On Thursday November 1st, Dubai Today‘s Suzanne Radford turned the mics up for the International Fine Food Festival. She and her guests - farmers, grocers and of course chefs - spoke about fine, fresh ingredients and healthy food on our doorstep and from around the world.

Watch the video here:
 

The winner of the Dubai Today cook-off is:

PATTY GAY - FIRST PLACE

Tartar of Salmon and Sea Bream

Ingredients:

200 g. Sea bream fillet, without skin and bone      
200 g. Salmon fillet, without skin and bone   
2 small red shallots, finely chopped                        
2 tsp. olive oil                                                
Grated zest of 1 lime                                      
2 tbsp. ginger, chopped finely                       
2 juice of small limes                    
1 tsp. juice of capers
½ bunch spring onions, finely chopped          
½ bunch fresh coriander leaves                     
2 tsp. olive oil                                                
1 small red Thai chilli, deseeded and cut                
Pinch of salt and pepper                                 

Directions:

1. Rinse the fish in running cold water and dry with absorbent kitchen napkin.  Cut in small cubes.

2. In a bowl, add the following ingredients:  olive oil, shallots, lime zest, ginger, Thai chilli, salt and pepper.  Add the fish, gently mix and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

3. Take out the bowl of fish from the refrigerator, add the lime juice, caper juice, spring onions and coriander leaves.  Gently mix and adjust the seasoning, if needed.

4. Serve in an iceberg lettuce ‘bowl’ or verrines.

5. It would be great to serve with grilled country bread and salad of rocket leaves. 

MARK WADDICK - SECOND PLACE

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Ingredients:
 
Whole fresh chicken 1.5kg
Water 2.5l
Long grain rice 500g
Chicken Rice premix 1pkt
Fragrance oil 1pkt
Chicken stock from boiling chicken 0.5l
 
Condiments:
 
Soya Sauce
Sweet Chilli sauce
Ginger sauce
Cucumber / Tomato / Long Beans
 
Cooking steps:
 
1. Mix the water and premix, bring to boil
2. Add whole chicken, back facing up, simmer 30mins
3. Remove chicken from stock, chill in ice water 15mins, drain and stand aside
4. Mix rice, fragrance oil and stock in rice cooker, and set to cook, stirring after 5mins, then gently fluffing when cooked
5. Cover cooker and set to warm for 15mins
 
Serving:
 
1. Chop chicken into parts, arrange on platter, with condiments, stock and rice

SIHAM JOUHARI - THIRD PLACE

Tarte Au Fromage Blanc

Ingredients:

The dough:
250g flour
125g sugar
2 eggs

125g butter salt

Mix all the ingredients and place the dough in a cake pan in the fridge while preparing the Fromage blanc mixture.

Fromage blanc mixture:
750g fromage blanc 40%
2 eggs

20cl crème fraiche
2 tablespoons lemon juice lemon zest

100g sugar

Sucre vanille
35g flour

1. Separate the egg whites and yolks. Place the whites in a metal mixing bowl.

2. In a mixing bowl, stir together the cake flour and sugar until well blended. Add the fromage blanc, heavy cream or crème fraîche, egg yolks and lemon juice. Stir until well blended.

3. Using a hand mixer equipped with a whisk, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Stir in about a third of the egg whites into the cheese and egg mixture to lighten it. Then, using a spatula, gently fold the rest of the egg whites into the mixture.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared piecrust and place in oven. Bake for 30 minutes

5. Remove cake from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Place a wire cake cooling rack on top of the cake and flip it over. Remove the cake pan and allow the cake to cool, then flip it back over onto a serving plate and allow it to finish cooling. These acrobatics help to keep it from deflating.

View the photos of Suzanne and the team at the International Fine Food Festival.

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