IN DEMAND: Peter Lloyd has found recognition with royalty as well. Photo: Shaji Kayamkulam
By Shalinee Bhardwaj
If you think journeys can only inspire fine arts in its diverse forms, then you might as well add one more element to your list —‘Taste and cuisine’.
Local food not only imbibes the uniqueness of the place but also gathers years of traditional cooking style that bring out the flavours which mark the essence of its taste.
Few can understand this better than Peter Lloyd, an avid traveller and Chef de Cuisine at Spicemarket, London who is known for bringing in a dash of local flavour to create such remarkable signature recipes that don’t fail to generate a stir among its connoisseurs and critics alike.
Peter is currently wooing Doha with his luscious ‘Taste of Singapore’ menu which is on run at the Spicemarket, W Doha until tomorrow.
Peter has travelled extensively in South East Asia and the one thing he never forgets to bring back is the local zest. The places he visits inspire him to create what can be best described as his ‘dishes with distinction’.
“Last year I went to Singapore cooking at the World Street Food Congress and gathered a lot of knowledge on the different styles of cooking. Singapore being a cultural hotspot is actually a melting pot for different foods and flavours that can inspire you incessantly with their uniqueness and novelty. Such culinary experiences that I acquire during my travels are a major influence on what I cook.
“I innovate a lot, always looking to bring in newer concepts in the menu. Last year, I had come up with the ‘Taste of Malaysia’ concept. This year I will be travelling to Indonesia and hopefully, bringing in a different concept again”, informs Peter. This is his fifth visit to Doha and he still packs a lot of surprises under his sleeve. The previous three visits had seen Peter coming up with distinctive promotions including ‘A Taste of Malaysia’, ‘Barley and Steam Buns’ and now the ‘Inspirations from Singapore’.
With 16 years of experience in cooking exhaustive French, Italian, Thai, British and Spanish cuisines, his inclination towards Asian flavours seem to have sparked a whole new beginning for him.
“I fell in love with Asian cooking purely by accident. Before joining Spice Market, I was the Executive Chef at The Sanderson where I was to initiate a French Tapas style of restaurant. It somehow did not materialise and I inherited the task of overlooking their Malaysian restaurant called Suka.
Without any formal training in Malaysian cooking, I immersed myself into understanding the complexities of this style. Malaysian food is quite complicated due to the influences of Indian, Chinese, Malay cooking. I started experimenting and implementing new food concepts. While doing this I discovered a whole world of flavours and since then there has been no looking back”, recalls Peter.
“This passion was nurtured when I joined Spicemarket, London as it is South East Asian cuisine. The beautiful aspect of this cuisine is that there is a big area to explore and draw inspirations from. The various influences keep the menu alive and fresh. We can always find something new to enliven and rejuvenate the menu,” Peter says.
The recipes that he creates have found recognition with the royalty as well. As he informs, Peter was personally invited to cook for HH the Emir at Al Wajbah Palace in December last year.
While innovation is central to Peter’s kitchen yet there are some classic dishes that people like to see on the charts at all times. Extremely well versed in Thai, Malaysian, British, and French cuisines, Peter consistently delivers the signature dishes on which Spice Market has built its reputation.
He made his first appearance on BBC Saturday Kitchen Live in January 2013, demonstrating how to cook his award-winning black pepper shrimp dish.
But the success of modern day kitchen is not only about food and flavours; it also depends on its capacity to keep up with the ever evolving dining trends. According to Peter, people are now turning more towards a casual form of dining experience where they can enjoy food in a relaxed atmosphere.
“The trend is more towards providing a friendly atmosphere to the customers for socialising. Restaurants that are now opening in London are less fussy in their menu choices, though with a great deal of selections but it is kept casual. The traditional formal and stiff dining is giving way to a more relaxed style of service that is professional yet simple”.
Peter believes in keeping an open communication with his customers to know their preferences and choices. “This helps a lot in organising the menu.” Since the last few days that he has been in Doha, he already has over four and a half thousand followers on Twitter!
Peter foresees a lot of potential in Doha as a fine cuisine market. “The top chefs from across the globe are visiting Doha more than ever before. The market is evolving at a faster rate than anywhere else. Now there are roughly 360 restaurants in Doha and their number is expected to double in the coming years as the nation prepares itself for the World Cup. More hotels are coming up and with them the demand for chefs will rise.”
When asked to reveal his secret ingredient for a blooming career, he says gingerly, “Although there is no straight path to success, you should always take your team along, training them with interest and giving them the confidence so that they support you. You will flourish if the team flourishes.”
For Peter, a typical day at work can be quite taxing especially during the promotions that involve preparing the menu from scratch, checking for all the ingredients, their freshness and quality, preparing the recipe and then the most crucial moment of pre-tasting. And when he is not working, he likes to team up with his two daughters and enjoy the simpler things in life.
Recipes for Community readers
Peter Lloyd shares two recipes that he has prepared especially for the readers of Community. Give them a try!
Shrimp Char Kuih Teow
Ingredients
Cleaned shrimp 1 oz
5mm Flat rice noodles (hydrated) 120 g
Eggs 1
Minced garlic 4 g
Shrimps cleaned 6
Sambal olek 5 g
Bean sprouts
Chinese chives / Spring onion
White pepper powder
Sauce mix 2 oz
Coriander leaves and Julienned chilli
Sauce Mix
Soy sauce 275 g
Water 300 ml
Dark soy sauce 50 g
Sugar 90 g
Fish sauce 40 g
Method
l Mix all sauce ingredients together and set aside.
l Heat up oil in a hot wok and fry minced garlic then add in the egg and stir fry till just cooked.
l Add in shrimps and wok fry for a few seconds then add the rice noodles and sambal olek and turn up the heat and stir fry for a few more seconds.
l Add in 2 oz of the sauce mix and a pinch of white pepper and wok char. Lastly add bean sprouts and spring onions and mix till just cooked.
l Place on serving plate, garnish with coriander leaves and julienned red chilli.
Singapore Chili Crab
For Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
Cilantro root 20 g
Red finger chili 90 g
Garlic 35 g
Shallots 90 g
Oil 20 g
l Prepare the paste in robot coupe medium to fine. Fry briefly in oil, then add the following:
Thai palm sugar 45 g
Water 25 g
Tamarind water 60 g
Fish sauce 50 g
l Reduce until desired consistency is achieved.
For Crab Sauce
Ketchup 200 g
Chili sauce 300 g
Vegetable stock 400 g
For Pick up
Jumbo Tempura Soft Shell Crab cut in half when cooked 2 Ea
Chili sauce 4 oz
Thai basil chopped 8 g
Leeks sliced thin 10 g
Garlic chopped fine 5 g
Shallot minced 5 g
Olive oil 10 g
Whisked eggs in a squeeze bottle 15 g
Fried garlic chips 1 g
Thai basil oil 5 g
l Lightly caramelize the garlic and shallots in olive oil then add the thai basil oil until fragrant.
l Add the chili sauce and bring to a boil.
l Add leeks and stream in the eggs.
l Tempura the crab. Pour the sauce in the bowl. Place the 4 halves standing up in the sauce. Top with fried garlic, thai basil wide chiffonade and thai basil oil.
l Serve with two Chinese steam buns deep fried and dusted with kaffir lime salt.
