{"id":8565,"date":"2022-11-24T12:36:17","date_gmt":"2022-11-24T12:36:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gulftimes.ae\/oscar-winning-composer-hans-zimmer-to-make-middle-east-debut-at-dubais-coca-cola-arena\/"},"modified":"2022-11-24T12:36:17","modified_gmt":"2022-11-24T12:36:17","slug":"oscar-winning-composer-hans-zimmer-to-make-middle-east-debut-at-dubais-coca-cola-arena","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gulftimes.ae\/?p=8565","title":{"rendered":"Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer to make Middle East debut at Dubai\u2019s Coca-Cola Arena\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n<\/p>\n
RECIPES FOR SUCCESS: Chef ArChan Chan\u00a0offers advice and a delicious chicken wings recipe<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
\n
\nRIYADH:Chef ArChan Chan\u2019s story is one that could inspire many an aspiring cook. By her own admission, Chan had \u201cno idea about cooking,\u201d when she started her career, but she is now executive chef of the Cantonese restaurant Ho Lee Fook in Hong Kong.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\u201cIn many Asian countries, like Hong Kong \u2014 where I grew up, cooking is not really (considered) a profession. I was a foodie who loves eating and I knew that I wanted to do something I was passionate about,\u201d Chan told Arab News. \u201cSo, when I went to university, I asked my lecturer if there were any food-related subjects I could take. He told me the university offered a catering course, so that\u2019s how I first got into the industry, but also through tourism and hotels. That\u2019s how I began working in kitchens.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nEarlier this month, Chan was in Riyadh, where her restaurant has launched a pop-up eatery in Riyadh Season\u2019s Al-Murabaa food zone. Here, she discusses the versatility of spring onions and avoiding a \u2018military-like\u2019 kitchen atmosphere, and provides a recipe for chicken wings.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nWhat\u2019s your top tip for amateur chefs?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nIf you\u2019re planning to cook meat \u2014 any meat \u2014\u202fsoak it in four percent brine. It adds a lot of flavor and tenderness. You can do that before any method of cooking; it\u2019s a very simple way to make things tasty.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nWhat\u2019s the one ingredient you believe can improve any dish?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nI love spring onion or scallion. It\u2019s an ingredient that works with a lot of dishes. It adds texture and flavor to something as simple as steamed fish. You pour hot oil on and some spring onion on it. It just releases those flavors, especially if you add a bit of soya sauce and a bit of salt and sugar. It\u2019s delicious. You can even add it to instant noodles.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nWhat customer request most annoys you?\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nIt doesn\u2019t necessarily annoy me, but it can be difficult when someone asks to modify a dish. We understand that people have different needs, of course; sometimes there is a dietary requirement. But it\u2019s definitely challenging to deal with people who don\u2019t want garlic, or spring onion, or some other ingredient that we use a lot. We can accommodate those requests, but we know the dish will taste different.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nWhat\u2019s your favorite dish to cook?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nI love anything that\u2019s cooked in a wok. It\u2019s just really, really satisfying \u2014 the fire and the smell of the smoke. It’s always sizzling. So, anything that I can cook with a wok, especially wok fry, is great.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nAs a head chef, are you quite calm and laidback? Or are you a strict disciplinarian?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nI spent some time in old-school kitchens, where the head chef would be, like, yelling \u2014 very military-like. But I\u2019ve also spent some time in kitchens where it was a little bit more like: You can\u2019t yell at someone; you can’t use fear. Personally, I like to guide (my staff). My rules are things like: I need honesty. I need care. I need respect. These are things that people working together need to agree on. That\u2019s a very basic thing to do as a human being. And once you agree, there’s a lot of opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nIt’s OK to make mistakes. But I urge them to ask questions. So, there’s a lot of guidance, and then a lot of challenging, like, \u201cWhy have you done this? What goes through your mind when choosing this method?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\nChef ArChan\u2019s Chongqing chicken wings. (Supplied)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\nRECIPE: Chef ArChan\u2019s Chongqing chicken wings\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nINGREDIENTS:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n1kg chicken wings\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n1 packet potato starch\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n2 tbsp chopped garlic\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n1 stalk spring onion, cut into 4cm lengths\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n50g dried chilli\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n1L water\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n40g salt\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n1 tbsp of ground spices (cumin, five spice, or spice mix)\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nINSTRUCTIONS:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n1. Add the salt to the water and stir until salt is dissolved, giving you a 4% salt solution.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n2. Lightly coat chicken wings in potato starch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n3. Deep fry chicken wings at 180C for six minutes, or pan fry for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n4. Season the wings with some salt and your favorite ground spices.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n5. Saut\u00e9 the garlic, Sichuan peppercorns and spring onion in a pan on high heat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n6. Add a tablespoon of water and the dried chilli. Saut\u00e9 until fragrant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n7. Add the fried chicken wings to the pan. Toss for 15 seconds to absorb all the flavors. Serve.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n