French butter is lauded as one of the true flavor enhancers of the world. It is now making its way into the most important meal of the day during Ramadan as chefs look to utilize the versatile ingredient through a range of iftar dishes.
One such chef is Ahmed Ali, head chef of Middle Eastern restaurant Ninive, who has developed an entire iftar menu using the finest French butter. The menu showcases how the 100 percent natural ingredient can be used in traditional and local recipes to make it more flavorful and colorful, transporting a classic dish into a taste sensation.
Discussing the benefits of using French butter in cooking, Chef Ali said: “For me, it is a mainstay whenever I’m cooking. Its versatility means I can use it any dish to elevate the taste, which was particularly relevant during this challenge to take the standard iftar menu and add a butter twist.
“Because the manufacturing principles of French butter have remained the same for centuries, I know the ingredients’ quality remains at the very highest level therefore significantly adding to all attributes of the dish.
“With each dish on the menu, I used a range of techniques to incorporate the butter. For the soup, I whisked in the ingredient for a creamier finish while for the spiced carrot dukkah (an Egyptian spice blend), I blended it in for a richer consistency. I was also able to use butter to create a golden color on the chicken birwat.”
In addition, Chef Ali created a range of flavored butter with bread and roasted dates in butter to break the fast. Bread coated in butter and then placed in the oven accompanied a Fattoush salad. Baby gem lettuce and mujadara (a Middle Eastern lentils and rice dish) and sardines were given the butter treatment to add taste, color and consistency.
For the main course, Chef Ali panfried all meats with butter before being placed in the oven to create a succulent mixed grill. The vegetable tagine was sauteed in butter, creating a melt-in-the-mouth sensation rounded out by a fish sayadieh (a Lebanese fish and rice dish), onion rice, nuts and raisins, all enhanced by butter.
And what iftar would be complete without the staple dessert of Umm Ali? Chef Ali glazed the puff pastry in French butter to add to the taste and round off the menu.
