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CHEF DOYLE TEACHES THEM TO KISS

Chef Doyle, who was at the Inter-Continental Dubai from September 17-20, leading the kitchen of the Palm Grill with his famous cooking demonstrations for the best of Australian Prime Beef and Lamb, said he was delighted with Dubai, which was expanding rapidly, with a projected 50 five-star hotels set to come up in the next decade, which he said, augured well for the hospitality industry and "Chefs like me!"

"This visit of course is all about promoting the Australian Government's National Food Industry Strategy (NFIS), which is intended to enhance awareness for Australia's finest fruit, vegetable and meat produce. Earlier it was difficult to find anything in these markets from Australia, with most product being sourced out of the European and US markets, today the situation is changing, and who knows - some time in the future, we might be able to think of greater collaboration with UAE-based chefs and hotels, although we already have a lot of Lebanese and Arabic restaurants Down Under," chuckled Peter Doyle.

Chef Doyle, considered the 'founding father' of modern Australian cuisine, accompanied four Aussie Chefs to Dubai mid-September to drive home the NFIS message that Australian food was clean, green and safe.

Chef Doyle delighted diners at the Inter-Continental's Palm Grill with his famous cooking demonstrations for the best of Australian Prime Beef and Lamb, putting together a fine set menu, using Australian delicacies and products.

A firm believer of the KISS (Keep It Short and Simple) rule in the kitchen, Chef Doyle has been a Sydney restaurateur since 1980, with many food outlets to his credits including 'Reflections' at Palm Beach, 'Le Trianon' and 'Cicada' at Potts Point, 'Celsius' in Sydney and since April 2003, 'est', as part of the Establishment Hotel, also in the city.

What's more, he has some prestigious awards under his Chef's hat — the most important being the Three Chef's Hats (highest honour) on numerous occasions, while his restaurants have bagged the Best Seafood Restaurant , Best Restaurant in a Hotel in Australia, the Moet Chandon Petite Liquour Pastry Chef of Australia, etc. He has appeared as Guest Chef at the Raffles and Ritz-Carlton Millenia Hotels in Singapore, the Lannnesborough Hotel in London, the Mandarin Hotel in HongKong, and was appointed Australian Consultant Chef to American Northwest Airlines in 1991.

He admitted that while there was no typical Australian cuisine, his own trademark was contemporary Australian food, which was uncluttered, seasonally driven, and executed with French-influenced precision.

"I like the interplay of classic harmonious flavours, enhancing the principal ingredient. Restraint and simplicity are important qualities for a perfectly cooked dish," he said. He added that Australians liked eating a lot of seafood, just like people did in Dubai and the Middle East.

"We have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Barakat Vegetable and Fruit Company in March this year, which has resulted in a direct chain being established between Australian premium food producers and suppliers in the five-star hotel market in Dubai, where according to NFIS Managing Director, Richard Brooks, there is a 30 per cent annual growth rate," he divulged, adding that while it was possible to package and process seafood and meat, it was a different story with fruit and vegetables, which needed to be imported through other channels.

A great believer in being present at the stoves, and working through te dishes, Chef Doyle said this was important to get the balance right, which to him is a favourite issue - the balance and the style of his menu.

"I have been cooking many decades now, and I haven't really changed, so I teach guys to cook in my way. Tomato and basil go together for a reason, you dont have to put tomato, basil and strawberry together just because it looks good, or may sound interesting, I can't do that," he declared.

No compromises — probably that is what describes Chef Doyle's cooking best, and lends that extra flavour to his cooking!