TH E C HEF
the dish with subtle crunch and buttery flavour. Cheesy veggies are garnished with sourdough bread and fresh greens, which add a slight bitterness and coarseness, to balance out the rich, smooth cheese sauce.
What makes it a standout dish? ON MENUS ES CURRENTLY THE BEST DISH I – AS S ACROSS DUBA AT RESTAURANT LV S THEMSE ES CHOSEN BY CHEF
NAWAL ALNUAIMI
HEAD CHEF, FOUNDER AND CEO OF PAPER FIG RESTAURANT AND DESSERT HAVEN
What is your favourite dish on the menu? Our menu is seasonal to reflect local produce availability and introduce new, exciting flavours which means my favourite dish can change. At the moment, Cheesy veggies would have to be top of my list. I always follow it up with one of our lovingly created artisanal desserts though.
Tell us about the dish
Where do you source the ingredients from? I have a close relationship with numerous local suppliers including Chef Middle East, who have access to the freshest ingredients available - sourced both locally and abroad. Using top quality ingredients is part of the Paper Fig ethos. Fresh Express and Barakat are two other main suppliers we work with daily, that provide superior ingredients in order to create the best culinary experience for our customers.
Photography SUPPLIED
Classic, staple vegetables in the form of roasted eggplant and fingerling potatoes are the crux of this mouthwatering dish. Cooked until meltingly tender and paired with a creamy white sauce – it’s an explosion of flavour that is hard to resist. Pine nuts are tossed through to enhance both the texture and taste of
Cheesy Veggies was born as a result of my newly found fascination with fingerling potatoes. I have a passion for cooking and sharing my food with people, which leads me to regularly researching new ingredients and recipes for the Paper Fig menu. The soft, buttery and slightly nutty taste of the modest fingerling potatoes aided by their firm texture makes them the perfect addition to numerous recipes. As soon as I returned home from my local market with the potatoes, I came to the realization that they can be paired with just about anything in my kitchen, which made them interesting and extremely versatile. The humble dish of roasted vegetables has long been one of my favourites so I began experimenting with vegetables to combine. The tender bitterness of eggplant was the perfect match. The cheese sauce is made from a fusion of cream cheese for a soft velvety texture and feta cheese which brings an element of tang and saltiness. Pine nuts are a noteworthy addition adding a restrained crunch, as does the sourdough bread on the side. The combination of salty and sweet, in a subtle way, means the flavours have a great depth to them without being overpowering.
12
The Pro Chef Middle East / Edition 55
