By Marione Borela Lineses
Chef Ziad has been in Doha for barely six months, but he is all set to satiate the city’s appetite for good food as he combines Mediterranean, Asian and American cuisines with fine touches of gastronomy at the Red Restaurant in The Governor Westbay Suites and Residences. Undoubtedly his multi-cultural background serves him well for creating signature fusion delights.
Chef Ziad is an early bird as far as work is concerned, “The world belongs to people who wake up very early,” he says as he gets about the enormous responsibilities he faces every day, from planning the menu to selecting the ingredients and ensuring customer satisfaction.
He is ardently supported by his team. Chef Ziad, in return, makes it a point to celebrate their efforts each month, which for him is also one way to keep the group’s verve and motivation in high spirits.
The Tunisian chef spent most of his career perfecting his talent and techniques at well-known hospitality chains in France, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.
Some of his proud accomplishments include his training in Paul Bocuse Institute in 2009 — Paul Bocuse is a French chef based in Lyon who is famous for his innovative approaches to cuisine. Chef Ziad also attended Le Notre culinary school in Paris.
After working with Le Pré Catelan and Pergolese, both Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris, Chef Ziad’s love for cooking transcended to different heights. Excerpts from an interview …
Why did you choose to become a chef?
It is amazing how cuisine is rooted in history. I like food in general and food from our culture prepared for us by family. It’s with the family where I first learned cooking; it was my main interest at a young age, so I was destined to become a chef.
What do you do to stay updated with new trends?
I have friends all over the world, so I get inspired from their culture and culinary world. I also stay connected through Internet and I do lots of research and attend many seminars.
Tell us your favourite dish …
Merau fish with cardamom served with honey risotto and black olives.
What do you love most about your job and why?
My job requires one to have a comprehensive understanding of a variety of international and ethnic cuisines, and this is a very interesting part. Actually, I love all aspects of my job, the positive and the negative side of it.
What would you say is your masterpiece in the kitchen?
I am more into fusion cuisine; it blends the culinary traditions to create innovative dishes. For example, Tabbouleh is a Mediterranean salad, and what I do is replace the tomatoes with dried figs, I put grenadine molasses along with the olive oil and lemon juice, and add shrimps.
Describe an experience related to your job that you find very interesting?
Actually, during my apprentice years I was faced with a funny situation. I was training at Le Notre and we had to be very meticulous when preparing the food, we even had to weigh the amount of salt that we had to add …It was out of question for me at first, but I got used to it afterwards as the trainer was insisting that I weigh the salt to be added.
How do you find life in Doha?
I’m very happy living in Doha, life is easier here and the people are friendly and very welcoming, it’s a good experience for me.
Why did you choose this particular recipe for the readers?
I love seafood. I realised that people who come to the restaurant like this dish a lot because they always ask for it. So here I am, sharing it with all of you.
Royal Bream Fillet
Ingredients
(serves 4)
2 fish fillets 300g
3 tbsp flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tbsp sunflower oil
10g parsley
10g fennel
10g crushed peanuts
Artichokes (optional)
Ingredients for the sauce
1/4 cup butter
3 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 cup diced onion
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
Preparation
Mix flour with salt and pepper and spread out over a large plate. Pat the fish fillets in the flour so they are evenly coated.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan. When the oil is smoking hot, place the fish fillets fleshy-side down in the pan and lower the heat to medium. Cook for 1-2 minutes on one side until golden, then turn the fillets over and cook for a further 1- 2 minutes until the second side is golden. Place aside.
In a saucepan, combine the butter, olive oil, garlic and onion; cook and stir on medium heat for 15 minutes, until onions are transparent. Do not over brown. Pour in heavy cream and cook until it begins to thicken. Remove from the heat.
Serve fillet on a plate, pour the sauce and garnish with parsley, fennel and artichokes.
