Recipes for success: Chef Hadi Sarufim shares tips, orange cake recipe
DUBAI: Hadi Sarufim, chef at Dubai's Beirut-import Bar Du Port, has been cooking since he was 10 years old, but he truly fell in love with the culinary world when he began training in a professional kitchen.
“The more I worked in the industry, the more I loved it. I'm lucky to be doing what I'm doing – it's just good,” he tells Arab News.
“One of my earliest memories of food is a modernizing of a traditional Lebanese dish, kibbeh, from my village of Zgarta in Lebanon. I turned it into a kibe roll with ice cream, yogurt, cucumber jelly and dry ice,” he says.
Bar du Port. (included)
Now his favorite dish from the Bar Du Port menu is the grilled octopus with dried chorizo, tomato tartare and smoky bell pepper coulis. “It uses simple ingredients, but it's great,” he says. “This dish captures the essence of Mediterranean cuisine—fresh, bold and delicious.”
Here Sarufim talks about burnt onions, annoying customer habits and the magic of vinegar.
When you were starting out, what was the most common mistake you made?
Onions and garlic were often burnt during cooking. In a professional kitchen, even if you're assigned to a specific section, you have to multitask and work under tight time constraints. The pressure of juggling multiple tasks can be overwhelming, especially for a new chef. Balancing the preparation of different components and keeping an eye on cooking time and technique is a skill that takes time to develop. Those first days were difficult, but necessary to learn how to manage everything.
What's your top tip for hobbyists?
Always use the best fresh produce. Quality ingredients can make an ordinary dish extraordinary. When you start with fresh, high-end produce, the natural flavors shine through. I have always admired the way Chef Alain Ducasse emphasizes “naturalness” in his cuisine, focusing on the purity of ingredients and letting their natural qualities speak for themselves. This philosophy has influenced my approach as well. Whether you're making a simple or complex dish, the quality of your ingredients will always vary significantly.
Thinly sliced yellowtail with burnt orange and passion fruit sauce. (included)
What's one ingredient that can instantly improve any dish?
Vinegar, such as Xeres Vinegar, instantly improves any dish by adding a burst of flavor. Just a spritz can lift a dish and bring out its best qualities, making it a must-have in any kitchen. I especially recommend it for risotto or salad dressing.
When you go out to eat, do you feel like you're criticizing the food?
I definitely pay attention to the food, but I try not to be too critical. One thing I often notice is the overuse of sauces. While sauces can enhance a dish, too many can overpower the main product and mask the natural flavor.
What is your favorite cuisine?
I especially like French and Japanese cuisine. I also admire the craftsmanship of quality beef dishes, such as Nobu's carpaccio, which inspires our menu innovations.
Green lentil salad with rainbow cherry tomatoes, pomegranate and yogurt sumac dressing. (included)
What customer behavior or request annoys you the most?
I love innovation and creativity – it's all part of the craft. For example, our mashed avocado has a unique twist to the traditional guacamole recipe, and it once sparked a “friendly discussion” with guests about its preparation. While I always appreciate guest feedback, it can be annoying when customers insist on dishes that are exactly like their home recipes, leaving little room for creativity.
What dish do you like to cook?
I am passionate about cooking fish because of its delicate nature and the precision it requires. Correct timing is very important to preserve freshness and taste. One dish that I particularly enjoy making is butterflied sea bass. I love how simple yet elegant it is—dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and served with a refreshing zucchini tartare. It's a dish that showcases the beauty of fresh ingredients and allows me to be creative.
Burrata with kalamata olives, heirloom tomatoes, grilled zucchini and basil pesto. (included)
What is the most difficult dish for you to cook?
One of the most difficult dishes for me is the traditional French terrine with foie gras, a classic of French cuisine. This requires meticulous technique, especially the proper placement of the foie gras. Accuracy is key; a small mistake can cause the layers to merge, which will impair the texture and appearance of the dish. Mastering terrine requires attention to detail and a deep understanding of ingredients, making it technically demanding but very rewarding.
What are you like as a head chef? Do you shout a lot? Or are you more relaxed?
I focus on keeping the kitchen calm and organized. On our busiest nights we can serve up to 1,200 covers in our relatively small kitchen, so it's important that everyone follows the rules. In a team of 15, discipline is crucial, but I avoid yelling because it's counterproductive.
Chef Hadi's orange pie recipe
(included)
INGREDIENTS
For the orange cake:
340 g of eggs; 470 g of sugar; 360 g of flour; 10 g of baking powder; 230 ml of whipping cream; 160 g of butter (melted); 70 g of orange juice; 7 g of orange peel
For the orange syrup:
60 g of orange juice; 30 g of water; 30 g of sugar
For the meringue:
3 egg whites (100 g); 200 g of sugar
Additionally:
50 g of orange
INSTRUCTION
(Note: Marmite required)
For the orange cake:
1. Preheat the oven to 160C.
2. Mix sugar and orange peel in a bowl. Add eggs and beat well.
3. Add orange juice and whipped cream. Mix thoroughly.
4. Sift flour and baking powder. Mix until there are no lumps.
5. Add melted butter and mix well.
6. Pour the batter into the cake pan. Draw a straight line on top with melted butter.
7. Bake for 55 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and pour orange syrup over the cake. Let it cool.
For the orange syrup:
1. In a small saucepan over very low heat, combine the orange juice, water and sugar.
2. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
3. Remove from heat.
For the meringue:
1. Heat the egg whites to 65C in a food processor.
2. Put the proteins in a mixer.
3. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.
assembly:
1. After the cake has cooled and absorbed the syrup, serve the slices with a dollop of meringue and (if desired) garnish with fresh orange slices and a scoop of orange ice cream.
