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Ramadan Cooking: 2 Mouth-Watering Recipes by Master Chef and Culinary Consultant Joe Barza

Add the wow factor to your Ramadan table with these delicious recipes from Joe Barza, the world-renowned Master Celebrity Chef who specialises in Lebanese cuisine.



Lebanese terroir culinary artist Joe Barza has over 30 years of professional cooking and kitchen management experience. Trained by Pierre Pomel, Marc Veyrat, Jean-Pierre Jacob, Pierre Marin and Chicho Sultano, Barza became a teaching instructor himself.

He went on to introduce his brainchild, the Joe Barza Culinary Consultancy, which specialises in food and beverage consultancy, kitchen design, recruiting services and training activities, in 2009. Barza, who is always on a quest to seek new boundaries and introduce new signature culinary trends, also launched Kitchinet.com, an online cooking hub for professionals and amateurs, with renowned photographer Roger Moukarzel in 2016.



In addition to being featured on major international media channels, including CNN and The New York Times, Barza is the winner of the World Champion title for Tuna in Carlo Forte, Sardinia. He has also garnered many international recognitions and awards, including his Master Chef designation in 2010. The Tyre-born culinary whizz is also a TV personality, best known for co-hosting Top Chef’s Middle Eastern version. He has been appointed as a jury member in many international culinary competitions too.

Known to follow a “back to roots” approach, the pioneer of fusion cuisine in Lebanon likes to include a Mediterranean touch and use alternative ingredients and local produce to create innovative recipes. Barza recently showcased his magical touch when he jetted into Abu Dhabi to cook up a storm for guests at Shangri-La, Qaryat Al Beri over a six-day period. And patrons can savour his special station at Sofra BLD, the hotel’s award-winning all-day-dining restaurant, until the end of Ramadan. If you can’t make it to the hotel, fear not, the top chef has kindly shared two of his recipes, which you can enjoy with family and friends at home.

Freekeh Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 kg cooked freekeh
  • Marinated chicken breast, sliced

  • 230g chickpeas, boiled
  • 200g carrots, cooked
  • 200g cucumbers, diced
  • 200g cherry tomatoes
  • 120g green peas
  • 300g white cabbage, shredded

  • 150g red cabbage, shredded
  • 20g parsley, chopped

  • 15g mint, chopped

Sauce:

  • 2 litres olive oil
  • 1 litre lemon juice 

  • 200g pomegranate molasses

Garnish:

  • Shredded raw beetroot
  • Shredded carrots

Method of preparation:
In a bowl, combine all the ingredients together. Add the olive oil, the lemon juice and the pomegranate molasses. Next, place the chicken slices on top 
and garnish with shredded beetroot and carrots.
 

Mouhalabieh with Caramelised Apples, Apricot & Raspberry Coulis (6 portions)



Caramelised Apples
Ingredients:

  • 60g olive oil
  • 400g apples sans peau, diced
  • 5g rose water
  • 25g brown sugar

  • 3g cinnamon powder
  • 1g nutmeg powder

Method:
Sauté the apples with the olive oil in a non-stick pan. Continue by adding the rose water and the brown sugar, and then sprinkle the cinnamon and nutmeg powders on top.
 

Mouhalabieh
Ingredients:

  • 1 litre liquid milk

  • 150g sugar

  • 70g corn flour

  • 100g fresh cream

  • 1g mastika Arabic gum
  • 4g orange blossom water
  • 4g rose water

  • 100g raspberry coulis
  • 100g apricot coulis

Method:
Place milk, fresh cream and sugar in a large pot and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Continue by bringing to a boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Next, dissolve the corn flour in water and add to the boiling milk and whisk all together. After adding the rose water, orange blossom water and mastika, remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Before serving: Pour the raspberry coulis evenly in the bowls and place in the fridge to cool, then add the apricot coulis and cool. Top the apricot and raspberry coulis with a layer of mouhalabieh and chill. Spread a second layer of raspberry coulis and garnish with caramelized apples.

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