In our new series, EW eats with, the Restauranteurs deliver their know-how in easy to follow recipes to ensure your dining in is the new going out.
This week, The Restauranteur – Natasha Sideris, founder and managing director of The Tashas Group
We have followed Natasha Sideris’ rise to fame ever since her first establishment, the fabulous Tashas opened its doors in Dubai five years ago. Her grit and determination have seen her go on and add three more venues to her ever-growing portfolio – Flamingo Room by tashas, Avli by tashas and Galaxy Bar.
Last year she was one of the nominees in the Emirates Woman Woman of the Year Awards. “This region is filled with dynamic and talented women and being recognised as one of them is incredibly humbling,” she previously told EW.
Her love for cooking developed in her childhood, where she learned the ropes of the business from her father. “Even though he is no longer with me, his resilient personality deeply inspired me and is something that I aspire to,” she said. “His favourite motto was ‘never give up.'”
This is certainly a mantra she has followed, which is evident to the success she has found here in Dubai. So much so, it’s become one of her proudest moments – bringing South African cuisine to the Middle East, being able to showcase it “in the international food arena and watch it become a household brand in Dubai”.
Not only that, Sideris has become an inspiration to young female entrepreneurs everywhere, with her brand that is “led by women at the forefront”.
“The food industry has typically been a male-dominated one and I think we are seeing a huge change in that,” she told EW. “If I can be in the spotlight and prove to young entrepreneurs that this is something that they can do too.”
As for her advice to those who look up to her or any aspiring chefs, she’s honest in saying the restaurant business is a “tough one”, so the key to cracking it is to “make sure you have a real passion and love for it”.
This week, Sideris shares with EW the recipe of the mouthwatering lobster pasta served at her personal restaurant, Avli by tashas. It is a dish that never fails to remind Sideris of summers spent at her home in Greece. For her, it suits just about any occasion whether it is a special occasion dinner with a white table cloth and flowers or a simple beachside picnic meal.
Overall she believes, “Cooking is a pure joy especially when I am cooking for friends and family. It isn’t just about the food, it is also about being together. Enjoying great food together.”
Avli by tashas Lobster Pasta
Ingredients
Napolitana sauce, a versatile and important staple in many dishes (Yields: 3 litres)
- 375ml olive oil
- 60g butter, unsalted
- 250g white onions, chopped
- 135g carrots, chopped
- 4kg whole peeled tomatoes
- 100g tomato puree
- 60g white sugar
- 15g fine salt
- 6g black pepper, ground
Method
1) Heat the butter and the olive oil in a pot.
2) Sauté the onion and garlic and then add the remaining ingredients.
3) Cook on a low heat until the carrots are soft.
4) Cool and blend until smooth and creamy.
Cooking tip: The left-over sauce can be stored in an airtight container, frozen and used for other recipes.
Roast Cherry Tomatoes
- 500g cherry tomatoes
- 30ml olive oil
- 2g salt
- 2g black pepper, ground
Method
1) Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2) Place the tomatoes on a baking tray.
3) Toss in olive oil and then season with salt and pepper.
4) Roast until blistered and slightly charred.
Lobster pasta
- 1 lobster, meat separated from the shell
- 1 lobster shell
- 60ml olive oil
- 25g garlic, blanched and sliced
- 200g cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 85g cherry tomatoes, roasted
- 10g fish spice
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 60ml water
- 60ml napolitana sauce
- 300g spaghetti, cooked
- 10g parsley, chopped
- 1g salt
- 45g butter, unsalted
Method
1) Boil a large pot of water for the pasta and then cook until al dense.
2) In a large pan, heat up the olive oil and fry off the garlic. Add the fresh and roasted cherry tomatoes and sauté until they blister. Add the fish spice, pepper, the lobster meat, water and napolitana and cook until liquid is reduced by half.
3) Then add the cooked pasta, add the parsley, butter, lemon juice and toss it until it is glossy and evenly coated by the sauce.
4) Place the steamed shell halves in the oven to warm up and dry out on low heat. Place them next to each other on the plate and pour the pasta over it.
To garnish, drizzle the pasta with some olive oil and sprinkle chopped parsley.
Avli by tashas, Ground Floor, Gate Village Building 9, DIFC, Dubai, 12pm to 4pm, Sunday to Thursday. Tel: (04) 359 0008. avlibytashas.com
