Chefs In Black... and white too

Chef in black… the good looking blonde chef of Asian Food Channel always in a sexy black t-shirt going about town in a kick-ass motorcycle? Yeah, that guy. At first, I can’t quite catch his name because of his heavy French accent but his cute accent grows on you and you start understanding him talk. He is Chef Emmanuel Stroobant, an internationally celebrated celebrity chef and I am the lucky few who attended the media event where he charmed the guests- not only with his excellent cuisine but also with his quick wit.

The day of Chef Emmanuel’s demo, I enter my current favorite steakhouse, 145 Fahrenheit (since Dec 08, I’ve been there 4 times alreadyJ) with much enthusiasm and an open mind. Just days before, I was in the same restaurant pouring over details of the event and enjoying, among others, a variety of steak for a “steak taste test” paired with Beringer Founder’s Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Talk about enjoying your work. With me were Chef Jeremiah Go and Edwin Sy of 145, Beringer’s Kathy Yao Santos and Gourmet Everyday producer Glaisa Tentativa.

Of course, good food and excellent wines excite me so whatever happens, the day is definitely special. But more than that, I want to get to know this much talked about Belgian chef, who trained in a 3 Michelin star restaurant in Belgium and who now runs about 7 successful restaurants in Singapore. That’s not an easy task considering how expensive rental is in Singapore!

If you are expecting an egoistic, highly-strung diva in the kitchen, you’ll be disappointed.

Like people new in town, Chef Emmanuel, with his assistant and good friend Chef Gene Mok in tow, quietly did their prep in the resto’s beautiful open kitchen. But as time pass, you can see him more comfortable in his environment and he starts clowning around.

What surprised me is that he is very thorough. With his pen, paper and clipboard on hand, he takes down notes and gives clear instructions. You can see in his demeanor that he is on top of things and he definitely loves what he is doing.

Precision, that is his strength. He mastered the art of timing so everything he cooks comes out perfect.

For this special demo- the fat free, cholesterol and sodium free California Raisins take center stage. How many recipes can you make using this healthy snack that I personally enjoy eating? Well, a lot. And it is evident in the cuisine we enjoyed that afternoon.

Chef Emmanuel stars in the kitchen with two of our very own chefs- 145’s Chef Andrew Chua and Pastry Chef Melissa Yao.

It is embarrassing to admit but I had more than one serving of this delightful dish done by Chef Andrew. Edwin (co-owner of 145) and I compared notes to see who ate more, I befriended the waiter while he stayed in the kitchen- he won hands down!

Of course this dish is yummy because it’s made from the finest ingredients available. But it’s the medley of flavors that got me hooked.

California Raisins Baked Mussels

A recipe of Chef Andrew Chua

INGREDIENTS:

1/2    cup      California raisins

1      dozen   mussels

3      tbsp.    shallots, minced

1/4    cup      white wine

1      pound  unsalted butter

1      tbsp.    Dijon mustard

                    parmesan cheese, grated

                    gruyere cheese, grated

                    pernod

                    micro arugula

                    balsamic vinegar reduction

PROCEDURE:

1. Heat 1 table spoon butter in a pan and sauté the shallots till fragrant then add the raisins, deglaze with the white wine, simmer till the wine evaporates and absorbed by the raisins. Then leave to cool

2. When raisins are cool, put the raisins in the food processor and puree till smooth. Add all the butter till combined, and then add the Dijon mustard season with salt. Spread the butter compound covering the mussels entirely.

3. Set the oven to broil, when hot, broil the mussels till light brown on top, remove the mussels from the oven, top with the parmesan cheese and gruyere, broil again till golden brown in color.

4. Place the mussels on the plate, drop each mussel with the pernod and balsamic for flavor and garnish the top with micro arugula.

It is the demo everyone was anxious to see and Chef Emmanuel delivered with flying colors. He entertained us with his extensive knowledge of cuisine and shared with us his personal experiences. He loves to express himself through drawing and he entertains the crowed just like a typical guy- with amusing sound effects, he was playing with the camera, and the audience. He was fun to watch.

He made two dishes and both looked really good and was definitely delicious.

First was a maki made with layers of cucumber strips, thin slices of strip loin, tomatoes and a raisin dressing. It was a refreshing summer party in the palate with an unexpected zing coming from the Togarashi powder (a Japanese seven spice powder).

Maki Of U.S Roast Beef Salad With Togarashi And California Raisin Dressing

By Chef Emmanuel Stroobant

INGREDIENTS FOR MAKI:

400grams      U.S beef striploin

50grams       rocket lettuce

20grams       macadamia nuts

2pcs             momotaro tomatoes, peeled & cut into thin strips

1 pc.             telegraphic cucumber,

                    peeled & cut into thin sheets

INGREDIENTS FOR DRESSING:

3 tbsp.          mustard

2 tbsp.          California raisins

1 tbsp.          soya sauce

1 tbsp.          mirin

1 tbsp.          togarashi powder (Japanese seven spice powder)

METHOD:

1. Sear the beef in a hot pan, and then roast in the oven for 15 mins at 180’C. Allow to rest and set aside.

2. Combine all the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.

3. Slice the beef lengthwise into 2mm thick slices.

4. On a flat surface, apply a layer of cling film. Place one sheet of cucumber, followed by a layer of the sliced beef. Then at the edge of the sheet, set a row of rocket and tomato. Drizzle the dressing along the row and roll it up like a sushi roll.

5. Slice the roll into 3cm pieces; remove the cling film and present standing with a macadamia nut and a California raisin on top.

His second dish was something more personal. He shared with the audience his love for cooking with pork, a love he had since he was a child and something he now passes on to his son. And boy can he cook with pork.

The delectable squares of pork served to us by Chef Emmanuel came with a thick layer of melt in your mouth fat that has a special crunch on top coming from the Japanese bread crumbs he used. Yummmy!

Roasted U.S. Korobuta Pork Belly Brushed With Dijon Mustard And Apple Compote With California Raisins

By Chef Emmanuel Stroobant

INGREDIENTS:

1 pc.             U.S kurobuta Pork belly, trimmed & cut in 6

3 tbsp.         cooking oil

100 grams     bread crumbs

100 grams     parsley, finely chopped

50 grams      Dijon mustard

100 grams     butter

100 ml          beef stock

20 ml           vinegar

4 pcs.           green apple, peeled, seeded & cubed

50 grams      sugar

100 ml          water

100 grams     California raisins

1/4 lemon     lemon juice

Method for the roasted pork:

1. In a hot pan, heat the cooking oil and sear the pork belly until brown on each side. Set aside.

2. Combine breadcrumbs and parsley.

3. Brush each piece of seared pork belly with mustard and roll in the bread crumbs mixture.

4. Place in a baking dish and roast in the oven for 40 minutes at 160’C.

5. Remove the meat from the dish and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

6. Place the same dish back on the flame on medium, add the beef stock and reduce by half. Add the beef stock and reduce by half. Add the butter and the vinegar, whisk until the butter is incorporated, but not boil the sauce.

Method for the apple compote:

1.Place the apples, sugar, water and California raisins in a sauce pan and bring to simmer for 1 hour. Add the lemon juice and stir for 1 min.

2. Serve hot or cold.

The only lady chef who presented her work was Chef Melissa, who carted in a four layer butter based California Raisin N’ Cream Cake into the resto. It was Flamenco inspired with a beautiful hot pink color and a design made from actual raisins. They are painted with edible colored glitter. It was not only beautiful to look at but good to eat too. Chef Melissa and her creative team of pastry chefs made a beautifully decorated plate with a serving size of their Raisin Cream Cake… as always, my plate was wiped out even before you can say yum!

California Raisin N’ Cream Cake

By Chef Melissa Yao

CALIFORNIA RAISIN PASTE

120 grams     California raisins

1/2 cup        water

- In a saucepan, boil raisins together with water until soft.

- Pulse in food processor or blend in a blender until paste-like.

- Refrigerate

3/4 cup        butter

70 grams      brown sugar

3 pieces       eggs

145 grams     raisin paste

1/2 tsp.        lemon extract

1/2 tsp.        orange extract

1 tsp.           orange zest or zest of 1 orange

115 grams     all purpose flour, sifted

47 grams      almond flour, toasted

1 tsp.             baking soda

1/4 tsp.        nutmeg

1/4 tsp.        salt

1/2 tsp.        cinnamon

3/4 cup        sour cream

1/8 cup         crushed pineapple, drained

California Raisin Butter Cream Icing

1 cup          butter

1 cup           sifted powdered sugar

3/4 cup        evaporated milk

2 tbsp.          chopped raisins soaked in

1 1/2 tbsp.   rum or orange liquor

1 tsp.              orange extract

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven at 350°F.

2. Combine and sift together all-purpose flour, baking soda, nutmeg & cinnamon in a bowl. Add in almond flour.

3. In a mixing bowl. Cream butter, sugar until light and fluffy for 8-10 minutes. Add in orange zest.

4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Blend in raisin paste. Stir in orange & lemon extract.

6. Mix in flour alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

7. Pour butter into greased and lined 7” x 11”pan.

8. Bake at 350 degree until toothpick inserted comes out clean, for about 30-35 minutes.

9. Leave to cool.

Frosting

1. Beat the butter until fluffy. Stir in orange extract.

2. Add in powdered sugar and continue beating until blended.

3. Gradually add the milk, beating well after each addition.

4. Add in chopped raisins.

5. Spread on the cakes.

Chef Emmanuel is no stranger to Southeast Asia. He loves Japanese ingredients and has been staying in Singapore for a decade now. He has been to Boracay a few years back to scuba dive but he is a novice when it comes to Filipino food. He admits that he has only tried the “delightful crispy pork knuckles” so far. (Translation: Crispy pata palang natikman niya.)

Naughty me want to test and see how adventurous he is in trying out strange unfamiliar cuisine. Well, he got one over me, he told me he loves tripe so the kare kare served by Chef Jeremiah for lunch is not really a challenge for him to eat. But he definitely loved the sisig and laing we had for dinner at the Bagoong Club.

Meeting internationally acclaimed chefs is not new to me, I have met another Filipino favorite, Chef Ming Tsai of East Meets West and Ming’s Quest fame, when we were both invited by the Hong Kong Tourism board for their Best of the Best Culinary Awards in Hong Kong.

What I find similar to these culinary super stars is that they are humble and are a delight to talk to. You really learn that making superb cuisine takes a lot of passion and a load full of hard work.

Hope you try these recipes at home. They are definitely winners in my book. Happy cooking!:)