each dish tells a story.

SPINACH PASTRY

INGREDIENTS

500g spinach

5pcs pillow pastry

50g garlic

100g onions

3 tomatoes

10g cumin

20g mint

20g parsley

70g yoghurt garlic sauce

50g tomato sauce

Candied cherry tomato

Method

Sauté onion garlic, cherry tomato add spinach with tomato sauce then mix with garlic sauce season with salt, pepper and cumin then wrapped with pillow pastry baked in oven at 180C for 20 minutes and serve with homemade tomato purée and garlic sauce.

VEAL CHATEAUBRIAND, BLANQUETTE GARNITURE

by ANNE LAURE MORISSET

Method

Cut the carrot into two then with a paring knife, turn it. In a pan, cook the carrots with the olive oil and vegetable stock. With the leeks, cut a slices of 1 cm. For the cooking, same way as the carrots. Make sure to not get coloration. Brown glazed the baby onions. Make a Duxelle with the button mushroom, adding shallot, bay leave and thyme for the cooking. For the carrot purée, cut the carrots roughly and roast them in the oven with olive oil and salt. Once cooked, blend slowly then add butter and seasoning.

INGREDIENTS

Veal chateaubriand

600g veal tenderloin / salt and pepper for seasoning

Method

Clean the tenderloin, then roll it tight with a cling film and keep it aside.

Blanquette garniture

350g heirloom carrots / 150g leeks / 120g baby onions

400g button mushrooms / 800g carrots

Blanquette sauce

500g veal jus / 600g cream / 1 clove / 1 bay leaf / salt and pepper for seasoning

Method

Boil all the ingredients together, reduce until to get the right consistency. Taste for the seasoning.

Plating

Slice the tenderloin and put it along a side. Display the vegetables one by one. Serve the sauces on the side.

PHO SPICED A5 WAGYU, BLACK TRUFFLE, CHARRED BETEL LEAF, BAKED ONION, BLACK GARLIC SOY PURÉE

by STEVEN NGUYEN

Pho is the quintessential dish in Vietnamese cuisine. The goal was to deconstruct and take the main elements and focus it more as a meat dish. We’re taking traditional complimentary flavours that enhance beef like the pho spice, black garlic and betel leaf and restructuring their traditional relationship but trying to maintain the flavour compliment.

Method

First make the Black garlic puree first. Combine in a pot, the black garlic, soy sauce, mirin, water and maple syrup in a pot and bring a simmer. Take off the heat let cool. Pour the mixture into a vitamix then blend until smooth.

Prepare the pho spice by toasting all the spices until they become fragrant. Take off heat before they burn then place in spice grinder and mill into a fine powder. Mix spice powder with salt.

INGREDIENTS

Pho spice salt

3 whole star anise / 1 cinnamon stick / ½ tbsp coriander seeds / ½ tsp fennel seeds / 5 pcs cloves / 1 pcs black cardamom / 20g sea salt

200g A5 wagyu striploin / 40g shaved black truffle / 1 white onion / 2 pcs of betel leaf

Black garlic purée

4 pcs black garlic / 4tbsp water / 2tbsp mirin / 4tbsp soy sauce / 2tbsp maple syrup

Trim any excess fat off the strip loin, then lightly season the steak with the pho spiced salt. Let rest in the fridge for 1 hour.

Roast the onion by wrapping it in aluminium foil then baking in 220C for 30 to 40 minutes. The onion should be soft and translucent.

Assemble

Grill the steak to medium rare at 56C, then let it rest for the same amount that it cooked. Lightly grill the betel leaf until they become fragrant and crisp. Place the black garlic purée on plate, Slice and place the steak on plate and sprinkle some of the pho spice salt on the steak. Add the roasted onion and charred betel leaf as garnish.

MODERN KIBBEH SAFARJALIEH

INGREDIENTS

Quince purée

by MOHAMMAD ORFILS

100g butter / 600g quince cut into quartered / 100ml brown beef stock, as required / 50ml water / salt for seasoning / 30g butter / 10g garlic / 2.5g baking soda

Method

Blanch the quince in salted water and then shock it in ice water, strain and pat dry.

Heat butter in a pressure cooker until the milk is caramelized, then stir in the quince, baking soda, salt and water. Pressure cook the mixture at a gauge pressure of a bar 15 psi for 8 minutes.

Depressurize the cooker quickly by running tepid water over the rim.

Blend the mixture to a smooth purée and then add the butter, beef stock and garlic then purée the mixture until it has just smooth and creamy.

Pass the purée through a fine sieve into a pot, season with salt to taste, and serve it warm.

Short ribs

2 sweet white onions, cut into chunks / 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped / 3l water / 65g kosher salt / 100g brown sugar / 5g black pepper / 5g cinnamon / 1.2kg beef short ribs plate / 2g cloves / 5 fresh bay leaves / 2 cups brown beef stock

Method

In pot bring to a boil half the quantity of water with the spices, salt and sugar, then chill brine to below 4C. In a blender combine the onions, parsley, and remaining water and process into a smooth puree. Transfer to a large bowl; add the remaining brine. And stir well.

Submerge beef short ribs in brine for 72 hours. Keep the brine and meat refrigerated.

Preheat the oven at 82C.

Grill the ribs over the charcoal until caramelized.

Sprinkle the spices rub over the meat to cover all the sides. Transfer the short ribs, fat side up in baking try, add 2 cups of beef stock and cover and cook for 12 hours at 82C

Rotate the short ribs every 3 hours, flipping as needed if one side is colouring faster than the other, until the meat is very tender and falling apart.

Spice rub

40g salt / 40g brown sugar / 10g Aleppo dakka pepper / 10g ash

5g onion powder / 10g black pepper, crushed / 5g coriander seed, whole / 5g garlic, powder

Method

Mix all the ingredients.

Kibbeh Ball

500g brown bulgur / 2 red onions, quartered / ¼ tsp dakka spices / pinch of Aleppo red pepper / pinch of dry mint / 500g lean beef meat, minced / ¼ cup dry mint and garlic butter, cut into cubes

Method

Soak the bulgur in about 2 cups of water and season with the onions and spices. Pass the bulgur through the meat machine twice. If the bulgur is dry, add some water, but do not forget the lean lamb meat. Add the lean lamb meat and rub with the bulgur in an earthen bowl until the mixture become homogeneous. Cut the kibbeh into balls about 75 grams each, open the balls by using finger and curve into round shape Stuffed the kibbeh with pulled short ribs about 2 tablespoons and 1 cubes of mint & garlic butter, then seal and close tightly. Boiled the kibbeh in hot beef stock about 1 minute.

Beef and pomegranate glace

450g brown beef stock / 4g salt / 30g butter / 400g pomegranate purée / 7g glucose syrup

Method

Prepare the beef stock, the stock can be made weeks in advance. In a medium pot combine the ingredients and reduce over medium high heat until it thickens. Skim foam occasionally. Add the butter and serve.

Garnish

Mint powder / nasturtium leaves

COSTELA BRAISED SHORT RIBS

by DAVID PAROLIN

INGREDIENTS

Bone-in short ribs

Rock salt

½ tsp black pepper

3tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Mirepoix (diced white onion, carrots and celery)

4 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped

1 cup beef broth

1 sprig fresh rosemary and thyme

Method

Preheat oven to 180C.

Season all sides of the short ribs with olive oil, rock salt, pepper and garlic.

Place the mirepoix into a baking tray and sauté 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in beef broth. Bring to a simmer. Add in the meat. Place a rosemary and thyme sprig on top.

Cover with an aluminium foil and transfer to preheated oven for about 5 hours

BEEF CHEEK RAGU, SEARED HOKKAIDO SCALLOPS WITH CELERIAC PURÉE AND PICKLED BEETROOT

by RAYMOND WONG

INGREDIENTS

Beef cheeks

2 beef cheeks, large / 500ml burgundy / 1 carrot / 1 onion / 1 celery stick / 1 garlic clove / 1 sprig thyme / 200ml beef stock / corn oil

Seared scallops

4 large scallops / 1 knob of butter / ½ bunch sage or thyme / salt and pepper for seasoning

Caulflower purée

1 cauliflower head / vegetable stock / cream / 20g of butter / salt and pepper for seasoning / rapeseed oil

Pickled beetroot

Beetroot, julienned / red wine vinegar / citrus dressing / honey

Method

Clean and trim the beef cheeks and peel and roughly chop the vegetables. Place the beef cheeks, vegetables, bay and thyme into a large pot and add the wine. Leave to marinate for 24 hours. After marinating, strain the liquid into a saucepan and bring to the boil, skimming off any residue and scum that rises to the surface. Preheat the oven to 120C.

Meanwhile, heat a dash of rapeseed oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Sear the cheeks and vegetables until lightly browned and golden on all sides. Pour the boiling liquid over the cheeks and reduce until syrupy and sticky. Add some beef stock to the pan to loosen slightly, bring to the boil, cover with a lid and place in the oven for 4 hours, until tender and just falling apart.

While the beef is in the oven, open and clean the fresh scallops and set aside.

Dice the cauliflower into even cuts and place in a saucepan, adding enough vegetable stock to cover. Simmer until tender, then strain and reserve the stock.

Blend with butter and cream, adding small amounts of the stock to achieve a thick, smooth purée. Add salt and pepper to taste and pass through a fine strainer. Store in a small saucepan, cover and set aside until required.

Remove the beef cheeks from the oven and remove the cheeks from the liquid. Strain the sauce and reduce to a thick, rich glaze. If you are cooking the cheeks ahead of time, leave to cool in the liquid before draining the sauce - this will help to keep the meat tender.

Heat a large knob of butter in a hot frying pan. As soon as the butter foams, add the scallops and sear flat-side down until golden and just cooked through.

For the pickled beetroot cut the beetroot into fine Juliann. Marinade the beetroot in vinegar and honey for 20 minutes.

Add the chopped sage and pine nuts for the last 20-30 seconds. Remove from the pan, season and set aside for 1 minute.

CHOCOLATE & COCONUT - CHRISTOPHE DEVOILLE

AKSHAY BATRA

Born and raised in India, Akshay was definitely influenced by his family, after being inspired by his mother, he started to enjoy the different perspectives of being a chef, a pastry and chocolate maker. Over the years he began to realize that he had a strong flair for creativity and understanding complex flavours. The support from his family of his career choice made him enjoy what he did and pushed him to take on new challenges.

After completing his Bachelors in Hotel Management, he got his Masters in Baking and Pastry Arts from the Culinary Institute of America and since then he has worked for several lifestyle destinations with most recently joining Sofitel Dubai The Palm as the head pastry chef. “Baking is a science. It requires precision and accuracy in making those sweet treats a mouth-watering masterpiece that brings people back for more. I am cautious and calculated when measuring out ingredients. I understand the importance of accuracy in baking, and I have learned about proportions and consistency. A dessert needs to have the same variety and balance of textures, flavours, temperatures, colours, shapes and heights as any other dish”.

MANGO PAVLOVA

INGREDIENTS

Meringue

150g egg whites / 300g castor sugar

Method

Make a Swiss meringue and cook the egg white and sugar over a double boiler until 71C. Then whisk it until medium to stiff peak consistency. Pipe the meringue with a plain tip nozzle to resemble a cloud like appearance and bake at 90C for 65 to 70 minutes

White chocolate whipped ganache

300g cream / 75g liquid glucose / 3pcs gelatine / 210g white chocolate

600ml cold cream / 1 vanilla bean pod

Method

Bloom the gelatine in ice cold water. Bring the first half of the cream, vanilla bean and glucose to a boil. Pour this over the white chocolate. Add the bloomed gelatine to the mixture and blend with a hand held blender. Add the cold cream to this mixture and whisk. Store it overnight in the fridge before using.

Mango salsa

1 ripe mango / 100ml mango purée

Method

Dice the mango in small cubes and coat it slightly with mango purée.

Garnish Mint leaves

Assemble

On a plate place the meringue shell and pipe the hipped ganache along its border and leaving the centre empty. Fill the centre with the mango salsa and serve with the mango purée on the side. Garnish it with mint leaves.

CHRISTOPHE DEVOILLE

Since a young age Christophe wanted to be a pastry chef, every weekend he would make a cake for his mum and started to build on his culinary skills. His started his career working in Paris at Plaza Athénée with Christophe Michalak and Michael Bartocetti, Nicolas Berger who used to create the chocolate for Alain Ducasse in Paris and Cedric Grolet and Maxime Frederic at Le Meurice. This influenced Christophe and later he took on the position as the overseas corporate pastry chef for Alain Ducasse.

His passion for chocolate involves different elements as he creates a combination of soft, spongy, crisp and others, to surprise and stimulate the palate “I love to use cocoa nibs or kasha seed to add that crisp to a dessert, tonka beans is good touch with chocolate and coffee, dark chocolate disc, cylinder or just decor to add power to the chocolate, infused with a ganache, milk Chantilly in order to have the right thickness of a flourless, chocolate sponge. Using sea salt, hazelnuts, orange blossom or chili adds that crunch, mild heat and just the right amount of acidity to round of a good dessert.” It’s all about flavour combinations for Christophe adding that savoury element to a touch of sweetness for a perfect dessert, however the perfect dessert to him is subjective as it needs to have the right balance of crispiness, creamy, tasty, acidity, not too sweet with the perfect ripeness of fruits with the right season. A true lover of an old fashioned dessert which is perfectly done.

FRUITY MANGO PAVLOVA AND LONG PEPPERCORN WITH PASSION FRUIT CONDIMENT

INGREDIENTS

Mango and peppercorn marmalade

250g fresh diced mango

50g fresh squeezed passion fruit juice

20g sugar

1pc grated long peppercorn

2g NH pectin

Method

In a pot, cook all the ingredients together until you get the right consistency and let it cool in the chiller.

Lime whip ganache

260g cream

60g fresh lime juice

70g white chocolate

3g gelatine

Method

Boil the cream then pour over the white chocolate, gelatine then add the hot lime juice. Blend properly then rest overnight before using.

French meringue

100g eggs white

100g granulated sugar

100g icing sugar

Method

Make as a classic French meringue, whip the eggs white then add slowly the granulated sugar, make it firm then add the icing sugar. Make as a quenelle shape then bake it at 140C for 40 minutes.

Passion fruit condiment

100g fresh passion fruit juice

40g fresh persimmon

15g sugar

2g agar agar

Method

Boil all the ingredients then cool it down in the chiller. Blend it in the Thermomix until the right consistency.

Finishing

In a desired plate add the meringue, dig a hole on the top then pip the condiment inside the soft meringue. Whip the lime whip ganache then add on the top of the meringue on nice quenelle of the cream, with a warm spoon make a cavity in the cream and add the mango marmalade.

Grate some fresh lime on top then add some flower petals. Add a nice dot of passion fruit condiment.

Born in Britain and raised in Paris, and totally bilingual, Jacob discovered his passion for pastry at a young age of 14. Intent on pursuing a career as a chef, he secured a place at Ferrandi, one of the most prominent catering schools in France and went on to work at Four Seasons George V Paris, Le Bristol Paris, Eden Rock Saint Barths, The Lanesborough London and Four Seasons London Ten trinity.

Throughout these 15 years, Jacob has worked under the direction of elite, Michelin star chefs such as Laurent Jeannin, Eric Frechon, AnneSophie Pic and Eric Briffard.

Taking inspiration from all these experiences, Jacob enjoys creating refined and aesthetic pastries, using recognisable flavours. It is essential for him to use the finest products and enhance them, simplicity and generosity are his guiding principles.

JACOB LOVELACE BLACK FOREST

INGREDIENTS

Cocoa “Pain de Gene”

160g beurre noisette

60g almond paste 70% Provence

160g egg yolks

240g caster sugar (1)

4 eggs

60g water

240g egg whites

260g T45 flour

4g baking powder

20g cocoa powder

80g hazelnut praliné 66%

120g caster sugar (2)

Method

Cook the butter to 135C. Blend the almond paste and egg yolks together until smooth. Whisk it on full power, add sugar (1) and eggs one at a time, then pour in the warm water. Make a meringue with the egg whites and sugar (2). Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder together. Fold egg mix with the meringue and add the dry ingredients slowly. Take a small part to mix with the warm butter and praliné. Then fold in to the rest. Spread on a tray lined with baking paper. Cook at 180C for around 12 to 15 minutes in fan oven.

Milk mousse

300g whole milk

30g milk powder

90g condensed milk

7g gelatine

300g whipped cream

60g caster sugar

60g egg whites

Method

Soak the gelatine in ice cold water. Warm up the milk, milk powder and condensed milk together. Take off the heat and add the gelatine. Cool the mix down. Make a meringue with the egg whites and sugar. Fold in the whipped cream to the milk and then fold in the meringue.

Griotte gel

500g griotte morello cherry purée

3.5g agar agar

23g caster sugar

5g lemon juice

5g batak pepper

Method

Heat the purée to 80C and add the ground batak Pepper. Leave to infuse for 6 hours. Pass it through sieve and add the lemon juice, sugar and agar agar. Bring to boil then cool down on ice until fully set (hard jelly texture). Then blend until smooth and shiny.

Cream glaze

100g whipped cream

100g cream

2g gelatine

Method

Soak the gelatine in ice cold water. Heat a small part of the cream and add the gelatine to melt it. Add the rest of the cold cream then fold in the whipped cream. Use straight away to glaze the milk mousse.

Finish

Amarena cherries / kirsch / cocoa powder wood effect chocolate decoration

Chop the Amarena cherries and mix with the griotte gel. Soak the pain de gene sponge with the kirsch.

JEREMIAH GICHIA

Born and raised in Kenya, Jeremiah found his calling to the big world of food through a platted dessert picture that he saw in a high school art class presentation. The combination of art and food, in this case a dessert which was astonishing. He then pursed a pastry and bakery diploma course at a Swiss owned Top Chefs culinary institute in Kenya and then moved to Dubai.

As the Middle East head pastry chef of Coya, Jeremiah finds his inspiration especially from the produce coming into season. Then he thinks of the flavour combinations to compliment the main elements of the plate and starts putting together different textures to achieve a perfect balance. Here he takes advantage of the basics, the foundations that desserts are built upon. At this point he starts to create a mental picture of what he is trying to achieve. This is later transferred to the plate. After a few plating’s and tastings. A new dessert is born.

TORTELL DE NATA

INGREDIENTS

Passion fruit cream

250g passion fruit purée / 50gcaster sugar / 6gagar agar

Method

In a pan add all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Let it cool and blitz to a smooth paste.

150g whipping cream / 250g Ivoire chocolate / 13g gelatin powder

Method

In a pan add the cream and bring to a boil, remove from the heat, pour in chocolate and gelatin powder.

400g whipping cream / 50g icing sugar / 1 vanilla bean

Method

Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla.

Puff pastry

750g all-purpose flour / 25g caster sugar / 25g butter / 12g salt / 400g water / 250g pastry butter

Method

Mix all the ingredients except the pastry butter in a hook attachment on medium speed. Rest the dough for 2 hours the fold in pastry butter.

1 single turn and 3 book turns.

Garnish

Dulce de leche / dried passion fruit seeds / baked konafa / silvered pistachio / roasted crispy quinoa / kiwicha / dried meringue

MICHELE STASI

Originally from Terlizzi, a town in Apulia, Bari, Southern Italy, Michele’s passion and interest for food was passed down from his parents, his grandmother was an inspiration, a great cook but not so great at pastry. It was Chef Semiraro from the culinary school in Puglia who motivated Michele to become a chef. After studying Pastry and Food at the Università degli Studi di Bari, Michele joined the Sofitel in Bari as a pastry chef and then to the Four Seasons in Milan and holds the position of the executive pastry chef of Park Hyatt Dubai.

He loves working with his favourite group of ingredients, raspberries, yuzu and blackberries “They are very versatile and are perfect in any dessert, whether they are for flavour or used to top and decorate. Almonds are also one of my favourite ingredients to work with, more in a sense of health perspective as they contain a lot of healthy fats, fibre protein. However, working with agar is kind of difficult as it sets very quickly at room temperature and you have to work very quickly”.

RED VELVET CAKE

INGREDIENTS

Sponge cake

690g butter / 1800g sugar / 720g eggs / 1250g all-purpose flour / 30g baking powder / 12g salt / 90g cocoa powder / 20g red food colour

10ml white vinegar / 720ml milk

Method

In a bowl add the milk, vinegar and red food colour and whisk until it all combines.

Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat the butter and sugar on medium speed. Gradually add the eggs. Once all the eggs are fully incorporated, add all the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Mix on low speed. While the dry ingredients are being mixed, pour in the milk, vinegar, red food colour. Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl as well as the bottom to insure it is all mixed properly. Place mixture in desired baking tray and bake at 170C 30 minutes.

Cream cheese mousse

1000g cream cheese / 400g cream

275g sugar / 30g gelatine / 15g lemon juice / 300g semi whipped cream

Method

Soak the gelatine in cold water. In a bowl place your cream cheese and keep aside.

In a pot, place the cream, sugar and bring to a boil. Pour it over the cream cheese.

Microwave the soaked gelatine and add it to the cream cheese mixture, whisk until it combines. Add the lemon juice and mix. Fold in semi whipped cream.

Raspberry confit

270g raspberry purée / 30g trimoline

40g sugar / 8g pectin

Method

In a sauce pan on medium heat melt the raspberry purée and trimoline. Whisk together the pectin and sugar and slowly add to the raspberry purée. Bring the mixture to a boil and then keep in a container and refrigerate.

White glaze

321g water / 642g sugar / 642g liquid glucose / 60g gelatine / 429g condense milk / 30g white food colour / 660g white chocolate

Method

In a pot, put the water, sugar and liquid glucose and bring to a boil. Place the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes.

Once water, sugar and liquid glucose is boiling, remove the pot from the heat and add the condensed milk, white chocolate, soaked gelatine and white food colour. Using a hand blender, blend until it fully combined and strain the mixture to avoid any lumps.

Glaze the cake right out of the freezer. The temperature of the glaze should be at 28C.

KAPILA AMARATUNGA

Kapila built himself a name in the pastry scene within the region and around the world, especially for his incredible showpieces. At the age of 28, he became an executive pastry chef and has achieved numerous records and achievements in his career such as best pastry chef, pastry art champion and gold medal recognition. To date, as he recently was awarded first place at the Chef Middle East Easter Quest competition. In 2015, he started his career at Mister Baker and quickly evolved in the hotel industry, being in charge of pastry operations in Rotana, Sheraton and currently at the W Palm Jumeirah.

“A creation of Real Women of Dubai and the 200+ nationalities working in Dubai. Inspired by the Emirati culture and modern fusion. Initially it was quite difficult to put this idea together and it took more over a week to sketch my thoughts on paper, it changed and changed until I knew it was my work of art and this would be pieced with chocolate from Valrhona.”

Kapila Amaratunga

JULIEN MONY

Born in France, Julien developed a passion for food at a very young age, he helped his mother prepare desserts as a child on weekends for the whole family and all thanks go to his mother who introduced him to pastry making. At 14, he did his internship in pastry making at a pastry shop and he instantly liked the work environment.

Julien went on to do a three years diploma course in a pastry and bakery school in Normandy and then graduated from Chocolatier CAP in one year at “Ferrandi Paris gastronomy school”. He loved working with chocolate, which is essential and complementary to pastry; he continued with his studies and did two years at the École de Paris des Métiers de la Table.

At 21, Julien got the opportunity to travel and work in Dubai as an Assistant Pastry Chef at Shakespeare and Co. He has learned and gained exposure to not only creating new pastries but co-managing the whole pastry department with the executive chef.

He loves to create, revisit cakes, try new recipes, and work with chocolate, decorations, bonbons, and showpieces. “In our profession, there is no limit to creation. We can play endlessly mix tastes, flavours, textures, and more, using only the best quality products. I inspire myself to create modern pastries, trying to bring a new generation style.”

This is only the beginning of Julien’s journey in pastry making and we shall continue seeing him excel with his pastry creations.

“It was a pleasure participating in Easter Art Quest 2021. It was a good idea to mix chocolate and art because for me I think that mastering chocolate is full-fledged art.

There is no magic recipe in creating a chocolate masterpiece, it takes a lot of passion, creativity, innovativeness, and the will to create something unique.

A good idea to mix chocolate and art because for me I think that mastering chocolate is full-fledged art. Since I love working with chocolate, it was a personal challenge for me to put my best foot forward from day one.

I was inspired by the way Ali Jaber (the artist) delivers his art and this made me decide to chose his creation as my main tool to create the chocolate art piece. I kept in mind the theme of Easter and combined it with the key elements of its style.

Was happy to see that my work was appreciated and to win second-place among a selection of talented chefs.”

Julien Mony

CHRISTOPHER LAMBERT

A native from Cleon city in Normandy, a flagship city of gastronomy in France. Christopher worked 500 meters away from the Versailles Castle, in the city’s most successful bakery. His adventure in Dubai started with a pastry and bakery concept named Le Succès - maybe that was a start as it paved the way and he flourished over the years to take on the senior position of executive pastry chef at the Intercontinental Festival City hotel, leading 4 properties on top of the festival arena. Christopher’s style is more towards boutique and he believes ingredients play a key role in the overall result of pastry. He keeps developing and embraces any new challenges which coming his way with great enthusiasm.

“Why Jali Pisanky? Jali is a design that is used mainly on wood - a wardrobe that I saw in one of the room of Indigo hotel and this inspired me. Pisanky in Ukrainian means Easter eggs. It is a tradition in Ukraine as these Pisanky’s are decorated using wax-resist method. So the idea of making a chocolate Easter egg with a Jali design and carve the egg just like a wood carver. I ensured that all the details would be visible and it was perfect. I worked the design in my head several times and at the end proud to recognized as the third place winner.”

Christopher Lambert

Descend is a pastry art project by Christophe and designer Mahima Aswani, student from the American University Dubai. A project in collaboration with archEatable course led by Jose Carrillo, Associate Professor of Architecture at the American University Dubai.

The project symbolizes the mystery of Atlantis and the underwater iconography of the restaurant. The design comprises the concept of a drop within a drop that lays on a water wave-like acrylic base to give a floating effect. The delicate inner drop is composed of soft ingredients and textures, while the protective outer drop is composed of hard textures.

INGREDIENTS

Citrus marmalade

100g fresh grapefruit / 100g fresh orange / 50g fresh lemon / 300g sugar / 260g fresh lemon juice / 12g pectin

Method

Boil all the citrus for 2 hours then cool down and cut in the small pieces. Add the sugar and lemon juice then cook until 50C. Add the NH pectin then boil for 5 minutes. Cool down then pip in the half bowl and freeze them. Unmould them when they are really frozen the keep in the freezer.

Grapefruit and dulcey whip ganache

300g cream / 75g fresh grapefruit juice / 10g Campari / 65g Dulcey Valrhona chocolate / 1pc grapefruit zest / 20g preserved grapefruit flesh / 3g soaked gelatine

Method

Soak first the gelatine sheet in a very cold water. Boil the cream then pour over the Dulcey chocolate, zests, preserved flesh and gelatine.

Blend well then boil the grapefruit juice and Campari and add it to the first mixture, blend again then keep overnight in the chiller.

Citrus baba dough

200g flour 45 / 2g salt / 8g fresh yeast / 8g honey / 70g butter / 200g fresh eggs

Method

Mix all the ingredients until you get elastic consistency. Rest for 30 minutes outside then pipe in a half sphere mould. Proof it then bakes at 160C for 30 minutes.

DESCEND THE WATER DROP

by CHRISTOPHE DEVOILLE

Citrus light syrup

500g water / 200g sugar / 1 vanilla pod / 2 orange skins / 2 citrus skins

Method

Boil all the ingredients and let it cool down to 45C. Then soak the dry baba until the right consistency, strain then a bit to remove the extra syrup, then keep on the side.

White chocolate coating for dipping

500g Ivory Valrhona chocolate / 200g oil / white liposoluble colouring

Ingredients for finishing

White chocolate spray / grey chocolate spray / light blue chocolate spray / navy blue chocolate spray

Final cake drop shape

Whip the grapefruit whip ganache, put in a piping bag then pip the cream in the small silicon drop shape mould, add the soaked baba.

Base and add the ball of citrus marmalade as well in the middle. Freeze it then in the second mould pip only the cream then adds on the top

The first cake to obtain a final drop shape cake. Freeze it. Unmould the cake then dip in the white chocolate coating then spray with the 4 different chocolate spray, start with the white colour then grey and the 2 blues. Keep in the chiller to defrost properly.

Outer white chocolate drop

Melt the ivory chocolate at 50C then temper as a classic white chocolate until 29C. Add the ivory chocolate in the outer silicon drop shape to make thin layer of chocolate. Rest in the chiller 30 minutes then unmould it. Stick both parts together to obtain a nice hollow drop.

To finalize the dessert, add the blue cake drop inside the chocolate outer drop. Add on the transparent acrylic plate for the presentation.

This dish brings me back to my childhood memories - caramel candy that my family always bought when we went to visit the high land of Pangalengan in Indonesia These salted caramels cubes are soft, chewy and perfectly melt away in your mouth.

INGREDIENTS

Caramel crémeux

65g sugar / 32g glucose / 250g cream / 52g egg yolks / 1pcs gelatine

Method

Make the caramel with sugar and glucose. Add warm cream and pour over the eggs yolk previously mixed with the sugar. Add the gelatine previously mixed and drain. Cook the mixture at 82C. Strain in a chinos and stop the cooking process. Mix with a hand held mixer and cool. Pour into moulds when its reach creamy consistency.

Melted black salt caramel canter

65g sugar / 65g glucose / 107g cream / 1g black sea salt / 1 pcs vanilla bean / 35g soft butter / 1psc gelatine

Method

Cook the sugar and glucose until it becomes a light brown. Warm the cream and add it to the caramel. Add the vanilla bean and black sea salt. Simmer, add the soft butter and cook until it thickens. Remove from the heat and add the gelatine, pour into desirable moulds.

Chocolate sponge

300g soft butter / 630g caster sugar / 400g eggs / 500g cake flour / 2g baking powder / 270g liquid cream / 160g water / 120g cocoa powder

Method

Mix the liquid cream, butter and sugar. Add the eggs one by one. Add the flour, baking powder and coco powder and mix. Add water and bake at 180C for 15 minutes.

Microwave sponge

114g egg whites / 75g egg yolks / 75g sugar / 30g cake flour / 5g chocolate powder / 1 siphon gun

Method

Mix all ingredients with a hand held mixer, strain and put in the siphon gun. Charge the siphon with 2 gas. Fill the plastic glasses until three fourths and bake in the microwave at maximum power for 50 seconds.

Chocolate crumble

70g almond powder / 70g cake flour / 80g sugar / 80g butter / 21g chocolate powder

Method

Mix the flour, butter, sugar and cocoa powder together until it becomes a crumble. Bake it at 170C for 6 minutes.

Assembling

Pipe the caramel crémeux into silicon mould. Press the frozen caramel centre into caramel crémeux. Layer it with chocolate sponge and freeze it. Spray whiles it frozen with equal part of dark chocolate and cocoa butter. Serve with chocolate crumble and microwave sponge.

SALTED CARAMEL CUBE

Dark chocolate sponge layer with caramel crémeux and melted caramel center served with chocolate crumble and microwave sponge

by DWIYANTI CINTANINGRUM

INGREDIENTS

Madeleine

110g eggs / 220g sugar / 220g all-purpose flour / 10g baking powder / 110g white miso paste / 120g milk / 80g oil / 80g beurre noisette / 2g salt

Method

Mix all the ingredients together and bake at 180C.

Vanilla siphon

300g cream / 300g milk / 70g sugar / 1pcs vanilla / 4 egg yolks / 130g mascarpone

Method

In a sauce pan cook the cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, eggs yolks at 85C. Strain and add the mascarpone. Blend and put it in a siphon with 1 gas charger.

Miso caramel

525g cream / 350g sugar / 95g white miso paste / 20g butter

Method

In a sauce pan make a caramel by adding the cream and sugar, let it cook at 165C. Add the miso paste and at the end blend it with butter.

Pear sorbet

500g pear purée / 35g sugar / 100g water 25g dextrose / 1.5g stabilizer

Method

In a sauce pan bring all the ingredients to a boiling point. Pour into a pacojet container and keep in the freezer.

Peanuts

275g roasted peanuts / 150g sugar / 80g water

Method

In a sauce pan make a caramel by adding the sugar and water, add the peanuts and spread it on a slipat sheet.

Pear brunoise

1 pear / 10g white wine vinegar

Method

Cut the pear in brunoise and add the white wine vinegar.

VANILLA MISO CARAMEL

by LAURE DUMAS

CHOCOLATE CIGAR AMENITY

INGREDIENTS

Filling

250g feuilletine

500g praline paste

70g milk chocolate

50g cocoa butter (1)

Method

by AKSHAY BATRA

Temper the milk chocolate and cocoa butter (1). To this mixture add the praline paste and feuilletine and mix well. Pour this mixture into the transparent tubes and let it set overnight at room temperature. Melt the cocoa butter (2) and dark chocolate together in a microwave. Take the cigar and de mould it from the actate sheet. Using a skewer insert one end of the cigar so that it could be dipped into the cocoa butter mixture.

Dipping

250g dark chocolate

125g cocoa butter (2)

100g cocoa powder

Method

Chill the cigar on a skewer for a 10 minutes in the freezer prior to dipping so it holds well. Dip the cigar in the cocoa butter mixture, and then immediately roll it in cocoa powder. Garnish with a homemade chocolate disc or logo of choice.

50g cocoa nibs

2g silver powder

Method

Make tubes with thick clear acetate/OHP sheets and seal one side.

This delicious recipe is a blend of the flavours of Dubai with a traditional Jewish pastry. It is a signature recipe from the Kosherati range.

INGREDIENTS

3tbsp sugar

1tbsp dry yeast

3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1tsp salt

2 eggs

1tsp vanilla extract

3½ tbsp butter

Filling

1 cup dates, pitted and chopped

1tsp ground cinnamon

1tbsp orange blossom water

Syrup

¼ cup water

¼ cup sugar

1tsp orange blossom water

1tsp cinnamon

Method

Prepare the filling first by mixing the dates, cinnamon and orange blossom water with enough hot water to cover the top of the dates. Let the mixture soak for approximately 10 minutes until the dates can be mashed. Make the dough by mixing all the dry ingredients. Cut the butter in the dry ingredients and then add eggs. Mix with a sigh hook on low speed until it is combined into a ball. Remove the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes in the fridge. While the dough is resting, make the syrup. Dilute the sugar in water to avoid crystallization. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

Roll out the dough to a height of approximately 1 cm. Use a round plate (approx. 30cms) to cut a circle out of the dough. Spread the date mixture on top. Using. Pizza slicer, cut 12 slices out of the dough. Then roll from the outside in. Bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes until they have puffed and are light brown.

Brush with the syrup while they are still hot.

DATE RUGELACH

by ELLI KRIEL

INGREDIENTS

Yoghurt and lime semifreddo

50g Greek yoghurt / 10g eggs whites 10g white sugar / 7g lime juice / 1g lime zest

Method

Whip the egg whites with the sugar, add the yoghurt, lime zest and lime juice. Put it into a cloud mould and keep in the fridge.

Crème brûlée insert

50g milk full fat / 10g whipping cream / 7g egg yolks / 10g sugar / 5g

Madagascar vanilla stick / 2g Tahiti vanilla stick

Method

Mix all the ingredients with a hand held blender, strain and let it rest overnight. Place the mixture in ceramic bowl, cover with clean film and cook it in the oven with steam at 73C for 79 minutes. Remove and let it cool. Remove the crème brûlée from the ceramic bowl and blend it until you get a smooth and soft cream texture. Fill a small half sphere mould and freeze it. Place together 2 half sphere to create a single sphere and place it in the centre of the yoghurt semifreddo inside the cloud mould. Freeze the entire cloud mould.

White velvet spray

20g cocoa butter / 10g Ivoire white chocolate Valrhona / 1g agar agar

2g white colour powder

Method

Melt the cocoa butter in a small pot, add the agar-agar and white colour powder, with a hand held blender blend it and add the white chocolate and blend for 2 minutes.

Caramel crémeux

20g milk full fat / 20g whipping cream / 7g egg yolks / 10g sugar / 10g

Caramelia chocolate Valrhona

Method

In a sauce pan, add the milk and the cream and bring to a boil. Mix the egg yolks and sugar, add it to the milk and cream and cook it to 82C. Add the chocolate and blend the mixture, leave overnight in the fridge to set before to use.

Blue cotton candy

30g sugar / 3g blue colour powder / 5g water

Method

In a bowl, mix the colour powder with the water and add the sugar. Place it on a tray in the oven overnight at 30C. Blend it to create a nice blue sugar powder.

Plating

Remove the semifreddo from the mould and spray it with the velvet white spray. Keep it in the freezer at -6C before serving at the temperature. Place on the middle of the plate few drops of caramel crémeux. On top place the cloud and decorate it with the blue cotton candy.

THE CLOUD

by FRANCESCO ACQUAVIVA

COCONUT CHOUX

by MOHAMMAD ORFILS

Method

In a sauce pan, heat part of the coconut milk with sugar. In another sauce pan mix the cold milk coconut with the corn starch. When the coconut milk is boiling add it to the previous mixture of the coconut milk and sugar, cook it for 3 to 4 minutes, once cooked add the cocoa butter and complete the emulsion with a hand blender. Store it in the fridge overnight at 4C.

INGREDIENTS

Choux paste

88g fresh milk (1) / 2g salt / 2g caster sugar / 39g butter

58g all-purpose flour / 101g eggs / 10g fresh milk

Method

In a sauce pan bring the milk (1), sugar, salt and butter to the boil. Remove from the heat and add the sifted flour, mix well then dry out over the heat.

Pour the eggs into the mixer bowl little by little, then dilute with the hot milk.

Put 40g of the choux dough in moulds and bake for 1 hour at 160C. Unmould and let it cool.

Coconut cream

200g coconut milk / 40g caster sugar / 52g whipped cream / 20g corn starch / 25g cocoa butter

Mix the coconut cream until smooth, add gently the whipped cream.

Coconut marshmallow

15g gelatine sheets / 100g coconut milk (1) / 155g caster sugar / 127g glucose / 20g coconut milk

Method

Combine the gelatine and 100g coconut milk in a small bowl and set aside until softened. Transfer to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.

In a small sauce pan, heat 20g of coconut milk, sugar and glucose to 116C. Pour the gelatine mixture and whip on medium speed until cooled and fluffy.

Garnish

White chocolate / coconut marshmallows / coconut powder / silver powder

PISTACHIO BLONDIES & RASPBERRY MOUSSE

Pistachio cake crumble and Chantilly cream, raspberry mousse, yogurt sphere,crispy meringue with fresh raspberries

by PRABA MANICKAM

INGREDIENTS

Pistachio blondies

250g pistachio powder

250g sugar

250g eggs

8g baking powder

250g all-purpose flour

250g melted butter

5g salt

Method

Butter and brown sugar together, mix with betel attachment add eggs slowly one by one until get fluffy with completely sugar dissolve, chopped pistachio nuts and white chocolate chip and also dry ingredients finally melted butter. Bake it for 160C.

Pistachio Chantilly cream

165ml cream UHD

25g sugar

10g pistachio paste

2g gelatine

Method

Sugar and cream boil add pistachio paste, keep it overnight into the chiller. Mix it the next day with whisk attachment.

Yogurt baked cream

200ml cream

60g sugar

60g yogurt

2g gelatine

Method

Boil the cream and sugar Remove and transfer it to a mixer, add the gelatine to the mixer and the yogurt, mix to get a smooth cream texture.

Raspberry mousse

500g raspberry purée

550g Swiss meringue

500ml whipped cream

20g gelatine

Method

Cook the raspberry purée and cool it in an ice bath. Add the swiss meringue, whipped cream and gelatine and whisk it.

INGREDIENTS

Chicha morada sorbet

Syrup base

3000g dry purple corn / 18l water / 4 cinnamon sticks / 1 pineapple, sliced with skin on / 10 cloves

Method

Bring all to a boil, and reduce to 3000g of liquid.

Sorbet

1500g syrup base / 134g glucose powder

12g super neutrose / 120g trimoline / 270g caster sugar / 8g ascorbic acid / 5g fresh lime juice

Method

Heat the glucose powder, stabilizer, trimoline, sugar and 500g of the syrup base to 70C.

Remove from the heat and add 1000g chicha base, ascorbic and lime juice. Mix with hand blender.

Chicha morada granita

3000g syrup base / 500g dry purple corn

3pcs whole orange / 1000g caster sugar

5g chicha morada powder / 3 cinnamon sticks / 10 cloves / lime juice for taste / 0.5g ascorbic acid (to be added at the end)

water

Method

In a pan bring all ingredients bring to a boil and reduce to 3500- 4000g of liquid. Cool down and add fresh lime juice.

Chicha sauce

Add 200g Chicha morada base mix with 100g Xanthan sugar syrup base

Sugar syrup base

1200g water / 3g cloves / 460g caster sugar

15g cinnamon sticks / 20g star anis

Method

In a pan add the water, sugar, clove, and cinnamon, and bring it to a boil. Leave it for one hour and then strain.

Xanthan sugar syrup base

710g sugar syrup base / 80g lime juice / 8g

xanthan gum

Method

Blitz all together.

PERUVIAN PURPLE CORN COLADA, PASSION FRUIT AND WILD BERRIES

by JEREMIAH GICHIA

INGREDIENTS

Honey sponge

35g eggs / 150g honey / 50g egg yolks / 150g flour / 85g pecan nut powder / 3.5g baking powder / 7g baking soda / 70g egg whites / 60g sugar / 8g lemon juice / 135g melted butter

Method

Whip the eggs, honey, egg yolks until light fluffy and double the volume.

Put all the dry items sieve together (flour, pecan nut powder, baking powder, baking soda) and add to the first mix and mix gently. At the same time put the egg white in mixing bowl and whip, add sugar little by little until soft peak then add the lemon juice. Add the egg white mixture to the previous one and fold gently. Add the end add the melted butter and fold gently. Put on a tray with baking paper 800g per tray and bake at 165C for 12 minutes.

Biskelia cremeux

474g milk / 474g cream / 210g egg yolks / 100g sugar / 600g

biskelia chocolate Valrhona / 6g gelatine sheet

Method

Rehydrate the gelatine sheet in cold water. Bring the milk and cream to boil. Mix the egg yolks and sugar till white and a bit fluffy. Once the milk and cream boil add a bit of it to the eggs to temper them then put back all in the pot and cook it to 82C. Once the temperature is reached add the mixture to the chocolate and add the gelatine and blend to homogenize the cremeux. Put cling film to contact and reserve in the chillier.

Salted caramel sauce

500g sugar / 500g cream / 300g butter

Method

Make a dry caramel with the sugar until you get an amber colour. Add the cream warm and the butter cube, and blend with the giraffe hand blender. Reserve

Crispy pecan nutfeuilletine base

400g feuillantine / 800g pecan nut praline Valrhona / 150g

Jivara chocolate Valrhona

Method

Melt the milk chocolate and mix it to the pecan nut praline and add the feuilletine and mix gently to coat the feuilletine.

Caraibe chocolate mousse

300g cream / 500g dark chocolate Caraibe Valrhona / 800g

semi whipped cream

Method

Bring the cream to a boil and pour on the melted dark chocolate in a three step to do an emulsion. Add the semi whipped cream and mix gently.

Biskelia chocolate glaze.

75g water / 150g sugar / 150g glucose syrup / 200g biskelia chocolate Valrhona / 500g Absolu Cristal Glaze Valrhona / 50g

condensed milk / 80g gelatine mass, 11g of gelatine powder and 69g water

Method

Bring the 75g water, sugar and glucose to a boil, once reach add the condensed milk and bring it back to 110C. Pour the hot mixture on the biskelia chocolate, Absolu Cristal Glaze and gelatine mass and with the girafe hand blender mix to remove the air bubble and reserve in the chillier for the next day.

Dark glaze

340g sugar / 115g water / 225g cream / 112g cocoa powder

Valrhona / 14g gelatine sheet

Method

Rehydrate the gelatine sheet in cold water. Bring the sugar water and cream to a boil, add the cocoa powder and cook to 110C. Add the gelatine and blend to remove air bubble. Reserve it in a chillier for a day.

Gourmand glaze

280g milk chocolate Jivara Valrhona / 30g grapeseed oil / 50g toasted almond nibs.

Method

Melt the milk chocolate; add the grapeseed oil and the toasted almond nibs.

Sugar dough

250g butter / 125g icing sugar / 1 eggs / 500g flour

Method

Mix the butter, icing sugar and flour together until the mix is homogenized and add the eggs. Cut with the mould cutter as per the chosen mould and bake at 160C for 10 minutes.

Insert assembly

Prepare a frame with a baking paper sheet. Place a frame 40cm x 60cm. Put one sheet of honey sponge, spread peacan nut feuilletinebase, biskelia cremeux, and Valrhona crunchy pearls and freeze for sometimes, once the mixture frozen add the caramel sauce and another sheet of honey sponge and put back in the freezer.

Cake assembly

Cut a piece of insert 2cm x 11cm. Pour the caraibe chocolate mousse and add the insert in press for the mousse to come up and reach the top of the mould with the spatula clean and remove the extra if needed. Place it in the blast freezer to make it hard and easy to unmould. Once frozen reheat your biskelia glaze to 32C and blend to remove air bubble and use it a 29C same with the chocolate glaze.

Glaze the cake with the biskelia glaze and making sure that it is cover everywhere and with the help of a piping bag make a line with the dark glaze to have the zebra effect.

Dip the bottom of the cake in the gourmand glaze like 1.5cm high to have the separation between the shinny glaze and the gourmand glaze.

Place on the sable biscuit and garnish with milk chocolate disk and gold leaves.

HONEY & BISKELIA ENTREMET

by CHRISTOPHER LAMBERT

The recipes are presented in a clear and easy-to-follow way, with ingredients, methods, preparations and photographs of the dishes. The recipes are arranged by type of food. All measures are level unless otherwise stated.

Centimeter - cm

Cup - c

Deciliter - dl

Fluid Ounce – fl oz

Gram - g

Kilogram - kg

Liter - ltr

Milligram - mg

Milliliter - ml

Ounce - oz

Pound - lb

Quarts - qt

Tablespoon - tbsp

Teaspoon - tsp

MEASURE EQUIVALENT

1/8 teaspoon a pinch

3 teaspoons 1 Tablespoon

1/4 cup 4 Tablespoons

1/3 cup 5 Tablespoons plus 1 Teaspoon

1/2 cup 8 Tablespoons

1 cup 16 Tablespoons

1 Pound 16 Ounces

US liquid volume measurements

8 Fluid ounces 1 Cup

US to Metric Conversions

1 teaspoon 5 ml

1 tablespoon 15 ml

1 cup 240 ml

2 cups (1 pint) 470 ml

1 oz 28 grams

1 pound 454 grams

Metric to US Conversions

5 ml 1 teaspoon

15 ml 1 tablespoon

30 ml 1 fluid oz

100 ml 3.4 fluid oz

240 ml 1 cup

1 liter 34 fluid oz

1 liter 4.2 cups

1 gram 0.035 ounce

100 grams 3.5 ounces

500 grams 1.10 pounds

1 kilogram 2.205 pounds

1 kilogram 35 oz

Oven Temperature

Conversion from Fahrenheit to Celsius: C = (F - 32) / 1.8

Conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit: F = C x 1.8 + 32

Chocolate

1 ounce ¼ cup grated 40 grams

6 ounces chips 1 cup chips 160 grams

cocoa powder 1 cup 115 grams

Baking - Grams

1 cup flour = 140 grams

1 cup sugar = 150 grams

1 cup powdered sugar = 160 grams

1 cup heavy cream = 235 grams

Baking Pan Conversions

1 cup all-purpose flour = 4.5 oz

1 cup rolled oats = 3 oz

1 large egg = 1.7 oz

1 cup butter = 8 oz

1 cup milk = 8 oz

1 cup heavy cream = 8.4 oz

1 cup granulated sugar = 7.1 oz

1 cup packed brown sugar = 7.75 oz

1 cup vegetable oil = 7.7 oz

1 cup unsifted powdered sugar = 4.4 oz

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ALL IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT COVER ©DTCM DUBAI VIDEO ©DTCM

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Award-winning author and publisher Flavel Monteiro is been in the hospitality and F & B industry since 1991. His foray into publishing came when he purchased a franchise to publish the Millionaire Magazine in Scandinavia, as well as a Filipino magazine in the Middle East. It was in 2014 when Flavel launched WG Magazine, designed to promote the top culinary experiences around the world. Then in 2018, he partnered with Michelin-Starred Chef Alfredo Russo from Turin, Italy to launch EX.IT—Extraordinary Italian.

2020 was a culinary book year for Flavel, releasing two print books in February, an eBook Come Together - The World’s Finest Chefs on Easter Sunday to put smiles on people’s faces and support chefs around the world. The eBook went on to receive the 2020 Spring Harvest Award by Gourmand World Cookbook. He then published and co-authored the first-ever eBook Home Comforts in July with The World’s 50 Best Restaurants & Bars and later went on to author Cuisinero - Taste The Philippines, elevating Filipino cuisine and all proceeds donated to the Philippine International Aid to support the education of children. The eBook went on to receive the 2020 Summer Harvest Award by Gourmand World Cookbook. In October, he released The Best Of Dubai: A Dining Experiences as an eBook and in print, the book went on to receive the 2020 Winter Harvest Award by Gourmand World Cookbook.

Currently, 5 of Flavel’s books are finalists in 6 categories for the 2021 Best in the World by Gourmand Awards.

A recipient of the Independent Publishers Award for his book Coffee - Absolute Gastronomy and was awarded the 2019 Best Book In The World by Gourmand World Cookbook Awards for the category coffee. His book Legacy also received the 2019 Best Book In The World by Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

Closest to his heart, five years ago, he started a foundation that helps underprivileged children each year in the Philippines to attend culinary school through a scholarship program.