Fails and successes

Ok... Just some updates about my some cooking experiments:

Tacos de lengua

I made homemade tacos which were a revelation. It was pretty but not very useful to incorporate a flowered chive in a spiral fashion... There most of the time the tacos broke apart. The beef tongue (cooked sous vide for 72 hours on 60°C was very good - tasted beefy , soft with an distinct ham texture. I made a Mexican sauce with dried chili (of course reconstituted in water) and fresh poblano,  dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, cumin, coriander seeds...

Tasted surprisingly authentic Mexican! Served it with sour cream, fresh tomatoes, salted onions and freshly diced avocado.

Frozen Scotch eggs

After my Mexican adventure I just wanted to do Scotch eggs - as I had still some beef chorizo in my fridge. Eggs were slightly overlooked (too small for the recipe) but I just went ahead. I put the already shaped sausage balls (already hiding the eggs) into the freezer.

But then S. asked me to come to bed - already 5 in the morning and I forgot the unfinished Scotch eggs in the ice box. 

Tried to finish them today - but as expected the egg white was oddly  layered and watery. What a waste... Into the bin...

Lamb belly / breast

I asked at Géants the butcher to debone some lamb ribs (the meaty-fatty one).

In it went into a flavorful brine with fresh rosemary, sugar, fresh garlic, coriander, chili, salt, water) for around 10 hours. From there I rinsed it and put it into vacuum bag with a frozen mixture of more rosemary, roasted garlic, olive oil, honey (I had to freeze it, as the normal foodsaver won't work with a liquid marinade- if you have a chamber cryovac- you can skip this step) and it went into my hacked rice cooker for around 24 hours at a fairly high 67°C. Took it out- into an ice bath (which I used then to rinse the meat).

First attempt - seasoning and deep frying it: nice... Not enough salt... Overall very nice.... Not too much lambiness... crisp... slightly overcooked.

Second - breading it (still had the breading station from the blœdy Scotch eggs...) and frying it... Odd... very crispy (thanks panko)... but it taste like breaded bacon... not so good... again underseasoned!

Third - just flouring a piece and pan fry it ultra hot in little oil... again with seasoned flour with added salt and pepper... very nice... slightly crispy... but again underseasoned (damn).

Fourth and last attempt - seasoning it with salt and pepper (a lot)... frying it in ultra hot pan with little oil... salting again with Maldon sea salt... Perfect! Could not be happier... meaty, fatty, without being greasy. Taste like lamb without being overpowering with hints of garlic, rosemary and honeysweetness (without being too sweet). Voila!

Suhoor - my way...

Since a couple of days, I do have a sous vide rig. Oh boy, was this a operation to get it to Dubai. First I got my thermocouple via Amazon. Not cheap (especially the optional but recommended DHL shipment), but definitely far cheaper than a professional SV rig (which you cld buy here in the UAE. 

Then I had to buy a slower cooker... Not available! But a rice cooker is as good (only thing is, that rice cookers are usually smaller than slow cooker).

And then the cables. Lets say it like that... My set up might not be recommended by any quality & safety organization (TÜV, CE etc). But it works!

After 64°C eggs and an über beef tenderloin (both amazing) - and an "uneaten" beef tongue (48hours sv'ed) and a rump round steak (12 hours), I wanted to do the chicken, which waited since a couple of days in the fridge. I butchered it (quite well), made some airline breasts (with the wingbone) and sous vided it with garlic, scallions, cilantro and black pepper. 1 hour only made it the most juicy but still properly cooked chicken breast, we had for a long time. I served it with avocado tomato salad and oven kale chips (which were slightly too salty)

After the breast left their jacuzzi, the legs & thighs were vacuumed with aromatics and a lot of butterand had a swim (well they Are still in... For around 9 hours) - I thought, it would be nice to have chicken leg confit...

Hence there will be enough to eat in the next days... Despite (or even especially) of Ramadan.

Ravi Restaurant Dubai Satwa

Ravi restaurant in Dubai Satwa is somewhat something special. They have quite some accolades, won a lot of awards in TimeOut under the "cheap eats category" [what ever they call it].

Are the awards justified - or do we have another venue, which is overrated? I went there to find out.

You can directly see, how successful "Ravi" became - as three venues, are situated side by side. All called Ravi [restaurant, palace and another one, I forgot]. Inside these venues are looking like most cafeteria styled restaurants. White tiles, not very luxurious or styled.

Outside, tables are situated on the sidewalk. The tables are stainless steel - another proof, of their success. I don't really remember the chair - only, that it was not the usual flimsy plastic chair, you have in most other places. Off course Satwa is a busy place with heavy traffic - hence you shouldn't be afraid of some exhaust gases...

I sat down, asked for a menu [felt a bit funny - do you ask in such a den for a menu?]. I was presented the takeout menu. I thought a good idea was to take chicken and some vegetarian fare.
Mentionable was, that my waiter sat before on a chair close to the entrance massaging his sandaled foot. After that, he didn't showed any arrangements to wash his hands and serviced me with feet-flavored hands… anyway the hand wash basin situated to the restrooms didn't made a great impression on me- so either way, I would not have the ease of mind I wished [in a hygienic way].
It also has to be mentioned, that the salt and pepper shaker were not only totally dented [the top of it] - but it was really dirty - and my professional me ordered myself to clean it by my self.

Anyway - after quite some time, a plate with onions, fine sliced lettuce, tomato and cucumber came to my table, with half a small Indian lime accompanied by a really puffy soft flatbread. The bread was totally amazing - soft and freshly baked. There were also a small bowl of yoghurt cucumber raita - which was quite watery.
Shortly after this "appetizer" came the ordered dishes.
The vegetable tikka [don't anymore the exact name] was ok. For me it was tasting like "mushed Indian vegetables" grilled on a stick and slathered in green sauce [this is exactly what it was]. I was not a big fan of it - but truth has to be told: there are very few vegetarian dishes, which are impressing me.

The chicken boti was a whole different dimension. Golden brown outside and really soft and perfectly cooked inside, it was besides of the bread the highlight of my visit. The sauce, which came with the chicken boti was a thin chili scented sauce, which was nice, to put your bread wrapped chicken in. It had a nice spicy bite - but wasn't really to write home about.

This was about it. Overall you can say, that Ravi restaurant knows how to prepare their proteins and have one of the best flat breads I have encountered in the UAE. Both the chicken and the bread, would anytime bring me back to this place.  However I am very concerned about their hygienic standards. And I have also experienced much much better service [if you are comparing these kind of restaurants, the service is on par with other places - but usually in good cafeterias, you have more really nice and smiley waiters, which I could not find in Ravi [but maybe I was unlucky and just happened to be served by a not so attentive waiter].

WOW or MEH:                  Wow minus
Ambiance:                          3
Value for Money [1-10]:     7
Deliciousness [1-10]:          8
Staff Helpfulness [1-10]:    3
Going back:                         For sure
Overall Score:                      6

Short review - Shawarma at MoMo - Dubai Satwa

Just a short one. MoMo is not a unknown restaurant for me. I have had numerous time a shawarma there. And it was always delicious. Then I went with my better part Sarah to have a proper meal. Very inexpensive - but the items where rather hit and miss.

Yesterday I went again to the Iranian venue - for two chicken shawarmas take away.

Absolutely delicious. I never had a better shawarma anywhere [and the best thing - they are totally consistent with that].
There secret: they dump the outside of the filled bread in a bit of the fat which came out of the meat and then they are toasting it in a sandwich press. Utterly yummy!

The only let down - I guess they are so popular, that they are portioning your pickles to one piece each - carrot [not a whole carrot, duh - just one small piece], one piece of cucumber and one green pickled pepper. Yes - thats it. The pickles themselves taste good - not the best pickles I ever had, but tasted self-made and more than adequate.

Service is also a bit "different". The Pinoy cashier wasn't particular friendly, just took my money, gave me the ticket and gesticulated me to next door, where the "kitchen" is located. The Arabic cooks are at least smiley and funny.

The overall looks of the place is also not really worth a candlelight dinner.
But they focus on takeaway - and while shawarma is not particular romantic food, you can dress up your home with a lot of candles [and make it otherwise dark] that only the tastebuds sing their song of romance…

WOW or MEH:                  Wow
Ambiance:                          2
Value for Money [1-10]:     7
Deliciousness [1-10]:          8
Staff Helpfulness [1-10]:    3
Going back:                         Definitely
Overall Score:                      7

The rating is for the shawarma only. The other food items are solid but rather a hit and miss and not as delicious as their lamb or chicken shawarmas. Definitely take it out and ask for extra pickles!

Amazonas, Mushrif Mall, Abu Dhabi

My visit happened already a couple of weeks ago. I directly posted my experience on yadig.com [think Middle Eastern yelp] - but then was too busy and lazy to put it here.

Amazonas offers [as the name suggest] South American cuisine. I think it is especially Ecuadorian and Columbian cuisine - but I am no more sure.

Anyway the Mushrif mall offers quite  a lot of dining options - especially in the food court. And every shack is more colorful and polished looking than the other. Not so much Amazonas - it looks rather like a cheap cafeteria - don't get me wrong  - it is clean and all, but it just doesn't give you a lot of confidence.
I think, the manager was behind the counter - and he was very friendly and helpful. I opted for the pulled beef arepa and a shredded chicken empanada. The manager gave me some lemon soured sugar cane juice to try, but as it was luke warm [I think this was the only downside of my experience - except off course the design] I rather went for a commercial soft drink.

The food took a while - maybe a bit longer than the spoiled fast food person. But when I got my food, it was hot and freshly prepared.

At Amazonas the arepa was not as filled - but still very tasty.

The arepa [kind of a sandwich] had a very nice, fluffy but also crisp exterior. The meat was nicely seasoned - and as I ordered it - pulled. The meat was a bit dry… but the package was definitely really yummy.






The empanada was different, as I got to knew it from Argentina. In fact, it was a completely different dough. But anyway - it was totally delicious!
Again outside crisp and inside soft [though a completely different texture than the arepa], properly seasoned.
Unfortunately the chicken was also a bit dry.

But here is the thing: it really felt and tasted as home cooking. And while home cooking is sometimes not perfect in technique it makes up in love. And this is the point in Amazonas - it really taste as the chef made it with love and as the recipe where developed with love.

And while it is the maybe ugliest stand in the food court, I would definitely pick it as the best! Unfortunately most people will overlook it, as the other restaurants look much better, more flashy, better designed…
But if you really like to have good food, turn to Amazonas. And fill out [like me] a comment card, with the request, that they should redesign the looks of the stand - but keep the love and the tasty food!

WOW or MEH:                  Wow
Ambiance:                          3
Value for Money [1-10]:     7
Deliciousness [1-10]:          8
Staff Helpfulness [1-10]:    8
Going back:                         Definitely
Overall Score:                      7

Taza, Dubai Satwa

Hi Pals - I had the last couple of days several food encounters. Lets see, how well they fared.

Taza, Dubai Satwa

Taza looks quite good. In an area, where you can find either way rather not designed cafeterias and your usual chain restaurants [McD, KFC etc], it looks modern, clean and well a bit like an unknown chain restaurant.

The menu combines some Arabic items [e.g. salads like fatoush or kebab sandwiches], some Asian snacks [e.g. satay], normal fast food staples [fried chicken pieces] and so on.

The restaurant is quite big and it was well received, when I went there.

The staff is friendly and jovial. I asked the guy at the counter, if the satays are good - he was shrugging shortly but then smiled and said "off course" [maybe I should have interpreted this situation better?!].

I had the kebab sandwich menu [one Pepsi drink, two kebab sandwiches and French fries] and one portion bbq satays.

First to the good point: The French fries were as good, frozen industrial produced fries could be! crisp but not hard, soft but not limp, perfectly salted. Nice.
And - the packaging is whimsical as practical; and looks very professional. The staff is also friendly.

But: I first of all "dig" into the kebab sandwiches. Again - nice presentation - and the arabic bread was really cool "rolled" and crisp. Biting into it, all hopes were gone. Grey meat, not grilled at all [it looked as it would have been steamed]. The texture quite rubbery. Awful - cannot remember, the last time I put something worse in my mouth. There was some vegetable [tomato, cucumber and salad] in the sandwich - not enough to make the sad meat sing. And the hummus just worsen the experience, as its gritty, pasty texture made things from bad to worse.

The satay? Please don't ask! Again really cool packaging in a small "thermo" aluminum lined paper pocket. But out came slightly browned, irregular skewers of chicken.
They were browned, but looked everything but properly grilled. The meat was chewy, this time totally dry and seemed again to be steamed rather than grilled. The peanut sauce was chunky, quite unimpressive but also not repulsive like the satay meat.

I hate to waste food, but I didn't finished half of my portion [despite, that I had a healthy appetite]. This doesn't happen often.

WOW or MEH:                  Meh
Ambiance:                          6
Value for Money [1-10]:     1
Deliciousness [1-10]:         1
Staff Helpfulness [1-10]:    5
Going back:                        definitely not
Overall Score:                    3

Categories are scored from 1 to 10 - 1 being totally inedible and 10 being the best, what you could put between your teeth].

Sorry - but whimsical design and thoughtful packaging doesn't make up for bad food. I guess, I would not even have worse food in almost any cheap cafeteria. Please don't go.

Very near is the Ravi restaurant, which got the best scores in this category of restaurant. I will very soon go and will let you know, if the hype is justified.

Sous Vide Viennese Schnitzel

picture in courtesy of http://imgerman.com/

I really love sous vide. I love it, for what it is - I am not those, who are sous-viding due to the fact, that it is trendy. And I am not one of those who like to sous vide everything.

But - as Heston Blumenthal I believe, that this is one of the techniques, which will stick and will have a great culinary impact.

I will not explain here, what exactly sous vide is - there are so many people who wrote and blogged about it and many of those who are much more accomplished than me. Just google it.

For the moment, a Supreme deluxe is till out of reach [who can easily spend U$ 400 on one kitchen appliance + shipment to the UAE will also be quite expensive]. But I adapted the beer chiller hack and it is working great. It is perfect for very short sous-viding as well as for things which would need medium-long time to "cook". For things which need very long or things which you need an exact temperature control, it is not that good…

Anyway - I don't remember how I got the idea, but suddenly I thought, that a breaded escalope would be perfect to sous vide. Usually the meat [for Viennese escalope it should be veal, but for other "schnitzel" also pork and poultry is used] is hammered to tenderize it [and in case of poultry also to ensure, that it has an uniform thickness].

The problem besides, that a proper "Wiener Schnitzel" is bigger than the plate it is served on, is that due to the thin hammered meat, you don't have a lot of meat taste. And I love meat. I adore meat!

So my plan was, to use controlled low temperature cooking, to tenderize but not dry out the meat and after the medium-rare steak is chilled down, to bread it and fry it up.

I bought some large slices of veal top round. They were quite big already but still 1.5 cm thick.

Then my spice mill came into action. I made a "special schnitzel" seasoning - pepper, salt, dried garlic, dried onion flakes, caraway, mustard seeds and dill seeds were part of it. The meat was then seasoned with the almost pulverized spices. Then they went into a plastic bag to get vacuumed.

Then I put it into my beer chiller - with the water heated up to meet a temperature between 55ºC and 60ºC - for 60 minutes. In this time most of the connecting tissues is converted and the escalopes look anemic but are edible.

Then they went into the fridge. To cook already cooked meat when it is warm, would result in an inconsistent breading as well as it would be overcooked.

After the "chilling time" it was breaded in flour, egg-cream wash and grated stale bread crumbs [I loved to use panko crumbs but all what I had was dry baguette].

Then they took a bath into an hot oil and butter mixture. Schnitzel are fried swimming in ghee - but I didn't had it on hand - plus I didn't wanted a half pound of butter for frying only.

And: the result was delicious!

The only point, I will do different the next time: I will not use a egg-cream mixture. this is done for a classic Viennese schnitzel to ensure, that the batter is not clinging to the meat - but as the meat is anyway thicker, it wouldn't be an issue and would result in more crispiness - and maybe I would directly use panko instead having the mess of grating the bread...