THURSDAY 23 FEBRUARY 2017

Chefs and kids agree: Chicken fingers are GBD

Bonnie Benwick oven. You can assemble the fresh salsa 1/2 small green or red jalapeño pepper The Washington Post before the chicken is done. 4 red radishes (optional) And because we're thinking chicken 6 stems cilantro ere's one thing a lot of res- fingers go over well with a lot of "grown- 1 lime taurant chefs have in up kids" as well: Make this recipe for 1/2 cup apricot preserves common with a lot of kids, hungry children and babysitter - but not Kosher or sea salt and we're not talking before stashing away a few of the ten- Freshly ground black pepper about the wunderkinder ders for yourself. Upon returning home, Hwho compete on junior cooking shows: kiss sleeping children's foreheads and Steps They love good, crispy, crunchy chicken then head to the kitchen for your late- For the chicken: Preheat the oven tenderloins, a.k.a. chicken fingers. night snack. to 425 degrees. Place an ovenproof wire "They are the easiest thing to cook rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. and eat when you're busy back there," Oven-Baked Chicken Tenders Melt the butter in a large skillet over says Ed Scarpone, executive chef at With Pineapple-Apricot Salsa medium-low heat. Stir in the panko and DBGB in CityCenterDC. "Everything's cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often, always around to bread and fry them, Ingredients (4 servings) until golden brown. Remove from the plus a cheap sauce can be found, or hid- For the chicken heat; season (still in the pan) lightly with den, in the walk-in. We do them every 3 tablespoons unsalted butter salt and pepper and let cool. other week, at least." 2 cups plain panko (Japanese bread Whisk together the egg and milk in Scarpone says he knows "for a fact" crumbs) a wide, shallow bowl until well blended. that his pals who cook in high-end res- Kosher or sea salt Place the flour in a separate, similar taurants often bring in chicken Freshly ground black pepper bowl. tenderloins or order a case of them that 1 large egg Use paper towels to pat the chicken will never make it out of the kitchen, 1/4 cup whole or low-fat milk dry. Cut each thin piece lengthwise into starring in staff meals instead. 3/4 cup flour 1-inch-wide strips. Dip each strip into The accompanying recipe is partic- 1 pound thinly sliced boneless, skinless the egg mixture, then the flour, then into is cooked through (registering 165 radishes, if using, into small dice. Coarsely ularly kind to those of us who don't have chicken breasts the egg mixture again, then into the but- degrees on an instant-read chop the cilantro leaves and some ten- 375-degree oil at the ready. It starts with tered bread crumbs; make sure the last thermometer). der stems. Cut the lime in half, and butter-toasted panko bread crumbs, For the salsa coating is thorough. Place the coated Meanwhile, make the salsa, combin- squeeze in 2 tablespoons of juice. Add done on the stove top; that way, the 4 fresh pineapple rings (about 12 ounces; chicken strips on the wire rack. ing the ingredients in a mixing bowl as the preserves, then season lightly with coating becomes nicely golden brown may substitute the flesh of 1 small Once all the chicken is coated, spray you work: Dice the pineapple and finely salt and pepper, stirring to incorporate. and delicious - in restaurant parlance, mango) it lightly with cooking oil spray. Roast chop the red onion. Seed the jalapeño Serve the chicken warm, with the GBD - in the chicken's short time in the 1/2 medium red onion for 8 to 10 minutes or until the chicken pepper half, then mince it. Cut the salsa. F D THURSDAY 23 FEBRUARY 2017 It's a smart substitution, and it's nuts

Joe Yonan The Washington Post

When I was a kid, ground-beef tacos were on my mother's regular dinner rotation. Any time-stressed cook knows why: All she had to do was quickly fry up some ground beef, grate some cheese, chop an onion and set out bowls Twelve 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed of all those plus some salsa, sour cream and 1 cup chopped fresh tomato Nando’s Qatar taco shells, and let her kids make their own. 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage Is there an equivalent vegetarian taco fill- Flesh of 2 medium avocados, sliced ing, something just as easy and satisfying? 1/2 cup store-bought or homemade salsa verde (see related recipe) ando’s, Qatar’s favourite launches Mango Walnut Tacos 1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt (may substitute flame-grilled Peri-Peri non-dairy yogurt or non-dairy sour cream) Nchicken restaurants, has 6 servings (makes 12 tacos) 12 cilantro sprigs launched a new flavour of bast- & Lime flavour If you'd like to keep this dish vegan, use non- 2 limes, cut into wedges ing sauce for those who want a dairy yogurt or nondairy sour cream. kick of vibrant flavour but pre- MAKE AHEAD: The walnut crumble filling Method: fer it without the chilli heat. The For the first time in 15 years, can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen Mango & Lime flavour combines for up to 3 months. For the filling: Combine the walnuts, lime the sweetness of the mango and Nando’s has a new PERi-ometer juice, cilantro, water, ground cumin, chili pow- the tanginess of lime with a Ingredients ders, salt and black pepper in a food processor; touch of the African Bird’s Eye For the filling pulse frequently for a minute or so, until the chili. Operating Officer of Oryx The Mango & Lime flavour 2 cups coarsely chopped raw walnuts nuts are reduced to pebble size. Do not over- Customers can now choose Group for Food Services said, was launched on December 5th 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice process. Taste, and add more salt as needed. from six different flavours on the “Since 2001, Nando’s has during an event which was 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro To assemble the tacos, divide the corn tor- Nando’s PERi-ometer: Plain-ish, enjoyed a growing community attended by Nando’s lovers, 1 tablespoon water tillas among serving plates. Spoon about 2 Lemon & Herb, Mango & Lime, of PERi-PERi lovers across bloggers and the media. The fla- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin tablespoons of the filling on each tortilla, then Mild, Hot and Extra Hot. On the Qatar. Our customers have vour is currently available in all 1 teaspoon chili powder add some tomato, a few slivers of cabbage, a PERi-Ometer, Mango & Lime been asking for a new flavour Nando’s restaurants and will 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (may sub- couple slices of avocado, a spoonful of salsa flavour is slightly hotter than for years, and we are confident soon be available on the shelves stitute ground cayenne pepper) verde, a dollop of yogurt and some cilantro. Lemon and Herb, but milder that that Mango & Lime flavour will in leading supermarkets. 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or more as needed Serve with lime wedges for last-minute our Mild flavour. satisfy their taste buds, Nando’s has recently opened 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper squeezing. Speaking about the launch especially those that prefer the in Mall of Qatar, marking the For assembly Francois Rousseau, Chief milder flavours.” eighth restaurant in Qatar.

CHAIRMAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Al Thani Dr. Khalid Mubarak Al-Shafi

ACTING MANAGING EDITOR ADVERTISING MANAGER SUPPLEMENT EDITOR ADVERTISING COORDINATOR DESIGN PRODUCTION Mohammed Salim Mohamed Ali Wahba Pramod Prabhakaran Rocela Bautista Abraham Augusthy Viswanath Sarma F D THURSDAY 23 FEBRUARY 2017

Food Trail: In search of tasty meals in Qatar Serving delicious Kanafeh for decades

Mohamad Bwary in town (also spelt Kunafeh or few other shops popped up dur- The Peninsula Kunafah. Again depends on who ing our survey, but those were a you ask). tad less tasty and a bit more hen it comes to The recommendation you expensive than Al Nashama. But Arabic sweets get for Arabic sweets depends we are sure there could be dozen there are hun- on the nationality of the person others we are not aware of. Any- dreds, if not you ask. But when it comes to way this is good place to start the thousands, of Kanafeh, majority of the people hunt for a good Kanafeh. optionW all around Qatar. So to we asked were unanimous in Al Nashama has been mak- authoritatively identify the best their choice of Al Nashama Res- ing the most delicious and fresh place for Arabic sweet is going taurant & Sweets, an old sweet cheese Kanafeh in town for dec- to be controversial. But in the shop tucked away in busy Al ades at a very affordable price. interest of foodies in Qatar we Muntazah. Generations of sweet lovers did a little research and asked They have one of the best swear by their Kenafah Nabul- around to find the best Kanafeh Kanafeh or kunafah in town. A sia and Kenafah Khishna. We One of the staff plating a Kanafeh

also liked Kunafa bel Qeshta you are a purist and want to (Bain Narain), with cream not the consume your Kanafeh fresh >> If you go usual cheese. and hot, it’s better to take it Kanafeh is popularly known home and share with friends Must try: Kenafah Nabulsia to have originated in the Pales- and family. and Kenafah Khishna tinian city of Nablus, hence the Just in case if you don’t name Kenafah Nabulsieh. Nab- know what we are talking Other notables: Lebanese lus is still renowned for its about then kunafeh is a cheese Nights, Harissa (semolina kanafeh, which consists of mild pastry soaked in sweet, sugar- white cheese and shredded based syrup with a tinge of rose cake), Halawet El Jibn and wheat surface, which is covered water garnished with crushed Othmaliye. by sugar syrup. pistachios, found in most Ara- Some other sweets worth a bic countries and is best eaten Price: Very pocket friendly. try are Lebanese Nights, Harissa fresh. They charge QR7 for a small (semolina cake), Halawet El Jibn You can see a lot of cafes plate, QR13 for medium and and Othmaliye. selling only Kanafeh in many QR20 for large. If you want They have a dine-in facility, Arab cities like Amman and the to indulge go for 1kg at which is very basic and décor is one you get in Al Nashama QR50. very unappealing. Then you are tastes almost like the one you not here for fine dining. Unless get in a Amman cafe.

Is it a waste of money to saute with extra-virgin olive oil?

Q: I'm hearing conflicting opinions on whether batter). I then use a chopstick or a table knife sauteing with extra-virgin olive oil is a waste to swirl the two batters. The trick to a pretty of the extra money paid for it, as it breaks marbled cake is restraint. It's so tempting to down with high heat. Others say to go ahead swirl and run your knife back and forth through and use it. What is the real deal? the batter - resist! You want to mix things up, A: It is perfectly safe to fry or saute with but you don't want to overdo it. extra-virgin, despite all the myths to the con- trary. In fact, it might be the safest oil for frying. Q: I tried to use spray oil, sprayed it onto a cold However, a fine extra-virgin can be very expen- pan and got a face full of oil mist that bounced sive. There are, fortunately, plenty of off the pan's surface. If I spray from farther lower-priced California extra-virgins that make away from the pan, I'll get oil all over the stove. sense for this. And for deep-frying, they can be Is there a right way to do this? used a second time if you strain them thoroughly A: I like to open my dishwasher (not full of after the first use. clean dishes, please), hold the pan in one hand and the spray in the other, and go for it. That Q: My roast potatoes never come out quite way, excess spray gets in the dishwasher, where right. I quarter them, toss them in olive oil and it will get cleaned instead of all over your stove a bit of salt, cook at 400 degrees in an unlined (or face, yikes!) baking pan - and yet some are burned and others are soft. What Q: My roasted broccoli has a good could I be doing better? Is it my flavor, but it has a floppy texture. oven's fault? Q How do I make it crisper? A: Some tips: I usually cut the broccoli into small Depending on the type of pieces, spread out the pieces on potato, you might want to par- parchment paper on an aluminum cook them before you roast them pan, drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven. Make sure your pieces at 425 degrees until the pieces are are all about the same size. Be sure A pretty brown. The broccoli is com- to toss the potatoes halfway pletely dry (except for the olive through the oven time, so differ- oil), and I spread out the pieces so ent sides come in contact with the heated they aren't crowded. Is there anything else I surface of the pan. And turn that pan from front can do? to back in the oven, too, for even cooking. A: The only surefire way to keep it crisper Your oven might indeed have hot spots, is to cook it less. But I have a few adjustments which can account for uneven heating. Do you to your technique that might help: notice it when you bake? Maybe it's time for a 1. Increase the heat to 500 degrees. repair call. 2. Put the pan in the oven while it's heating. When you're ready to put the broccoli in, take Q: My marbled pound cake recipe calls for the pan out, immediately drizzle it with oil, then putting half the batter in a loaf pan, then add- scatter the broccoli and drizzle (quickly) a little ing chocolate to the remaining batter and more, add salt/pepper, any other spices, and get putting it on top. Then, using a knife, cut down it back in the oven. and sweep through to produce the swirl pat- 3. Skip the parchment paper. You want the tern. When I tried that, the baked loaf did not broccoli to hit the hot pan and start cooking. come out as a nice swirl. What is a better way 4. Leave the pieces a little bigger - not thicker, to produce a two-toned swirl? but longer/wider. Try cutting big florets in half A: I make my marbled cakes differently: I or quarters lengthwise. The more surface area, spoon dollops of the vanilla and chocolate bat- the more possibility for crispness/browning. ters into the pan randomly. There are no layers 5. Test every few minutes: Pick a piece up, - just an odd bunch of polka dots. If there's white and if it's not floppy but has some nice brown- batter, I spoon dark batter over it when filling ing, and it's barely tender to a fork or skewer, the pan (I never have a solid layer of one color you're there.