wow wow wow...

Salam and Hello.

Im back in the blogging scene for now. I had wonderful Umrah 'minor' Pilgrimige to the holy land Al Haram city of Makkah and Madinah. Met all kinds of people with different culture and race with a mission for a holy experience. Im not preaching but now brace yourslef...

I haven't got a clue. I'm sure it was Seafood dish. Stuffed in a bread. (Zam Zam tower Makkah)

Arabic dessert. dough?? syrup?? pistahcio?? Filo Pastry??

Bird's nest with custard fillings.

Figs.

Array of mixed Western desserts.

Raspberry tart? didn't fancy them.

Arabic Mixed Grilled of chicken, lamb and Beef. (Low quality photo)

Lamb Rice.(low quality photo).

I guess this was trio of aubergines cooked in arabic spices. Lots of saffron there.

ahh... Rack of lamb.

Varieties of spring rolls. There were Cheese fillings.

Bread rolls.

Pendesal and Chicken Soup

Right... what was this called? It's vine leaves stuff with rice and minced meat. This is a traditional dish in the middle eastern country. Greek as well. Dolma? very earthy and filling.

Salad station. lots and lots of pickles!

Can you see Hommous there? Youghurt dips too...

Italian lover: you know this. M-O-Z-A-R-R-E-L-L-A

Our snack we had white waiting for Solat. Cream Cheese, Crackers and Grapes. Not too arabic is it?

Finally I had the chance to enjoy arabic Lamb Rice on a "Talam". Basically Talam is large saucer. Whats more unique is that I had this in Makkah. Can't compare right. :)

Grilled baby chicken from Al Tasaj??

Yes, Al Tasaj is it.

Daily bread in Maddinah.

Shish Kebabs at Madinah.

again... Stuffed Vine Leaves.

You won't miss Fried Chicken and Chips in Madinah.

haha... they love to take pictures.

Food court in Madinah.

Again...

Olive Salad.

Grilled Baby chicken from Madinah.

Fried Tilapia fish served at our Madinah Hotels.

I think thats all that i have. I can't seem to find the big clear water fish! it's tasteless. I coudn't find the picture. It has no appetite appeal at all. I will show you once I found it.

Regards...

Chef Pol

Aged Beef?

Hi Eleanor :)

After good 2 and half hours, I did a nice braised short ribs with Sultanas using basic ingredients. I simply sealed it off (browning) before adding them to the pan. The idea of experimenting using aged beef was to find the difference using home aged beef and normal non aged.

Browning.

Cook everything in a deep sauce pan.

a good 2 hours and half in the oven

The end product. Now, how tender is the beef after it had been left to dehydrate for another 5 days? It's time comsuming for sure. Does it really give extra flavour? yes or no? Celebrity chefs can talk on and on. Cooking is no rocket science.

What can i say about this dish. My verdict is that I don't see any difference with aging beef. Maybe this is a one-sided cooking method (Braising). I will try again with steaks, sirloin or strips and try it out on the grill. It's time consuming and perhaps i can overcharged my customer and labelling them "22 days AGED Beef " Ha~~. Ask any idiots or a blonde they will tell you it taste just like a beef. :) so, is hung beef really economical? With the need of large storage spaces, controlled fridge and trimmings?

I believe good proper cooking method, proper basic ingredients and of course proper tools, the result can be achieved. So long you don't try to be poncey especially when you are a chef. Aged or non aged beef? It doesn't really matter. So Mdm Eleanor, that is my verdict. However, short ribs are delicious. Cook it right, it can't go wrong. :)

Tender?

Have a good Evening you Beefeater!

Regards,

Chef Pol

Home dry aging Beef

The purpose for aging beef in a cool room temperature is a way to tenderise the meat. In Brunei, this is not our tradition. We normally like to buy meat where it is freshly slaugthered on the day then kept in the freezer. We tend to buy bright red colour texture because we like to think its fresh and clean. I also like to say Buffalo (KERBAU)and Cattle/Cow (SAPI) are not the same.

Buffalo is very lean, quite dark in colour, good flavour, light and a little sweet. As Cattle has more fat content, rich meaty flavour which takes longer to cook and not as healthy as Buffalo. :) I tend to use Buffalo meat when it comes to cooking Malay or Indian cuisine like Rendang. For Western menus like stew and also chinese braising method, I find cattle is the better option.

When beef is dry aged, the beef's natural enzyme (bacteria) breaks down the protein and the connective tissue. Well, thats the theory. On a real process, beef is hung at a specific temperature in order to get the right humidity. This method is expensive as after 22 days there will alot of trimming (mould) and when the meat dehydrates, this will cause in weight lost. Having said that, i think that justify my conclusion why our local butcher can't be bothered selling dry aged beef. I think so.

Anyway, Im experimenting using a fridge in the office. I will give this beautiful short ribs another 4 to 5 days. I will judge by looking at dryness on the meat.

Dry Aged short ribs

Lets make this sexy babes fantastic. I can't wait.

regards,

Chef Pol

Foodie Bloggers Recipe book.

Get your copy now at $10 each., available at Shop@Sarah Qlap Mall. 200 copies left (I think). All proceeds goes to charity fund.

bye
Chef Pol

Fun dessert.

I often see typical french pattisserie Mille-fuille on display in majority European cafes. It normally consist of many layers of puff pastry that could be stacked with all sort of berry fruits of Raspberries or Strawberries. It then incorporated with cream or mousse. Lined with flat layers of pastry. As a chef would like to experiment alot, I use spring roll pastry instead of the classic puff pastry.

Simply brush them with melted butter on each layer.

Baked till golden brown.

Shaped into rectangle and ready for the oven.

Since Brunei grow bananas, I round cut into half an inch then caramelised it on a pan. Drizzle with toffee or caramel or butterscotch whatever you want to call it. Addtional ice cream would complete the whole plate. You could also use chocolate sauce.

Not so French is it? Bananas?

Good for home and good in the menu too. It's not pretentious as it doesn't seems like it, hardly any wastage, minumum ingredients thus what else for an affordable dessert. One good tip for chefs, "sell something that you are good at, be creative, nothing pretentious and easy to prepare".

Poached Seabass on Egg noodle with baby spinach.with wasabi Vinegrette. Clean, refreshing and I cant think of anything healthier than this. Now thats a good thought.


Wonderful Vinaigrette of all. My 1st time using powdered wasabi. I have yet to see the difference between ready made ones and powdered. Judging by taste, Its smilarly the same. It balance the heavy texture from the noodles as the sharpness from the vinaigrette makes the texture adorably lighter on the palate. If your diner can't take Wasabi, you can substitute with lime and grate some zest off the skin. :)

Regards,

Chef Pol