CHEFS ON FIRE
Fire is a temperamental element. It is strong willed & energetic; and difficult to tame. For those who have mastered it though, it becomes malleable, cooperative and magnificently mesmerizing. Jessica Rosval (Al Gatto Verde, Italy), Joris Bijdendijk (RIJKS*, The Netherlands) and Omar Fathy (Kokomo, Egypt) are three who have mastered fire into an art form, each bending the flames to serve their own ways and tastes. From Jessica’s blending of traditional Emilian cuisine with her travel influences and Canadian roots, cooked fully in a wood-fired oven from bread to dessert, to Joris’s continual explorations of Dutch roots & the many international flavors that have influenced Dutch cuisine over the centuries, to Omar’s deep dive into the role of fire in Egyptian cuisine from its most rural borders inwards.
Written by Reem Khamis
For Cairo Food Week, the trio of fire masters assembled at Kokomo, within Marakez’s (CFW District Partner) District 5, for a dinner of ‘Chefs on Fire’. A night of wondrous fire play emanating from the sprawling glass-walled kitchen while course after course of tantalizing smokiness interlaced with bursts of fresh flavors perfectly balanced between sweet and salty landed at our tables. Omar Fathy started the night off with an ode to Egyptian soil & its deep running roots with Burnt Leeks & Harati beans representing the soil while beetroots and a mint espuma stood in for the roots. From there, Bijdendijk’s crab curry coated our palates in preparation for his sweetbreads served with a one-two punch of spice and freshness from Dutch wasabi & ginger. Fathy followed up with a Wagyu ribeye flame-grilled to pink centered perfection, before Jessica Rosval stumped us with “this is not a Duck a la presse” before rounding out the dinner with an “arson pasta”. Spiced duck leg served over grattini (a shaved fresh egg pasta) expertly singed over the flames with sicilian orange and pistachio.
The final sweet note was served by rising Egyptian pastry chef Farah El Charkawy. The queen of the lemon tart stepped out of her comfort zone to flawlessly deliver an intricately layered flavor packed dessert of silky smooth coffee bavaroise, smoked caramel and vanilla juxtaposed against the citrusy freshness of a grapefruit gelee, rounded out with the satisfying crunch of a smoked praline croustillant.
Before the festivities could kick into full swing, our hosts for the evening - Somabay (CFW Destination Partner) surprised everyone with a gift of custom designed bleu-blanc plates, a veritable collectors item. Somabay has been an early and ever present supporter of Omar Fathy’s vision for Kokomo, helping to actualize the concept on their own shores first before it was introduced to Cairo earlier this year.
