'Control the fire'

1. Do you go with the thinking that women are “cooks'' and men are “chefs''?

No.

2. Who can cook better, you or your mum?

My mum.

3. Which famous personality would you love to cook for?

Shilpa Shetty and my bhaiya [brother].

4. If you could, would you change the design of a chef's hat?

No.

5. A dish you dislike cooking but have repeatedly prepared?

Beef.

6. Disastrous or memorable experiences in the kitchen?

This is too little a space to list them.

7. Three valuable lessons you have learnt in the kitchen?

Safety, alertness and hard work.

8. Tips you'd like to share with readers?

Control the fire.

9. A kitchen utensil you can't live without ?

Knife.

10. Food you can't live without?

Rice.

11. An ingredient you think has been overused?

Spices.

12. The quickest meal to prepare?

Fish and chips.

13. And the longest?

Indian Dal Makhani

Spice of life

Name: Kumar Sanjay

Age: 35

Nationality: Indian

Designation: Executive chef

Location: Dubai Grand Hotel

Favourite Cuisine: Italian and Indian

Interesting facts: I always like to create new dishes and serve different platters with different garnishes.

A chef's aces

Breakfast on the go

American pancakes.

Roasted fillet of veal, pink peppercorn crust and baby vegetables

Servings: 4

Veal

• 520g veal fillet, cleaned
• 30g Dijon mustard

Peppercorn crust

• 25g mixed herbs
• 20g fresh breadcrumbs
• 10g pink peppercorn
• 10g unsalted butter

Potato cake

• 100g mashed potato
• 75g sweet potato
• 20g shiitake mushrooms
• 20ml cream

Vegetables

• 50g baby sweetcorn
• 40g beetroot
• 40g zucchini
• 10g baby carrot

Garnish

• 10g micro leaves
• 40ml veal juice

Clean the veal loin, season and fry in a hot pan to seal. Add Dijon mustard. Chop up some herbs and mix with pink peppercorns and breadcrumbs.

Roll the veal loin through the mix. Cook it at 160°C for about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest. For the potato cake, prepare the mashed potato and mix with the mushrooms and cream.

Cut the sweet potato into a round shape and fry. Arrange the sweet potato and mushroom mash into a round mould layer by layer. Blanch the vegetables and sauté in butter. Garnish the ensémble with micro leaves and veal juice.

Pear caramel gateaux

Servings: 8-10

(For pear mousse)

• 125g pear puree
• 150g cream
• 60g sweetened condensed milk
• 25g dissolved sugar
• 5g gelatin
• 5 egg whites

(For caramel mousse)

• 250g cream
• 170g caramel dessert sauce
• 40g sweetened condensed milk

(For garnish)

• 2 pears
• Honey to taste
• Fresh berries

For the pear mousse, first dissolve sugar at 120°C and make an Italian meringue by whisking the egg white and dissolved sugar.

Fold in the whipped cream with the meringue mix and carefully fill up half a ring. Heat the pear puree with the sweetened condensed milk and then add the gelatin.

Fold the pear puree into the meringue and cream mixture. Sauté some pear quarters with honey and layer those on top of the pear mousse. Put in the fridge to set.

Now heat up the caramel dessert sauce with the sweetened condensed milk, add the gelatin, then fold in the whipped cream carefully and fill up the ring. Set in the fridge. Garnish with fresh berries.