Dubai: Top Polish player Agnieszka Radwanska is legendary for her subtle style of filleting opponents. Deft with a tennis racquet, her swordsmanship skills are celebrated the world over as she slices open her on-court enemies. But replace that racquet with a peeler and an apron over her T-shirt, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships’ star is less deft.
tabloid! was at the Blue Flame Restaurant at Jumeirah Creekside Hotel on Sunday where Radwanska was being given a private cooking lesson by their chef Dannet D’souza.
The task at hand was to shave some veggies delicately, the first step in preparing a dish of grilled sea bass with Hollandaise sauce. After the initial hiccup of learning how to hold a peeler, the 23-year-old defending champion of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title got off to a crackling start.
“I don’t cook that often. But when I do, it’s always fun. I enjoyed this cooking class,” Radwanksa told tabloid! after cooking up a storm. Chef D’souza even gave her top marks for grilling the sea bass to perfection.
“That’s well done. I think your fish looks better than mine,” said D’souza as he checked out his student’s progress.
Fun activities
This cooking class is a part of the series of fun activities organised for the tennis players and brand ambassadors of Dubai Duty Free in their down time.
“This is certainly different from playing tennis,” said Radwanska as she cautiously seasoned the sea bass with pepper and salt.
A foodie, Radwanska loves salmon and believes tasty food in good portions helps her remain fit.
“The good news is that I can eat what I want because we practise for hours on court. But I prefer eating healthy food. Give me fish, steaks, pasta or risotto and I am happy,” said Radwanska.
An attentive culinary student, it was the making of Hollandaise sauce that captured her attention.
“I think the art is to whisk it in a proper manner … I hope to make this dish on my own when I reach home. But for the time being, I will take this dish upstairs and serve it to my sister,” said Radwanksa.
Her younger sister Urszula was playing a match during the cooking lesson.
“It smells wonderful and I am sure she will be hungry and tired after the match. The idea is to surprise her with this tasty dish. I hope she likes it,” said a jubilant Radwanksa as she held up her plate of sea bass like a trophy.
