DUBAI: Ducasse is the latest entrant into the historic city of AlUla’s burgeoning fine dining scene. The pop-up restaurant, located adjacent to the ancient heritage site of Jabal Ikmah, is a collaboration with world-renowned chef Alain Ducasse, and has been entrusted to his protégé, Afonso Salvacao Barreto, who has taken on the mantle of executive chef.
The new venture, part of AlUla Moments, will use local ingredients from nearby farms to create French dishes influenced by the Middle East.
Here, Barreto talks about his favorite spice, his love for snails, and his management style, and shares a chickpea salad recipe.
Q: When you started out, what was the most common mistake you made?
A: When you start you often want to take shortcuts, but the more you work, the more you master your technique, and the more you realize it does not actually take longer to follow the recipe. There is a reason for each of the steps, and the results can be seen and tasted on the plate. So, it’s important to take your time and follow the right process.
What’s your top tip for amateurs cooking at home?
Season and taste as you go. Every layer of a recipe has its own flavor, so it’s important to try what you are cooking. The more you taste, the more you understand how to adjust and refine those flavors.
What one ingredient can instantly improve any dish?
Cumin, a spice you find in every culture. There’s a reason why it’s so popular and widespread. It adds a smoky depth to dishes and every kitchen cabinet should have it — either whole or powdered.
When you go out to eat, do you find yourself critiquing the food? Or are you able to switch off and enjoy it?
While I’m at work, I’m very aware of the right and wrong of cooking. But when I’m dining out, as long as there is good company I don’t care about mistakes.
What’s your favorite cuisine?
I love snails with garlic and butter. It’s simple but delicious and timeless. We eat a lot of them in Portugal, where I am from, and that’s something we have in common with French cuisine.
What’s your go-to dish if you have to cook something quickly at home in, say, 20 minutes?
Pasta with a mix of fresh herbs and vegetables. It’s simple and fast to prep and cook, and it allows the flavors of the vegetables and herbs to shine.
What customer request most annoys you?
As long as they’re respectful, nothing annoys me, to be honest. As chefs — and as people in the restaurant business — we’re here for the customer’s happiness and satisfaction. Whatever they need, I will try my best to accommodate.
What’s your favorite dish to cook and why?
I love to cook a very traditional Portuguese ragout of green peas with poached eggs. Again, it’s easy to prepare, but it’s full of hearty flavors. It reminds me of my childhood back home.
What’s the most difficult dish for you to get right?
It seems very simple, but to make a perfect omelet is very technical and requires a lot of skill and practice. The eggs and the pan have to be at the right temperature. There’s also a technique for folding the eggs in the pan. But once you learn to make the perfect omelet, you will not accept anything less.
What are you like in the kitchen? Are you a disciplinarian? Or are you more laid back?
I believe that when you are respectful — and available — to your team, they’ll respect you back and give the best of themselves.
Chef Afonso’s chickpea, coriander, and Buddha’s hand salad
INGREDIENTS
For the chickpea salad: 450g cooked chickpeas; olive oil; 1 bunch coriander; 1 bunch parsley; 1pce shallots in vinegar; 1 lemon (juiced); salt and white pepper to taste
For the chickpea emulsion: 600g cooked chickpeas; 160g tahini; 12g salt; 50g milk; 200g cream; 160g grapeseed oil; white pepper to taste; sherry vinegar to taste
For the topping: Buddha’s hand, sumac, chili pepper, bay leaf powder (all to taste)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Mix all the chickpea salad ingredients together in a bowl.
2. For the emulsion, put the cooked chickpeas, tahini, and salt in a blender and mix until smooth.
3. Stir in the cream and milk.
4. Slowly add the grapeseed oil.
5. Pass the mixture through a chinois. Season with white pepper and sherry vinegar.
6. Place mixture inside a whipping siphon charged with two gas cartridges. Whip.
7. Place mixture in refrigerator. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before serving and temper at room temperature.
8. Place the seasoned salad in a serving bowl, and top with the chickpea emulsion. On top, place Buddha’s hand, sumac, chili pepper and bay leaf powder.
