times of oman - art of cooking 2015

ART OF COOKING 2015

CHEF’SSPECIAL

2ART OF COOKING - 2015


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5129

CHOCOLATE AND COFFEE

CREAM POT

HOME-MADE STIR FRIED SPICYLOBSTER

FRIED ICE CREAMFried ice cream is a fi xture in after-dinner desserts, but seldom heard of.

CONTENTS

Glossaryg - gramtbs - tea spoontbsp - table spoonltr - litreml - mililitrekg - kilogramtt - to taste


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53

MANTU – AFGHAN

STEAMED DUMPLINGSI have always been a fan of dumplings

– whether it be Chinese dim sum,

Tibetan momos or this sublime Afghan

delicacy.

TRADITIONAL ENGLISHCHERRY SCONES

KALONJIPOMFRET


Sultanate of Oman may be a small country on the world map but this island of peace is signifi cant in so many ways. Rich culture, age-old traditions, history and heritage make Oman unique and special. Food, a world of it, adds to its signifi cance as the cultural capital of the Arab world. A wide variety of global cuisines available across the country sums up the heterogeneous Omani society that is home to peo-ple from all parts of the globe.

Oman has witnessed remarkable growth in the last few decades and nothing re-fl ects that more than a thriving tourism and hospitality industry offering multiple choices in local, regional and international cuisine. That’s precisely why visitors to Oman do not struggle to fi nd the type of food they like.

The Omani capital is home to some of the fi nest hotels and restaurants offering quality food, thanks to the culinary skills of their highly experienced chefs who liter-ally serve as the food ambassadors of the country they come from.

Themed Chef’s Special, this edition of the Art of Cooking is about some of the popular food items you love eating at your favourite hotels and restaurants in town. Here is your opportunity to try their favourite recipes these chefs have learnt and perfected over time. With the kind of variety it offers, you are going to have the world in your plate.

Time to wear the apron and play chef.

Shahzad Raza

THE WORLDIN YOUR PLATE

EDITOR'S NOTE

Muscat Media GroupAn ISO 9001:2008 certified company

Post Box: 770, Postal Code: 112Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman

E D I TO R I A L24726600/24726666 Ext 240

A DV E R T I S E M E N T24726600/24726666 EXT 435/193

F O U N D E R

Essa bin Mohamed Al Zedjali

C H A I R M A N

Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali

C H I E F E X E C U T I V E O F F I C E R

Ahmed Essa Al Zedjali

C H I E F E X E C U T I V E E D I T O R

Scott Armstrong

E D I T O R

Shahzad Raza

—

C H I E F C R E A T I V E O F F I C E R

Adonis Durado

A S S O C I A T E A R T D I R E C T O R

Waleed Rabin

C H I E F D E S I G N E R

Srinivasa Rao

P H O T O G R A P H Y

MMG Photographers

—

H E A D O F A D V E R T I S I N G

& M A R K E T I N G

Aziz K. Baker

P R O D U C T I O N M A N A G E R

Shafi Shaik

C I R C U L A T I O N M A N A G E R

Vinod Panicker

ART OF COOKING 2015


COLUMN

What makes a dish a chef’s favourite?By MIKE HARRISON

Writers, teachers and chefs have one thing in common; they derive real ful-fi lment from shar-

ing their skills and insights with others. As a teacher of 30 plus years, my great-

est satisfaction has always come from being able to impart knowledge that can be of use to others. Seeing the lights switch on in my students’ eyes has al-ways been a reward I have cherished.

As a writer of some years, the feeling is similar. I love sharing my experiences and giving (hopefully!) a moment of pleasure to others who enjoy reading my sometimes quirky observations of life.

As a cook, the feeling is slightly dif-ferent but not too much so. The great-est pleasure can be derived from sitting around a table enjoying good company and conversation over tasty plates of food. Praise and compliments for having prepared the food that is being shared has got to be the ultimate accolade.

Unlike the professional chefs featured in this revue (I’ve always considered my-self to be a cook, not a chef ), although I delight in the creation of beautiful dish-es, it is the social aspects of cooking that I enjoy most: The follow-up, the consump-tion and the appreciation. I love the crea-tivity required in the art of cooking… but I do have to sit and share it afterwards!

Long before I began independent travelling, I had a passion for other cul-tures, and once I was able to use my own language to gain a living (as an English teacher), I deliberately sought out jobs in countries where I would be able to learn something new, and be able to use that

newly-acquired knowledge in some way. For me, there have always been two prin-cipal ways of learning what makes other people tick. One is through language and the other is through food.

As a student in London, I shared an apartment with an Ethiopian and a Co-lombian, and it was there that I learnt how to fl avour my fi rst rice dishes suc-cessfully, something which has proved to be an indispensable skill over the years!

But what is it that actually draws peo-ple to the art of cooking? In some cases, they simply fall into it. They observe their mother and aunts taking hours to prepare sumptuous meals with love and creativity, and they want to do the same.

Others view it as their vocation. It al-lows them to display and develop their artistic side. By constant blending and experimenting, they can create ed-

ible sculptures that receive plaudits and groans of appreciation as the fruits of their labour are – literally - savoured!

I am mildly jealous of those who fall into the above categories, as I have nev-er developed that creative side which would allow me to carve roses from to-matoes. The languages I have learnt have been picked up on the streets of where I lived, not in classrooms. And so it is with my food.

For me, it has always been about curi-osity. And the real thrill that comes from taking basic ingredients, blending them in an intuitive way, and producing some-thing that has a pleasant fl avour and tex-ture.

There are people who scan a restau-rant menu for something familiar and reassuring. They know what they like and like what they know. And there are others who scan the pages until they fi nd something a little unfamiliar. I am of the latter category.

As a young student in France, I dreamed of tasting my fi rst frogs’ legs and snails. I didn’t really care if I liked them, I just wanted to try them and see what my impressions would be.

If you have a passion for something (this applies to almost everything in life), and indulge in that passion with an open eye, ever vigilant for a new twist on that passion, it can help you to build up an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of your subject. Knowledge, passion and a modicum of skill will ensure that you can produce food that for the most part pleases and indulges the palate - so long as your aim is to produce tasty food and not achieve a Michelin star!

I fi rst became seriously interested in

MIKE HARRISON


cooking as an art form during holidays in Thailand where I spent a lot of time watching and observing street vendors preparing delicious food from what seemed to be little eff ort. How I was wrong! Thai food is a complex fusion of four disparate taste sensations that com-bine to make wonderfully harmonious and delicious food. As soon as you un-derstand that the main requirements are ensuring a combination of sour (or pun-gent), sweet, bitter and spicy fl avours, then you’re off ! From that point, the rest then becomes intuition which you re-fi ne and hone with experience. My fi rst attempts at cooking Thai and Chinese food were execrable, but after grasping the essential concepts outlined above, I have not looked back, and experimenting with Thai ingredients is now one of my favourite pursuits (and that of my dinner guests!)

Perhaps strangely for someone born and bred in the United Kingdom, I fi rst learnt to cook in North African kitchens! As a backpacking student in Morocco, I found myself invited into numerous homes during one long summer holiday, where I observed the long, long process of making delicious, syrupy baklava by hand, rolling out and stretching pas-try almost to the size of a trampoline. I gorged on delicious sweet fusions of meat cooked with fruit; Chicken with olives and almonds; Lamb with apricots; Beef with quince. This all spurred me to go and live in Tunisia upon graduation, where, in the homes of friends over the next few years, I learnt to really appre-ciate the central role that food and hos-pitality play in social interactions. I had

discovered another passion, and wanted to share this with the world!

In each subsequent country, I have made sure to learn how to prepare one or two local dishes that have then been car-ried to the next place of residence: Sen-egalese peanut stew; Bahraini machboos; Russian beetroot soup; Albanian liver baked in yoghurt, and Afghan mantoo (steamed dumplings), have all since be-come fi rm favourites and part of my cu-linary repertoire.

Each new gastronomic experience has led to others. After a balmy summer in the Baltics, I experimented with cold soups, and one of my favourites, shared with you today, is a delicious, refreshing Spanish gazpacho – made with chilled cucumber, pepper and tomatoes.

Being based in Dubai and Oman for the last fi fteen years has helped me to discover the local cuisines to a certain degree, but more especially, has enabled me to develop a love and interest in food of the broader region. Iran produces an amazing array of herbs and other ingre-dients that are used to produce not only succulent grills, but subtle and colour-ful dishes with sublime textures. The unique combinations of herbs, yoghurt and saff ron are unbeatable. Another of my all-time favourites is fesenjan, a dish prepared with a sauce of pomegranate molasses and walnuts. Other favourites of mine are the great range of plovs and biryanis from Afghanistan and Pakistan, and some wonderful veggie and seafood dishes I’ve learnt to prepare from Kerala and the Malabar coast – the long coast-line which has profoundly infl uenced the cooking of Oman and the broader region.

Preparing this article in the UK where we are currently experiencing a wonder-ful English summer, I realised that I had neglected to include one particular coun-try from my list of favourites.

All nomads at some point return in some way or another to the point where they started from but I grew up in a coun-try where, apart from the ubiquitous fi sh ‘n’ chips, we had little to off er compared to some of the world’s fi nest dishes that were served up in our eastern and south-ern neighbours of France, Italy and Spain?

But I’m proud to say that in recent years, we have most defi nitely caught up with our Gallic neighbours, and while 20 years ago you’d be lucky to get a pickled egg with your pint, it seems that almost every village throughout the land now has a gastro pub capable of serving up a delicately-grilled goats cheese tart with a cranberry and honey glaze, followed by crayfi sh and a mango salsa.

We British have always excelled at pies and cakes, and so in homage to my home country, I have included a set of Brit-ish desserts to complete my own list of ‘favourites’. There is nothing better on a hot English summer’s day, than a nice af-ternoon tea of freshly-baked scones with jam and cream.

Enjoy!(The author is a food and travel writer,

cook and motivational speaker, who con-tributes regularly to a range of regional publications. His books, ‘From Tagine to Masala’ and ‘Real Flavours of Arabia’ are available at bookshops throughout the region. He can be contacted at [email protected] )


By SARAH MACDONALD

The number of restaurants, pizzerias and cafes in Mus-cat is increasing all the time, giving foodies and others who enjoy dining out all

kinds of options to treat their taste buds. With each passing year the variety of

cuisine available in Muscat grows too, off ering international fl avours to take diners on culinary adventures around the world. Whether you want a steak cut from the fi nest imported beef, a rich Mo-roccan tagine to be enjoyed to the sounds of live oud players, a spicy biryani, or a quick but satisfying Lebanese shwarma, the dining scene in Muscat off ers some-thing for everyone.

Saud Al Lamki is an HR manager by day, co-owner of Kiwi Cafe, a popular burger joint in Muscat, and an avid food-ie. He has always enjoyed cooking and he eats out regularly, trying restaurants that are new and trendy, as well as those that are tried and true. He says his parents were both great cooks and he got his pas-sion for food from them.

Saud says in the 1980s most of the restaurants were in Ruwi and Al Bustan Hotel, but over the years as the city has expanded, so too have the restaurants. In the past fi ve years the number has really increased, he says.

“As people have travelled to Dubai and went abroad they came back with more ideas and these international fl avours

developed locally, as well as regional fl a-vours like Yemeni and of course Omani, which are very good as well,” says Saud.

Some of the global fl avours found in Muscat include, but are not limited to, French, Italian, British and American in addition to Mexican, Argentinean, Japanese and Malaysian. Other fl avours include Thai, Indonesia, Chinese, Leba-nese, Moroccan, and even Brazilian and Korean. Regional cuisines such as In-dian, Pakistani, Iranian and Yemeni are also very popular. All of these options are a result both of Omanis travelling more and eating out more, and the number of expatriates in Oman.

One of the people introducing new types of cuisine to Muscat is Hussain Fadhil, who owns three restaurants - 360 in Ghala, On The Rocks adjacent to the Golden Tulip, and Espeto Gaucho in The

Cave in Darsait. He has had a long-time passion for food and loves serving food that people appreciate not just for eating, but to enjoy for its presentation and for interesting dining experiences, such as the traditional Brazilian steakhouse, Es-peto Gaucho, the fi rst of its kind in Oman.

“The new generation doesn’t just want to spend their time at home. Now the trend has changed and people want to go out and try diff erent cuisines, so this is what we plan to bring,” explains Hussain.

Hussain says that now more than ever people in Muscat enjoy going out to eat and their dining patterns have changed. As incomes increase along with options for dining, and more and more families have both parents working, there is more incentive to dine out.

“People’s ideas about food have changed. Now you see families out in res-taurants, even on weekdays,” he adds.

For a local meal there are more Oma-ni restaurants than ever in the market. Whether it is home-style Omani com-fort food like hearty chicken saloona (stew) or kabuli rice served on platter to be shared by many, Omani fusion cui-sine that blends local and international ingredients, or Omani food served in a fi ne dining setting, Muscat now has res-taurants to meet everyone’s tastes and desires.

“I’m very happy that there are more Omani restaurants opening. Seriously, we need it. We need to serve Omani food not just in Oman, but everywhere,” says

Going globalWith so many new hotels, restaurants and cafes planned in the Omani capital, Muscat is well on its way to becoming a paradise for foodies always willing to try out the number of exotic global cuisines available in the city.

Highlights

The new generation in Muscat loves dining out and the city’s burgeoning eateries are wooing them

Social media has helped change the way customers interact with restaurants in Muscat

The global fl avours found in Muscat are a result of Omanis who travel abroad and expatriates who have brought their own cuisine here

FEATURE


Chef Khamis Al Hadidi, head chef at Al Manjur, an Omani restaurant that re-cently opened at The Cave in Muscat.

The dining options in Muscat also cov-er a range of budgets, from 300bz Omani pancakes at a local chai karak shop, 500bz falafel sandwiches and 800bz curries, to OMR30 lobster, OMR40 wagyu steaks, and OMR190 caviar, and everything in between. You can easily fi nd delicious and aff ordable food for an everyday meal, or treat yourself to a gourmet, fi ve-star restaurant for a special occasion.

A recent change in how customers in-teract with restaurants is Muscat is a re-sult of the social media. Whether it is for fi nding a contact number on a Facebook page to have a meal delivered, making a restaurant reservation online, or sharing feedback and reviews, social media has become a normal aspect of dining out.

Saud says the Kiwi Cafe has not done any mainstream advertising; instead they rely on their Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Both Hussain and he say many of the customers now take photos of their food before they eat it and post it online, immediately promoting the res-taurant to their friends and family.

“Before the fi rst bite they’ve taken the photo and posted it, so people like the idea of trying new food and presentation plays a massive role,” says Hussain.

Local blogs like Omani Cuisine and FatSu are go-to spots online for restau-rant reviews, while interactive Facebook groups like Oman Restaurant Review

lets people post reviews of restaurants and have discussions, ask for recommen-dations or directions to local restaurants. Saud says he enjoys posting reviews be-cause it is a hobby and a way to hone his critiquing skills.

“We have defi nitely taken advantage of social media. Any success we’ve had in the market in terms of popularity is purely due to social media. Many other restaurants have also benefi ted from

this,” he explains. Of course there is still room for more

restaurants in Muscat, and both Hus-sain and Saud are hoping to contribute to this. Saud does not go into any details but says African cuisine is lacking in Mus-cat, while Hussain hints at an American franchise. With the number of new ho-tels, resorts and shopping malls planned in the city, Muscat’s foodies will be in cu-linary heaven.


Watermelon and Feta Salad with Fresh Mint and Olives

1/2 a football-sized water-melon 200g feta cheese small handful fresh mint 75g black olives 1 tbsp gently roasted pine nuts [optional]

PREPARATION: De-seed and cut the water-melon into bite-sized pieces. Cut the feta into small cubes. Finely chop the mint and set aside. In a serving bowl, mix together all of the ingredients, reserving a little mint to sprin-kle over the salad just before serving.

Serves 4

This is an incredibly easy to prepare but elegant-looking salad. There are only four simple ingredients, yet together, they form a marriage made in heaven! Sweet, juicy watermelon goes beautifully with the tart cheese and aromatic mint. The black olives add a fi nal, colourful contrast. If you want a little extra crunch, add a few toasted pine nuts.

INGREDIENTSRecipe Mike Harrison

MIKE HARRISON


PREPARATION:Preheat the oven to 180°C/400°F. Put the potatoes into a pan of cold salted water, bring to the boil and simmer until soft [test with a fork]. Drain well and then mash, putting in fi rst the butter, then the milk, slowly. Add the mustard and spring onions. Add the pepper and salt after checking the taste. Add half of the grated cheese and stir well. At the same time, boil the carrots for 5 minutes and set aside.

For the fi sh fi lling, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the leeks and boiled carrots and stir over the heat. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 10 minutes, or until soft. Measure the fl our into a small bowl. Add the milk, then whisk together until smooth. Add the milk to the leeks, bring to the boil and stir briskly until thickened. Season and add the fi sh and seafood. Stir over the heat for two minutes, then turn into an ovenproof casserole. Add the chopped parsley. Allow to cool until fi rm.

Spoon the mashed potatoes over the fi sh mixture and mark with a fork. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Dot the pie topping with a dab of butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden-brown on top and bubbling around the edges. Serves 4

Mike’s Fish & Seafood Pie with Mustard and Spring Onion Mash

POTATO TOPPING: 1kg peeled potatoes, cut into cubes 1 tbsp mustard [with seeds if possible, as this makes the mash more attractive] 2 small spring onions, chopped knob of butter 1 tbsp milk sea salt and freshly milled black pepper 150g Emmental, mild cheddar or mozza-rella [or your favourite hard cheese], grated

PIE / FISH FILLING: 750g mixture of 2-3 dif-ferent fi sh [I used salmon, smoked haddock and fresh haddock], cut into bite-sized cubes 75g scallops + 75g prawns [optional – increase or decrease number as per preference] 75g butter 2 leeks, sliced [hard outer stalks removed] 2 medium carrots, sliced 75g plain fl our 600 ml/1 pint milk small handful of chopped parsley [optional]

This recipe uses 3 different fi sh as its main ingredients [salmon, cod and smoked haddock] because they all have different fl avours and textures and make it a lot more interesting than if you would use just one variety of fi sh. I tend to make this pie more when I am in the UK, because there is a good variety of fi sh available. If you’re making this in Oman, you won’t be able to fi nd cod, so use any fi rm fi sh that can be cut into chunks [hamour, tuna, kingfi sh]. The following ingredients are for guiding purposes only – Experimentation will make it your own!

INGREDIENTS

Recipe Mike Harrison

MIKE HARRISON


INGREDIENTS

1 large chicken, cut into 8 pieces (or 8 chicken thighs and legs) 1 cup green olives, pitted 100g almonds 2 tbsp olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, fi nely chopped tsp saffron threads 2 tsp paprika 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground ginger tsp turmeric tsp cinnamon tsp freshly ground black pepper

pinch of salt peel from 1 preserved lemon, rinsed in cold water & cut into thin strips cup water cup chopped fresh cori-ander cup chopped fresh fl at-leaf parsley

Chicken Tagine with Olives and AlmondsI could not prepare a set of my favourite recipes without including a tagine! It’s only in the last decade or so that Moroccan food has really come to the attention of foodies around the world, belatedly and deservedly-so. I love the combination of fruit and meat that the Moroc-cans specialise in. From lamb with apricots to beef with prunes, this innovative slow-cooked fusion of fl avours, prepared to perfection in the typical clay dish with a conical lid that is the signature dish of Morocco, is always a winner for me. Check out my fi rst ever book, now in its third edition:- ‘From Tagine to Masala’.

PREPARATION:Combine all the spices in a large bowl. Pat dry the chicken pieces and put in the bowl, coat well with the spice mixture. Let the chicken stand for one hour in the spices.In a large, heavy bottomed skillet or tagine dish, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Add the chicken pieces, sprinkle lightly with salt and brown, skin-side down for fi ve minutes. Lower the heat to me-dium-low, add the garlic and onions. Cover and let cook for 15 minutes.Turn the chicken pieces over. Add the lemon slices, and half a cup of water. Bring to a simmer on medium heat, then lower the heat to low, cover, and cook for an additional 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and quite tender. In a separate pan, brown the almonds in a tiny bit of oil for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove and pat dry. Add the olives and almonds to the chicken dish and serve, decorated with a few sprigs of parsley and coriander. A few threads of saffron sprinkled over will give added colour.



Fesenjan – Duck with Pomegranate & Walnut Sauce

4 boneless duck breasts [alternatively, use chicken if you cannot fi nd duck]1 medium onion, fi nely diced2 tbsp lemon juice1 cup chicken stock1/3 cup pomegranate molas-ses

1/3 cup walnuts, fi nely groundsalt and pepper to taste2 tbsp oil

PREPARATION:Sauté the onion in the oil until translucent. Brown the chicken

breasts in the same oil. Add the lemon juice and chicken stock. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the pomegranate molasses and ground walnuts and simmer gently for a further 45 minutes. Serve with saffron rice and sprinkle a few walnut pieces

over the dish as decoration.

1 whole chicken, cut into 4-6 pieces2 tsp lemon juicecup plain fl our1 tsp vinegarLarge onions, fi nely chopped2 tsp sumaqDash of ground cardamom2-3 tbsp olive oil‘musakhan’ or ‘taboon’ Arabic breadHandful pine nutsSalt and pepper

PREPARATION:Coat the chicken pieces in a little fl our, lemon and vinegar and then wash and pat dry. Marinate the chicken in a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, sumaq, cardamom, salt and pepper for at least two hours. Fry the onions gently, adding salt and pepper and a little sumaq to taste. Add the chicken pieces then transfer to a pre-heated oven and roast at 180ºC for about 40 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, cut the bread into wide strips to go under the chicken.

Moisten the bread with spoonfuls of stock from the chicken dish and add a layer of onions. Top each piece of bread with a piece of chicken, sprinkle with pine nuts and a little sumaq and return to the oven for a few minutes until the sides of the bread are gently toasted. Serve with yoghurt and / or a side salad.

Serves Four.

The fi rst food article I ever wrote was about my quest for fesenjan, the sublime Iranian dish, which is made with the most wonderful combination of pomegranate molasses and walnuts. These two ingredients are also popular in the Cauca-sus states of Armenia and Georgia, and I’m sure this is partly the reason for those countries having such a high percentage of centenarians within their populations! Apart from containing two healthy ‘super foods’, fesenjan is quite simply delicious. For me, it has to be cooked with duck, but if you cannot fi nd it, then replace the duck with chicken breasts.

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS


Musakhan – Palestinian Chicken with SumaqOne of my big Middle Eastern favourites is musakhan, the Palestinian national dish. It is ideally cooked in a special tanoor clay oven that each family traditionally has at the bottom of the garden! Of course, if you do not have a clay oven, then a normal one will suffi ce! Hand-made oven bread is soaked in chicken stock and the chicken pieces, marinated in bittersweet sumaq powder, are then roasted and placed over the bread. The juices of the chicken and lovely burgundy coloured sumaq combine to make a sublime fl avour.

MIKE HARRISON


INGREDIENTS


1 1/2 cups walnut pieces1/2 cup honey1/4 cup dates, de-seeded and chopped into pieces1 cup all-purpose fl our1 1/2 tsp baking powder1/4 tsp salt12 tbsp unsalted butter, at room tem-perature1/4 cup sugar3 large eggs1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

GARNISH:10 walnut halves 2 tbsp honey

PREPARATION:Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). But-ter and fl our a 9-inch cake tin. Spread

the walnuts on a sheet pan and toast in the pre-heated oven for 5-6 minutes. Leave to cool and rub the nuts in a towel to remove the loose skins.

Grind the walnuts in a food proces-sor with 1/4 cup of the fl our until quite fi ne, or alternatively, just give one or two pulses if you want to have more walnut chunks in the cake. Do the same with the dates. In a medium bowl, combine the ground nuts, dates, remaining fl our, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a standing mixer with a paddle at-tachment or with an electric hand mixer, beat the butter with the honey until light and fl uffy, about 3 minutes. This can also be done by hand if you do not have a mixer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs lightly and add the vanilla. Add it in thirds to the but-ter mixture. Beat well to incorporate after

each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients and mix until fully incorporated. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared cake pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, toast the ten walnut halves on a sheet pan for eight minutes. While they are still warm rub the nuts in a towel to remove the excess skin and place them in a small bowl. Add the two tablespoons of honey and stir until the walnuts are coated. Reserve the walnut halves at room temperature to garnish the cake when it is fi nished.

Cool the cake in the pan for fi ve minutes and then turn out onto a cake rack to cool. Garnish the edge of the cake with the walnut halves. Serves 8 to 10

Honey, Date and Walnut Cake Ground walnuts are the star of this easy single-layer cake garnished with honeyed walnuts. The walnuts are toasted to bring out even more fl avour. Recently returned from a delightful, short work contract in Rwanda, I used Rwandan rain forest honey for a smoky fl avour, Omani dates and Afghan walnuts – paying homage to three of my favourite countries in one recipe! But you can use whatever you fi nd in your local supermarket or kitchen! The fi nished product was deliciously moist and disappeared far too quickly from the plate…


Mantu – Afghan Steamed Dumplings

FOR THE CASING:250g regular white fl our1 cup water1 tsp salt

FOR THE STUFFING:150g minced, slightly fatty lamb 1 medium onion, fi nely chopped2 TBS coriander, fi nely chopped1-2 cloves garlic, fi nely choppedpinch of salt and ground black pepper

FOR THE SAUCE:1 medium onion, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced2 tbsp vegetable oil2 tbsp tomato paste

GARNISH: 1 cup plain yoghurt1 tbsp dried mint

PREPARATION:Sift the fl our and make a well in the centre, adding small amounts of water before kneading the mixture until a dough is formed. Flatten the dough with a rolling pin. If you have a pasta-making machine, adjust the setting to the thinnest and run the dough through it several times until a wafer-thin, stringy consistency is achieved. Otherwise, sprinkle the dough with fl our and use a rolling pin to achieve the above consistency, repeating the process 2-3 times. Cut the dough into large squares, the

approximate size of a CD case.Mix all of the stuffi ng ingredients by hand

and place small portions into the centre of each dough square. Fold the dough over the stuffi ng on all 4 sides, then twist the ends together to seal the stuffi ng inside. Place the dumplings in a steamer for 10 minutes.

To make the sauce, gently sauté the on-ion and garlic in a little oil until translucent. Add the tomato paste and small amounts of water, stirring constantly. Simmer until the sauce thickens.

To serve, pour a little yoghurt over each dumpling, add some tomato sauce, and sprinkle with dried mint. Serve hot.

Makes approximately 10 pieces.

I have always been a fan of dumplings – whether it be Chinese dim sum, Tibetan momos or this sublime Afghan delicacy. Mantu are pre-pared in similar forms from Korea to Turkey and are particularly popular in the former Soviet Central Asian republics, though my favourite is this Afghan version. They consist of a ground meat mixture wrapped in a dough casing, which is boiled or steamed. Mantu were originally carried across Central Asia to Anatolia by migrating Turkic and Mongol horsemen, who passed through Afghanistan several hundred years ago. A salsa of tomato, mint and yoghurt is poured over the hot dish before serving. Delicious!

INGREDIENTS


MIKE HARRISON


2 large onions, grated or chopped3 tablespoons butter500g breast of lamb1 can beef broth or 1/2 litre beef stock cup water tsp salt tsp pepper1 large aubergine, chopped into bite-sized pieces1 cup liquid whey (or yoghurt) tsp saffron1 tsp dried mint fl akes

1 tbsp butter (optional) cup ground walnuts3 cloves garlic, grated (optional)

PREPARATION:Sauté the onions in 3 tablespoons of the butter until golden brown. Add the meat and sear on all sides. Add the broth, water, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer over a low heat until the meat is tender (about 2 hours), adding the aubergine pieces after the lamb has cooked for around 90 minutes. Ladle a few tablespoons of the hot broth

into the liquid whey (or yoghurt) to warm it up before adding it to the meat. Stir in the saffron. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Just before serving, sauté the mint fl akes in the remaining tablespoon of butter, and sprinkle them over the soup. Sprinkle the ground walnuts over the top. If desired, sautéed, grated garlic may also be added to the top. Serve in soup bowls, and stir a little yoghurt into each serving.

Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS


Boz Ghormeh – Iranian Lamb and Aubergine StewI have long had a passion for the elegant fl avours of Iranian cuisine, which blends fresh herbs, meat and fruit in fl avoursome ways. One of my favourite dishes is this stew, or soup, which can be served as a starter or as a meal in itself. The combination of aubergine and lamb works well, but the unique success of the dish is brought about by the subtle addition of yoghurt, mint, walnuts and saffron. You can also add a few leaves of spinach a few minutes before serving. Yum!


GazpachoGazpacho is a Spanish soup, which is served cold and is incredibly refreshing when the temperature outdoors is soaring. I’m surprised we don’t fi nd it listed more often on menus here in Oman during the summer months! It is also an incredibly healthy option, with plenty of raw vegetables as well as bread and olive oil. The following ingredients are what I use, but you should experiment a little to get it to your exact taste. I like to include a juicy stick of celery, when I can fi nd it. Perhaps you would prefer to adjust the amount of vinegar or olive oil. The quantities of bread and water you use will alter the thickness of the soup. A dash of chilli oil gives it a nice zing!.


1 1/4 kg ripe tomatoes1/2 medium cucumber1 green pepper3 garlic cloves1/2 medium onion1/4 cup olive oil2 tbsp good quality vinegarSome stale bread [depending on how thick you wish the soup to be. It can be left out completely if you prefer a thinner soup]Some chilled water3-4 ice cubes

GARNISH (SMALL QUANTITIES):

iced tomatoiced cucumbericed green peppertoasted sesame seeds

PREPARATIONBlanch the tomatoes by placing them in boiling water for 30 seconds and then plunging them into cold water. This will make them easier to peel when you take them out of the water. De-seed the peeled tomatoes. Some people prefer to avoid the

fuss, and simply leave the seeds in and skin on.

Chop up the tomatoes, cu-cumber, green pepper, garlic, and onion. Add them to a blender in small batches along with the (optional) bread and blend until smooth, adding the olive oil in a drizzle while blending. If you want a very smooth soup, then push the gazpacho through a sieve. This will get rid of the tomato seeds and skin if you left them on. At this stage, you can add chilled water to make a thinner soup, if you prefer. Once

this stage is complete, pour the gazpacho into a serving bowl, add the ice cubes and place the bowl in the fridge to chill.

Put the garnish ingredients of diced tomato, cucumber and pepper on a plate and serve with the gazpacho. Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds on each plate of soup or serve separate-ly in a small bowl as an optional accompaniment for those who like a more nutty fl avour. Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

MIKE HARRISON


Rhubarb & Apple Crumble with Custard

Traditional EnglishCherry Scones

FILLING:3 cups rhubarb, chopped into 2-3 cm pieces 2 apples, peeled and sliced into wedges1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder1 1/4 cups water

CRUMBLE:1 1/4 cups self-raising or all-purpose fl our1/3 cup oats1/4 cup almond slivers1/2 cup demerara sugar50g + 10g cold butter, diced into small pieces

PREPARATION:Place the rhubarb and apple slices into a casserole dish and sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon over. Cover with the water. Pulse together all of the crumble ingredients until

they resemble coarse bread-crumbs. Sprinkle and smooth over the rhubarb and apple mixture. Sprinkle the almond slivers over. Dot the mixture with small pieces of chopped butter. Bake at 170ºC for 30 minutes or until the crumble topping is dark brown.

CUSTARD 6 egg yolks1/2 cup sugar 2 cups whipping cream 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

In a saucepan, whisk the egg yolks and sugar for 3-4 minutes; stir in the cream. Cook and stir constantly over low heat until mixture thick-ens: about 15- 20 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the vanilla. Serve warm over the crumble.

225g self-raising fl our1/3 cup of cherries, de-pipped and cut into slivers1 tsp baking powderPinch of salt55g butter25g caster sugar150ml milk1 medium egg, beaten, to glaze (alternatively use a little milk)

PREPARATION:Heat the oven to 220°C. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Sift together the fl our, baking powder and salt and rub in the butter. Sprinkle in the cherry slivers and mix well. Stir in the

sugar and then the milk to form a soft dough.

Turn on to a fl oured work surface and knead very lightly. Pat it out to a round, 2cm thick one. Use a 5cm cutter to stamp out rounds and place on a baking sheet. If you do not have a pastry-cutter, use the rim of a glass!

Lightly knead together the rest of the dough and stamp out more scones to use it all up. Brush the top of each scone with the beaten egg. Bake for 12-15 minutes until well risen and golden. Serve with cherry or any berry jam, and - if you can fi nd it – clotted cream!

This is a homage to my childhood days, when I could not bear the taste or texture of rhubarb, and used to pick out the apple and the crumble from this dessert, discarding the rest. Time does pay tricks on us all, and as an adult, I have come to love many of the dishes that I rejected as a child. Beetroot is one, and rhubarb is another. I have many other crumble recipes in my repertoire, and in the middle of summer, I love one made with summer berries. Almost any seasonal fruit can be cooked in this way. If you want a hot and cold contrast, replace the custard with plain ice cream.

There really is something special about an English af-ternoon tea served with freshly-baked scones, warm from the oven, and butter and jam on the side. Or, if you want a real, authentic treat, look around for some good old Devonshire clotted cream. Make these scones your own by experimenting with wholemeal fl our or different fruit ingredients: Dried fruit and raisins go well. Whenever I make a batch of scones, I usually make a separate set of cheesy ones – in this case, make the dough in two separate batches, and add 50g grated Red Leicester or Cheddar cheese, and leave out the sugar. I fi nd a 1/2 tsp of paprika powder added to the dough also works a treat!

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS



MIKE HARRISON


Shredded chicken salad

Chicken breast 100 g Spring onion 20 g Salt 5 g Sugar 5 g Chilli oil 10 g Sesame oil 5 g Onion oil 15 g 15 grams capsicum

Sesame seed 1tsp Chicken powder 1tsp 2 garlic cloves, minced Shredded ginger 10 g

PREPARATIONAfter washing the chicken breast, put it in the pot and

pour a suitable amount of water, to shoot with ginger boil, skim fl oating foam, and cook by medium heat until the chicken is done and im-mediately remove to cool.Put shredded ginger, minced garlic, after chicken has

cooled, shred with fi laments.Put seasoning as a mixture (chilli oil, salt, sugar, vinegar, Chinese prickly ash, minced ginger, chives, chicken soup)

Serves 1

Shredded chicken is a well-known traditional dish made from Chinese hen. It belongs to the Szechuan cuisine and is a cold dish. It has high nutritional value, and retains the proteins of the chicken. The taste is a bit chewy. It is fresh, sweet, sour, pungent and spicy, and a really good appetiser! The chicken breast meat is low on fat and contains nutrients, such as vitamin B and nicotinic acid, which can have certain cholesterol-lowering effects. It is suitable for people who would like to lose weight.

Recipe Chef Chen, China Mood, Al Bustan Palace

CHINA MOOD

INGREDIENTS


Steamed prawns with minced garlic

6 pieces prawns50 grams asparagus20 grams salt15 grams potato starch5 grams sesame oil5 grams pepper 25grams cooking oil 15 grams spring onion oil10 grams chicken powderlittle sugar5grams soya saucespring onioncapsicumFried minced garlic

PREPARATIONMarinate prawns with salt, chicken powder, pepper, sesame oil, potato starch,Put fried minced garlic on the top of prawns, then place it in the steamer and steam together for 7 minutes.Pour hot oil after it is steamed.

Serves 1

The steamed prawn is vey nutritious, especially in proteins and calcium content. Garlic can not only remove the fi shy smell of shrimp, but also bring out more fl avour.It is best after being steamed with the sauce. Serve with rice.

INGREDIENTS

Recipe Chef Chen

CHINA MOOD

BBQ beef rib with black pepper sauce

800 grams beef rib2 tea spoon BBQ sauce10 grams mushroom20 grams broccoli5 grams salt1 tea spoon sugar 1 tea spoon chicken powder2 tea spoon black pepper30 grams corn oil

PREPARATIONMarinate beef rib with salt, sugar, chicken powder, pepper, mix BBQ sauce for 2 hours.Roast for 30 minutes.

Serves 1

It is a combination of Chinese and Western styles. Select the beef rib and marbled red meats. It is tasty not greasy. It is a western food item commonly consumed. Made with black pepper and uses traditional “baked” cooking skill. While cooking, the most important thing is the black pepper sauce. It is the key to this dish.

INGREDIENTS

Recipe Chef Chen


Home-made stir fried spicy lobster 400 grams lobster

20 grams mushroom15 grams celery10 grams baby corn5 grams ginger15 grams spring onion5 grams salt10 grams sugar20 grams garlic15 grams red chilli20 grams fermented black bean15 grams potato starch2 whole eggs

PREPARATIONMarinate the lobster with salt, pepper, chicken powder, eggs, sesame oil, potato starch,Fry the lobster, mixed with the homemade spicy sauce,Stir fry lobster with ginger, spring onion, baby corn, celery and mushrooms.

Serves 1

The fried spicy lobster is a new Szechuan cuisine. It is famous worldwide as a part of Cantonese cuisine through innovation and improvement. It is especially for those who like Szechuan cuisine and spicy food. Lobster is rich in pro-tein and minerals and has low fat content.

INGREDIENTS

Recipe Chef Chen


Fried ice cream

2 scoop vanilla ice cream1 tea spoon honey100 grams tempura fl our5 grams baking powder10 grams corn oil2 pieces sliced cake

PREPARATION2 scoop vanilla ice cream coated with baking dough for deep frying.Keep frozen 4-5 hours Heat the oil, put frozen ice cream scoop in the hot fry-ing oil until it turns brown.

Serves 1

Fried ice cream is a fi xture in after-dinner desserts, but seldom heard of. Fried ice cream can give you a different experience. The characteristics of this dessert are a test of the chef’s cooking skills. It requires control of the temperature.

INGREDIENTS

Recipe Chef Chen

CHINA MOOD


Awal Salad

80 gm dry shark fi sh30 gm cucumber30 gm tomato30 gm onion20 gm lemon juice20 gm lettuce5 gm salt5 gm garlic3 gm black pepper

PREPARATION:Boil the shark fi sh (5 to 10 min)Strain the shark fi shCut all vegetables (Julian Style)Mix all ingredients togetherBlind the garlic with lemon, salt and pepper (dressing)

Topping of shark fi sh on the

vegetables mixed with dressing

Bon appétit

INGREDIENTS

Recipe Khamis Al Hadidi

I love these fi ve dishes because they are my favourite among Omani cuisine. True to the Omani society, they will keep you connected with the past and the present at the same time and you’ll feel the magic of distinct Omani fl avour and the amazing aroma and effect of our wonderful spices. When I try this food I feel and fi nd myself in another world of culinary creations where I will always fi nd something to amaze me, letting my creative juices fl ow; sometimes giving birth to new ideas, new fl a-vours and new recipes.Chef Khamis Al Hadidi, Al Manjur, The Cave

AL MANJUR


Baby shark spring roll

3 pcs of spring roll sheet150 gm fresh shark fi sh20 gm onion15 gm minced garlic10 gm cinnamon8 gm salt30 gm lemon juice10 gm black pepper

PREPARATION:Boil the shark fi sh with minced garlic until cooked Strain the water and mash it

Add and mix salt, pepper and lemon juice Add cinnamon and onion then mix wellPrepare the spring roll sheet and put the ingredients in it Roll itTo stop the dough from opening while deep frying, add and top slightly (using a brush) the raw roll with fl our mixed with waterFry the rolls and serve it hot with sweet chili sauce.

INGREDIENTS



Lamb Kalya (Main Course)

100 gm lamb cubes100 gm lamb kidney cubes100 gm lamb liver cubes50 gm onion20 gm salt10 gm black pepper15 gm coriander power15 grs garlic30 gm water15 gm cinnamon powder15 gm cumin powder10 gm cardamom10 gm cloves powder

PREPARATION:Heat the potAdd lamb kidney, liver and lamb cubes. Cook until dryAdd onion, garlic and mix them togetherAdd water until boiledAfter 80 per cent lamb cooked, add all spicesKeep for 20 minutes under low temperatureServe with any kind of bread or rice


AL MANJUR

INGREDIENTS


Chicken Shuwa with Kabuli Rice

300g chicken100gm Shuwa masala100g rice20g salt200g Omani spices10gm butter5gm cumin seeds20g onion10g garlic150gm water

PREPARATION:Wash the chickenMarinate the chicken with Shuwa masala Keep the marinated chicken for 30 minutes in the fridgeAfter 30 minutes, put the chicken inside the pressure cooker, cook on low fi re for 30 minutes.In the meantime, pre-pare the Kabuli rice.

KABULI RICE PREPARA-TION:

Heat the pot Add butter with gheeSauté onion and garlic and cumin powder Add Omani spices till colour turns brown.Add 150 gm waterAdd saltKeep until boiled Add rice (cook on low fi re)Serving: Chicken and rice to be served hot together.

INGREDIENTS

Recipe Khamis


AL MANJUR


King Fish Pablo

250g king fi sh cubes without skin and bones80g onion60g tomato20g garlic40g lemon juice15g turmeric powder20g salt30g fresh coriander10g red chilli500g water20gm fi sh spices

PREPARATION:Heat the pot and add water until boiledAdd onion, tomato, garlic until cookedAdd turmeric powder, salt, red chili, fresh coriander (keep boiled for 10-15 min)Add lemon juice and fi shKeep for 5 to 10 minutes on low fi reServe with white rice

INGREDIENTS



PEPPERY HOT PRAWNS

Prawns 6pcs (size 20 x 30)Corn fl our 50gFlour 25gEgg white One eggSalt & pepper To tasteOnion 50gGinger 25gDry red chilli 10gSpring onion 20gLemon juice 10mlOil to deep fry

PREPARATION De-shell and de-vein the prawns. Wash and clean

properly. Make a batter with corn fl our, fl our and egg white and some salt and pepper. Dip the prawns and deep fry. When it is done remove from the oil keep aside on a tissue pep-per to soak the extra oil.Put little oil in a wok and add onion, chopped garlic, crushed dry red chilli, sauté for a while then add spring onion, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add fried prawns and toss it for some time then take it out and place it in a serving dish.

INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

This starter is popular for its crispiness sautéed with onions and dry red chillies, which is simple but impressive.

Recipe GOLDEN ORYX

Recipe GOLDEN ORYX

GOLDEN ORYX

Chicken 750gGarlic 10gGinger 10gTomato Ketchup 30mlCorianderCorn fl ourSalt/pepperA few red chillies

PREPARATION Dice the chicken, marinate with salt/pepper and corn fl our and deep-fry the chicken until crispy.

Put oil in a wok, add the chopped garlic/ginger and Schezwan paste made of red chillies. Put the tomato ketchup, some chicken stock and toss the chicken in the wok.Add corn fl our paste and stir-fry.Add salt/pepper to taste.Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serves 4

CHICKEN IN SCHEZWAN SAUCEThe dish originates from the “Sichuan” province in South-western China. It has bold fl avours particularly the spiciness and that is the main reason it is such a popular dish of the restaurant.


GOLDEN ORYXGOLDEN ORYX

ORIENTAL MERMAIDThis dish is created by our Master Chef and as the name suggests it is a combination of fi sh and chicken with delicate fl avours add-ing to its taste and freshness.

Fillet hamour 200gMinced chicken 100gGinger 25gCoriander leaves 10gCorn fl our 25gTomato ketchup 50gRed chilli sauce 25mlVinegar 15mlSalt & pepper To tasteOil To deep fry

PREPARATIONCook minced chicken with chopped ginger, garlic, coriander and green chillies. Add salt and

pepper as required. It has to be dry. Slit the Hamour fi llet like a pocket and fi ll it up with minced chicken.Make a thick batter with corn fl our and fl our and then add a little baking powder. Dip the fi sh stuffed with chicken and deep fry. Remove when it is light brown. Keep it aside.Take tomato ketchup, red chilli sauce, vinegar, salt and pepper and cook for a while. Add chopped garlic till you get the right consistency.Place the pieces in a serving dish and top it with a hot garlic sauce. Garnish with chopped red bell pepper.

INGREDIENTS

Recipe GOLDEN ORYX


Phak phuk prik Thai A freshly cooked seasonal vegetable dish with roasted black pepper preferred by vegetarians. It is usually had as an ap-petiser with an aperitif.

INGREDIENTS

Shredded chicken 200gButton/black/fresh mush-rooms 25gBasil leaves, few leavesThai green curry paste 20gmsCoconut milk 10mlSalt/pepper/sugar To tasteCorn fl our 10gmsEgg 1 noSmall brinjals 15gms

PREPARATION Marinate the chicken with corn fl our, egg yolk and deep fry. Make a thin paste with corn

fl our. Put oil in a hot wok, add the green curry paste, coconut milk, fi sh sauce and stir. Add the chicken, basil leaves, button mushrooms, brinjals and stir. Add corn fl our paste to thicken. Add required salt, pepper and a little sugar.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

This popular Thai delicacy is consumed usually with steamed rice or Thai fl at noodles. Extremely good recipe combination and is usually called “king” of all Thai curries.

Recipe GOLDEN ORYX

GAENG KIEW WARN KAI (Chicken in Thai green curry)

Assorted carrots 35g Caulifl ower 30g Button mushrooms 35g Potatoes 35g Capsicum 25g Lady fi ngers 30g Baby corn 30g Pepper corns 15g Corn fl our 10g Salt/pepper To taste Soya sauce (light and dark) 15ml Chopped onion and minced garlic 25g & 10g Lemon juice 10ml

PREPARATION Slice the potatoes like French fries. Finely cut the

mushrooms and dice all the vegetables. Marinate all the above with corn fl our, maida and deep-fry until crispy. Put oil in a heated wok, add the chopped onions and minced garlic, add soya sauce, salt/pepper/msg and the crushed pepper-corns. Put in the vegetables and stir-fry. Add a dash of lemon juice, and serve hot on a platter.

(For 4 persons)

(Assorted vegetables in roasted

black pepper)


GRAND HYATT

Australian prime rackof lamb, Ceps tart Truffl e croquette, Red currently Jus


4 each Rack of lamb400 gm Baking pota-toes30gm Truffl e40ml Truffl e oil20 gm Flour50 gm Beaten egg40 gm Bread crumbs80 gm Puff pastry80 gm Cep mush-rooms300 gm Duck fat20 gm Thyme20 gm Rosemary10 gm Bay leaves2 clove Garlic80 ml Lamb stockRed currant for garnishMalden sea saltFresh ground black pepper

PREPARATIONScore baking potatoes and season then place in the oven at 170° Celsius for 1 hour 10 minutes and set aside to cool, and then peel.Finely chop the truffl e, add truffl e oil to the peeled po-tato and season to taste,

Then make cylinder shape, then pane them, then deep fry until golden brown.Slice cep mushrooms in 4mm thickness lengthwise.In a baking tray place duck fat, thyme, rosemary, garlic and bay leaves and add sliced cep mushrooms then cooking at 80° Celsius for 1 hour 20 minutes then set aside to cool, then drain the excess fat.Dock the puff pastry and place on the baking tray with grease proof paper and another baking tray on the top in order to make a thin tart base then place cep mushrooms on the puff pastry. Pre-heat the frying pan until sizzling, add oil, then sear the rack of lamb as golden brown, then place in the oven at 180° Celsius for 6 minutes as medium or longer for personal prefer-ence.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Recipe Jason Brotherton, Mokha Cafe, Grand Hyatt


DUCK BREAST,

DUCK LEG CONFIT,

DUCK TORTELLINI,

PEA PUREE

2ea Whole duck320ml Olive oil150gr Pasta dough100ml Duck stock160gr Green peas (frozen) 20gr Butter100ml Duck stock20ml Double cream5ml Truffl e oil30gr Thyme fresh1ea Egg (beaten)40gr Malden sea salt5gr Bay leaves5gr Pepper corns1ea Bulb garlic (cut in half)

PREPARATIONClean the duck and remove any excess fat, remove the two legs and the breasts from the duck. Place the legs on a tray cover with Malden sea salt and thyme, leave for 12 hours.In a pan heat 300ml of olive oil to 80°c, add the garlic, 25 gm thyme, bay leaves and pepper corns. Remove the excess salt from the legs, and add to the olive oil, cook for 4 hours. Allow to cool in the oil. Once cooled re-move the duck legs, separate the thigh bone and the drum stick. The meat from the thigh bone, pull off the bone and chop for the tortellini. In a bowl add some chopped thyme and check the seasoning and adjust if needed, mix in the truffl e oil.Roll out the pasta dough, very thin number 1 on the pasta ma-chine; you should be able to see your fi ngers through the dough. Place the confi ted leg meat in the middle, seal the edges with egg wash, and fold over to form

a half circle. Then hold in your fi ngers place one fi nger in the middle, fold round both the cor-ner ends to form a tortellini and fold back the top.With the drumstick cut the done at the top, and slowly push the meat down to expose a clean bone, keep on the side.

In boiling salted water add the peas, butter and cook until the peas are tender, puree and the cream and adjust the seasoning. Remove the excess fat from the duck breasts and score the fat with a sharp knife, season the duck breast, heat the oil in a pan and place the duck breasts in fat side down, until golden and crisp, turn over add the thyme, place in the oven at 180°c for 5 – 8 minutes depending on desired cooking.Cook the tortellini in boiling salted water with olive oil for 5 minutes; reheat the dusk leg and puree.Remove the duck breast from the pan; allow resting for 10 min-utes. Remove the excess oil from the pan, heat on a gas burner, and deglaze with the duck stock, reduce to syrup, add a little cold butter and check the seasoning.To plate place the pea puree on the left side of the plate and with the back of a spoon drag to the right. Cut the duck breast in half-length ways and place on the left side, place the tortellini next to the duck breast, then the drumstick so you have a nice group of three items in the mid-dle. Spoon the jus in lines around and garnish with fresh thyme.Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Recipe Jason Brotherton

GRAND HYATT


HOME CURED ATLANTIC SCALLOP

12 each Atlantic scallop3 each Baby fennel120 g Fine green beans120 g Pickled carrot12 g Sturia caviar40 ml Sherry vinaigrette

micro cress for garnishFor the curing scallop

400 g Sea salt20 g Tarragon20 g Parsley50 g Lemon zest

For fennel confi t400 ml Olive oil 10 g Thyme3 clove Garlic

For pickled carrot2 g Mustard seed 20 g Castor sugar40 ml White wine vinegar100 ml Water

PREPARATIONClean scallop meat and cover with the sea salt for ap-proximately 40 minutes then remove all the excess sea salt from the scallop.Place olive oil, thyme, garlic and baby fennel in a small pot and heat it up gradually at 60° celsius degree until soft

then remove from the oil.Blanche fi ne green beans in salted water for 3 minutes and place in ice water to cool; then fi nely shred and season with olive oil, salt and pepper.Peel carrot and slice in 2mm thickness lengthwise.Add white wine vinegar, sugar, mustard seed and water to a pot and heat up until boiling then remove from the heat.Add the sliced carrot to the liquid allow to cool down then remove carrot.Serves 4

INGREDIENTS


GRAND HYATT


GRAND HYATT

POACHED LOBSTER, MANGO, GINGER LIME OIL

200gr Lobster tail meat cooked160gr Cooked white crab meat120 ml Fresh mango puree50gr Roma tomato, peeled diced 5mm square15gr Chives fi ne chopped40ml mayonnaise2 sheets leaf gelatine150ml Extra virgin olive oil40gr Fresh ginger sliced (keep the skin)20gr Garlic clove1ea Lemon grass stick4ea Caper berry large with stalk5gr Malden sea salt2ea Lime leafs30gr Micro cress leafs

SaltPepper

PREPARATIONWarm the Extra virgin olive oil to 60° c, add the ginger, garlic, lime leaf and lemon grass. Keep on the side allow-ing the fl avours to infuse. Remove the lobster meat from the shell, cut 4 nice medallions for the garnish, the rest of the meat dice into 10mm pieces.Soak the gelatine in cold wa-ter, warm the mango puree, when the gelatine is soft add to the mango puree, make sure it is all dissolved. Pass the mix through a fi ne sieve. Add the lobster meat to the mango, spoon into small Tefl on muffi n molds and refrigerate for two hours, or until the puree is set.In the meantime add the crab

tomato, chives, salt, pepper and mayonnaise to a mixing bowl,Mix well. Pass the infused olive oil through a fi ne sieve to remove all the ingredients, correct the seasoning with salt and pepper.To plate the dish, spoon the crab on the left side and with the tip of a spoon smooth it towards the right. Place the mango and lobster tower just above the crab, place the lobster medallion, and place a pinch of Malden sea salt on top, garnish with the caper berry, infused olive oil and micro cress.Serves 4

INGREDIENTS



CHOCOLATE AND COFFEE CREAM POT

30ml Water60gr Sugar60gr Dark Chocolate4pcs Egg Yolks200ml Milk50ml Espresso coffee

PREPARATIONSet the milk & espresso coffee in a cooking pan, bring them to boil then set aside.Chop the dark chocolate fi nely, set in a medium bowl and add the 2 egg yolks.Boil the water and sugar together then pour on the chocolate.Mix with a whisk till smooth texture, and then pour

in the milk.Mix with a spatula at this point, to avoid making too much of foam.Divide into 6 ceramic dishes or small bowls, set in a deep tray, and fi ll with water till it reaches a 1/4 of the dish inside.Bake at 90° Celsius (1/4 mark or thermostat 3) for 1 hour.Let them cool and set in the refrigerator for a couple of hoursYou can garnish with some diced mango, or fresh berries

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS



THE INDUS


KALONJIPOMFRET

Pomfret 250gm(White Pomfret)Garlic Paste 10gmGinger Paste 10gmKalonji Seeds (Nigella Seeds) 10gmKashmiri Chilli Powder 1 TspRoasted Chana Powder 20gmSalt to TasteKalonji Oil 20mlLemon 1 No.Egg White 1 No.

PREPARATIONClean the fi sh and make three slits on both sides from head to tailPut Ingredients in a bowl and mix properly.Smear the fi sh with the masala and keep it for 2 to 3 hours in the fridge.Shallow fry the fi sh in Kalonji oil.Cooking time - 7 minutes each side with slow fi re.Serve with mint chutney

INGREDIENTS

Recipe Shaikh Arif Ahmed

THE INDUS

RAAN SHEIKH SALEEM

Goat or Lamb 1 Leg 4 large onions to be roasted without skinRed Chilli Powder 15gmGinger Paste 2 TspRoasted Garlic Paste 2 TspTurmeric Powder 1/3 TspDry Rose Petals 4 TspPeppercorn 1/2 TspCinnamon Stick 1/2”Kebabchini 1 TspGreen Cardamoms 2Juice of 2-3 LemonsGhee 200gmSalt to Taste

PREPARATIONFirst take the onions and garlic peel them and roast

in oven or in tandoor with a temperature of 300° Fahren-heit till it turns brown.

After roasting, make a fi ne paste of onions and garlic in a mixture.Take the Raan, wash it prop-erly and slice with a knife to enable absorption of spices.Take a big vessel and put the Raan inside it and except lemon add the rest of the ingredients.Marinate it for half an hour.Cover the vessel with aluminium foil and cook on a slow fi re for 2 hours.After half an hour, make a

small hole so that steam comes out.After 2 hours, separate the gravy and the Raan.Strain the gravy and then mix it with the Raan again.Then put the Raan in the oven with 200° Fahrenheit for half an hour.The Raan is now ready to serve.

Before serving sprinkle some lemon Juice.

INGREDIENTS


ART OF COOKING - 2015


THE INDUS


NALLI ROGAN JOSH

Lamb Shanks 6 PcsWater 2 litresSalt to TasteGarlic (Grounded) 35gmGhee 200gmCloves 12Green Cardamom 12Turmeric 1 TspFried Onion Paste 200gmKashmiri Red Chilli Paste 15gmSaffron 1/2 TspDry Cockscomb 1/2gm heated with 1 cup waterBlack Pepper Powder 10 gmGinger Powder 5 gm.

PREPARATIONBoil the lamb shanks in water. Remove the scum with a ladle until the water is clear. Add the salt and garlic. Boil until the lamb shank is half done. Remove from heat and take out the pieces of lamb shank. Wash them in a pan of cold water. Keep the meat aside. Then strain the water through a fi ne sieve and collect it in another pan. Return this pan to the heat and bring the water to boil. Add the lamb shanks.Meanwhile, heat the ghee in a pan, and add the cloves and sauté until they crackle. Remove from heat, sprinkle 1 tsp of water and cover.

To the boiling water, add the green carda-moms, turmeric powder, clove-fl avoured ghee and onion paste. Boil for another 10 minutes. Stir the red chilli water. Reduce heat and cook covered until the meat is tender.

Add the cockscomb fl ower extract, saffron water, ginger powder and black pepper powder. Mix well and bring rapidly to the boil.

INGREDIENTS



MURGHACHAARI

Chicken 1Red Chilli Powder 4 TspGround Ginger and Garlic 2 tspGround Cumin and Coriander Seeds 3 tspJuice of 6 lemons6 Green Chillies, cut into half1/4th cup curry leaves

For (Seasoning)Cumin seeds 2 tspNigella seeds 1/2 tspDry Whole Red Chillies 6Mustard seeds 1 tspFenugreek seeds 1 tspOil 2/3 Cup

PREPARATIONWash chicken and drain the water out completely.Put the chicken in a heavy-based pan and add to it all the ingredients except the ones for the seasoning (baghar). Marinate for an hour. Heat the oil. Add the whole red chillies, cumin and mustard seeds and after a few seconds nigella and fenugreek seeds. When the colour of the red chillies darkens, pour the baghar over the marinated chicken and cover the dish immediately. Now start cooking, fi rst on high and then on medium-slow fi re, covered. Stir the dish from time to time and cook till the chicken is tender and the water dries up.

INGREDIENTS


THE INDUS


THE INDUS

BADAMGIRI KUND

Bitter Almond 1 kgDesi Ghee 300gmJavatri 5gmCardamom 5gmSaffron 1/4 gmSugar 1 cupMilk 1 ltr

PREPARATIONSoak almond overnight. De-skin it. Fry it with ghee to light golden brown.Keep the ghee separately.

Boil the milk and bring it to cool.Then mix almond, milk and rest of the ingredients altogether and make it a fi ne paste.Cook the fi ne paste with ghee again with a slow fi re until ghee comes on the top.Garnish with almond slice, sprinkle with cardamom powder and serve it.

INGREDIENTS



BAIGAN BADAL JAAM

Big Brinjals 400gmDesi Ghee 100gmChat Masala 1tspTomato 1kgCup Onion 100gmGarlic 20gmGinger 10gmRed Chilli Powder 5gmSalt to TasteHung Yogurt 200gmChopped Coriander 10gmLemon 1Nos.Fresh Pomegranate seeds 10gm

PREPARATIONTHE Brinjals: Remove stems, wash, slice ends and cut into 3 roundels of equal thickness.

Heat Ghee in a kadhai (wok) and deep fry the roundel over a medium heat until cooked. Remove. Lightly grease a roasting tray, arrange the roundels on it without overlapping, and sprinkle chat masala.The Tomato Sauce: Blanch tomatoes, remove the skin, deseed and roughly chop. Peel, wash and fi nely chop onions. Peel and fi nely chop garlic, reserve 10g/1 tbs for the yogurt topping. Scrape, wash and fi nely chop ginger.Heat Ghee in a kadhai (wok), add onion and sauté until light brown. Add garlic and

ginger, sauté until onions are golden brown. Then add tomatoes, red chillies and salt. Bhunno (fry) until it is mashed. Reduce the masala to a thick sauce consistency and adjust the seasoning.The Topping: Hang yoghurt in muslin cloth until reduced by half, then whisk in a bowl. Clean, wash and chop corian-der, add to the yogurt, along with the reserved garlic and lemon juice. Mix well.

The oven: Pre-heat to 250° FUse garnish and sprinkle fresh

pomegranate seed on top.

INGREDIENTS


THE INDUS

times of oman - art of cooking 2015

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