The UAE’s first smokehouse
If you haven’t yet tried the food at Dubai’s first and only smokehouse, Perry & Blackwelder’s Original Smokehouse, make sure you queue up for it at Taste of Dubai this weekend. The restaurant will be serving up smoked chicken wings in three different flavours: barbecue, Buffalo or lemon pepper; smoked chicken macaroni and cheese; corn on the cob; and a choice of brisket, turkey or Texas-hot-link sliders. You can also catch the restaurant’s pitmasters sharing their secrets in a hands-on class at the Kenwood Cookery School (Friday at 1.15pm).
The smokehouse opened four months ago in Souk Madinat Jumeirah with executive chef and pitmaster Lawrence Wells at the helm. Wells, an American with three decades of experience, has perfected the American tradition of smoking meat slowly over low heat (often referred to as “slow and low”). There is nothing easy about the process. Wells smokes the meats for 23 hours using one of 12 different kinds of wood he imports from the United States, all of which impart a different flavour.
“This is one of America’s most-loved traditions, authentic Deep South barbecue. Look for the deep pink colour of the smoke ring just under the surface – that’s the only way to tell a real piece of low and slow meat,” says Wells. While the meat is the star, the sauces play a strong supporting role. Wells makes his own sauces and has even designed one with local ingredients called Sauce Dubai.
“I walked around the spice souqs of Dubai,” he says. “And have now developed my grandmother’s original barbecue-sauce recipe to incorporate a blend of Arabian spices. It’s one of the most popular sauces at the restaurant.”
Emirati cuisine in the spotlight: Aseelah
The Emirati restaurant Aseelah in Dubai’s Radisson Blu Hotel has not opened yet, but visitors to the festival will get a taste of what to expect. Executive chef Uwe Micheel, who has worked as a chef in Dubai for more than 20 years, says Aseelah will be “a casual restaurant for Emirati families, tourists and residents alike. It will be affordable; the aim is to bring Emirati cuisine to everyone.”
Aseelah, an Arabic word that means “one belonging to great heritage or family”, will serve up chobab, an Emirati-style pancake filled with dates, coconut and saffron cream and a camel burger with halloumi, date and lime jam on a bezar-spice infused bun. On Friday, Aseelah chefs will host a masterclass at the Electrolux Chef’s Theatre at 1.10pm.
While more restaurants across the country now offer Emirati dishes on their menus, few are solely dedicated to Emirati cuisine. “We’ve promoted Emirati cuisine but it’s all half-hearted,” says Micheel. “I always say I feel shame when guests and visitors ask for local food and we send them to a Lebanese or Persian restaurant. We believe it’s time to showcase the cuisine of our adopted hometown in a five-star hotel.”
The Emirati baker
Don’t miss the 19-year-old Emirati baker Bader Najeeb Al Awadhi’s appearance – he will host a hands-on baking class at the Kenwood Cookery School at 9.15 tonight.
Al Awadhi, a self-taught baker, shot onto the culinary scene two years ago with his first baking show on Sama Dubai TV during Ramadan. Since then, Al Awadhi has competed in – and hosted masterclasses at – the Dubai World Hospitality Championship, led a live cookery demonstration at the Taste of Abu Dhabi, gathered more than 12,000 followers on Instagram and is scheduled to be on TV with another show this year.
“I wouldn’t really say I have a set style of baking,” says Awadhi. “It depends very much on my mood, on the season and what ingredients are available and also on the client I’m baking for. All these elements influence my style and what I decide to bake.”
He says he has a love for French desserts, but he gives his creations an Emirati twist with local ingredients and style. He says festivals like Taste of Dubai provide a learning opportunity for him.
“It enables me to learn from other participating chefs and gain insight into other cuisines. It also allows me to showcase my skills and techniques to new audiences. I’m really lucky. I get to share my love of baking and meet new people – from experienced chefs to my loyal social-media followers.”
Food truck fever
The Vida Food Truck is normally parked outside The Pavilion Downtown Dubai from 11am to 11pm every day, but the chefs will be setting up shop at the festival all weekend. There will be plenty of interesting bites to try – from classic cheeseburgers to Thai red curry chicken sliders, tater tot tacos and grasshopper pie.
“It’s important for us to be able to provide something unique to our visitors,” says Spencer Lee Black, the director of culinary at Vida Hotels and Resorts in Dubai. “The Vida Food Truck brings a warm, relaxed feel to the area and Taste of Dubai gives us the chance to tap into the niche food-truck market that Dubai has longed for.”
Black says being able to interact with customers is a valuable opportunity. “This will allow us to be able to create even more cutting-edge dishes to cater to their needs,” he says. “The key is to learn from guests. They’re also our teachers and help us create even more imaginative dishes.” Vida Food Truck chefs will also host a hands-on class at the Kenwood Cookery School on Friday at 11.15pm.
• Taste of Dubai is on Thursday, March 12 (4pm to midnight); Friday, March 13 (noon to midnight); and Saturday, March 14 (noon to 11pm). For tickets, visit tasteofdubaifestival.com; free entry for children under 12
sjohnson@thenational.ae
