8 minute read
Down by the Harbour
from Delicious No: 18
by Union Print
INTERVIEW WITH ANDRE BORG, HEAD CHEF AT THE HARBOUR CLUB
At the tip of Ta’ Liesse Hill in Valletta lies one of Malta’s most exciting food concepts. Set in a carefully converted warehouse built by the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, Ramon Perellos y Roccaful in 1712, the Harbour Club offers a unique dining experience. The terrace area offers stunning views of the Grand Harbour on one side and the imposing bastions on the other. Indoors, guests are welcomed by a cosy setting elegantly decorated with a recycled deck of an American ship.
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The Harbour Club is also famous to host one of Malta’s leading talents in the food industry, the twenty-eight year old Chef Andre Borg. He is young, bold and energetic. His eyes reflect a strong will to succeed in such a cutthroat industry. On the other hand his smile spells out his bubbly character and joie de vivre. Each plate portrays Andre’s undisputed talent which he gradually developed during his stints as a Sous chef at a fine dining restaurant in Darlington, as a Junior Sous Chef at Waterbiscuit as well as a Commis Chef at Gordon Ramsay Restaurant. Andre also participated in the BBC’s Masterchef: The Professionals. His curriculum also includes working experiences with leading professionals in the industry such as Chef Victor Borg and Chef James Oakley. His food journey took him to many places across the island and even abroad yet it seems he has finally settled at the Harbour Club. Indeed, at the Harbour Club he found full support from the owner, Charlotte Sullivan Decorte who gave him a free hand to experiment with new dishes.
Today, the Harbour Club offers a good selection of dishes which exalt local produce. That local touch can be found in the detail of a starter or as the core ingredient of a main course. Every dish also portray’s Andre’s food philosophy which is based on the fundamental principle to keep it simple, exalt the beauty in every ingredient and above all ensure it tastes amazing. Indeed, every dish has a strong sense of precision with no ingredient left unattended. Every item is in sync so as to create a perfect chorus.
Tuna Carpaccio with Bonito Cream and Nori Crisp; Risotto with Zucchini Purée, Mozzarella di Bufala DOP, Anchovy and Honey and Bucatini with Local Red Prawn and Guanciale are some of the starters you will come across at The Harbour Club. Every customer is also spoilt for choice with an interesting selection of main courses which range from Pork, Corn Purée with Bbq Corn, Roasted Onions and Jus and Lamb with Aubergine, Israeli Couscous and Jus just to mention a few. And what about their selection of desserts? Andre’s magical hands create amazing sweet indulgences which are hard to resist. Every dish is accompanied by vast selection of local and foreign wines and an excellent service.
The ingredients themselves are what really inspire Andre in the kitchen. Yet quality does not necessarily have a price tag. It all boils down to our ability to choose the right product which can even be in our own back garden. His favourite ingredient during the summer season are tomatoes. Andre points out, “Aesthetics are not the local produce major strength yet ultimately it is the taste and the way it is presented at the table which really matters and that is something Maltese fruit and vegetables will never disappoint you on.” He explains that the major challenge with fruit and vegetables during this time of the year is that they have a short shelf life.
When discussing local produce, our conversation touches on the topic of foraging where he notes to me that he does practice it yet on a very small scale. He admits that the major challenge with foraging is that it is limited and there is a lot of ignorance on the subject.
We shift our conversation on The Harbour Club’s recent achievement of being included in the Malta Michelin Guide 2020 list. Whilst he acknowledges the positive impact Michelin will have on the local industry and the restaurant’s achievement, he feels it must never develop into an obsession. “Work, succeed and will automatically come at some point. But never be obsessed about it.”
We also discuss COVID-19 and its impact on the restaurant and the industry at large. Andre points out that like every industry, the restaurant industry is deeply hit and saw a sudden collapse. Restaurants are an industry where people spend more than half their annual food budget, and they are out of action right now. Andre notes that since circumstances are changing by the day, no one can know where the COVID-19 pandemic is going and it is very difficult to project the duration of the pandemic. As a result, the entire restaurant industry and supply chain is reeling. “We are lucky to be busy yet God knows what the future has in store. We have to take it day by day and hope for the best.”
It is time for a final question. I ask Andrew on what to expect from The Harbour club in the coming months. “Our plan is to open another outlet in Valletta with a tapas concept accompanied by a vast selection of local and foreign wines. We are also developing new concepts which seek to exalt the beauty of local produce, my creativity and above all the abilities of the entire team at the Harbour Club.”
MOULES MARINIÈRES
INGREDIENTS
2.5kg Fresh Mussels (scrubbed) 75g Butter 400ml Dry White Wine 2 Garlic cloves (finely chopped) 200ml Double Cream 2 Tomatoes (diced) 2 Leeks, white parts cut in half lengthways Handful of Fresh Parsley, coarsely chopped
PREPARATION
Heat the butter in a large saucepan big enough to take all the mussels. Add the chopped garlic and leeks and cook until softened. Add the wine and turn up the heat. Add the mussels and cover. Shake the pan for 3 minutes or until all the mussels have opened (discard the ones that don’t open). Add the chopped tomatoes. Pour in the cream and season with salt and pepper. Keep cooking for another minute. To serve, sprinkle with the freshly chopped parsley and lots of crusty fresh bread.
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ACommendable Initiative
My Lebanon is a flock of birds fluttering in the early morning as shepherds lead their sheep into the meadow and rising in the evening as farmers return from their fields and vineyards. You have your Lebanon and its people. I have my Lebanon and its people. — Khalil Gibran
A massive explosion rocked Beirut with the force of a 3.5 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday, followed by a shock wave that blew out windows and caused widespread damage across the Lebanese capital. At least 100 people were killed and more than 4,000 wounded. Injured residents flooded hospitals, pushing them past capacity. The larger second blast is thought to have been caused by the detonation of more than 2,700 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate that had been stored in a warehouse at the port since it was confiscated from a cargo ship in 2014. The impact of such explosion is huge leaving the country short of food stocks and over 250,000 people homeless.
Hany Harb, chef patron of ‘Ali Baba’ noted, “The incident’s aftermath is set to significantly impact the country in more ways than one. The explosion adds to the woes the country has been experiencing in recent years. The economy isn’t good, business isn’t good, but now we have people dying of hunger and thirst. The situation is worse than it was in war times.” Lebanon is really going to have to rely on international aid because of the state of its economy. Countries including France have offered assistance. Aid groups are also gearing up to offer medical and other aid required. It is going to be a really long and tough road for Lebanon ahead.
Hany felt the need to help his own country by forfeiting his break this summer and heading to Beirut to be part of an international effort to provide an open kitchen for those afflicted by the massive explosion which rocked the city on August 5th. Hany, will be joined on his mission by another four chefs. They will be heading straight to Beirut on August 14.
The Lebanese chef was overwhelmed with the support he received from the Maltese public following the Beirut explosion. “I received over 2,000 messages on our Facebook page, on WhatsApp; my phone has been working nonstop. I have just spent all day answering people and thanking them.” He also noted; “Donations are still coming in so I can’t give you an exact figure of how much money we will be able to gather. We would like to keep this going as much as possible, as this is important to all of us. We are chefs, and this is what we do – we want to help those who are suffering in our home country, and hope we will inspire others to do the same.”
Hany and his crew are planning several trips to Beirut. The first is scheduled from the 17th up to the 23rd August. The team includes Hany himself, Rafel Sammut, Jean Galea Souchet, Marco Pavlovic and Robert Bonello. Meanwhile donations are to be made directly to WCK- https://do
