Mens_Health_UK_March_2017

70 MEN’S HEALTH

03- FLOWERED UP

“We frequently use

amomum as a flavour

enhancer,” says Fu.

“It’s of the ginger

family and related to

cardamom, but dried

with smoke for depth.”

Use it in slow-cooked

curries or stews. It

won’t dominate the

dish, but adds smoky

sweetness, unique

to Sichuan cooking.

Meanwhile its

antispasmodic and

antiseptic properties

maintain gut health.

04- RAISE THE STEAKS

What separates

Barshu from other

restaurants focused

on this region is

an investment in

produce. “We buy the

best meats and the

best fish,” says Fu.

“You should invest

in all of your cooking.

Instead of cheap cuts

of beef, use fillet. If

you’re cooking with

fish, find good quality

sea bass. You’ll be

amazed at the

difference it makes

to the final dish.”

05- SERVICE CHARGE

Finally, and perhaps

the most distinct

component in true

Sichuan cuisine, red

fragrant oil is added

to most dishes. This is

a reduction made from

stewing anise, bay

leaf, amomum, spring

onion, fennel, ginger

and chilli that you can

cook up at home and

store. “For cold dishes,

we pour the oil on for

fragrance,” says Fu.

“But we also add it

to stir fries to give

it an extra kick just

before plating up.”

01- RULE OF NUMB

Sichuan’s punch

comes from a tangle

of spice, salt and

sweet flavours. “This

balance defines

Sichuan,” says Fu.

“The spice comes

from red chillies,

which are dried to

intensify them before

cooking. Then we

add fragrant and

sweet red and green

peppercorns to

numb your lips and

mouth.” Unlike black

peppercorns, the

red versions are

rich in metabolism-

balancing oils such

as limonene, linalool

01- SALT OF THE EARTH and geraniol.

“Salt tends to be

misunderstood,” says

Amedi. “Used correctly

it magnifies everything

else on your plate.

I use kosher salt – it

contains less iodine

and has more texture.”

Salt’s bad rep at the

nutritionist’s table is

unfair: your body will

put it to work after a

gruelling session – be

that at the squat rack

or on the sauce.

03- UNREFINED

TASTES

For sweetness and

sourness, Amedi

adds pomegranate

molasses to dishes as

a meat glaze. Not only

is it rather more exotic

than sprinkling a

teaspoon of Tate &

Lyle, it’s packed with

folate and vitamin C,

so you’re essentially

marinating your meat

in Berocca. “Use it in

an oxtail stew or as a

base for a vinaigrette

• it’s that versatile,”
  says Amedi.

05- INTERNATIONAL

TREASURE

The use of cumin is

a common thread

running throughout

the Levantine regions.

“It covers a huge

area, from Morocco

to Turkey and

everywhere in

between,” says Amedi.

“You can wiggle

between different

cuisines with this

one spice, from

tagines to kebabs.”

It also happens to be

revered throughout

the world in helping

with blood sugar

control and cancer

prevention.

02- ROOT MANOEUVRES

As a mainstay of

traditional Chinese

medicine and Sichuan

dishes, ginger

is brimming with

antibacterial and

digestion-boosting

benefits. Along with

garlic it doubles as

an anti-inflammatory

to further benefit

your stomach. Which

perhaps goes some

way to breaking the

old stereotypes about

our British take on

Chinese food and its

effect on your innards.

Your local Jade

Garden this ain’t.

02- SUMAC DOWN

You can be generous

with sumac as well,

another Levantine

staple. “Use it instead

of lemon,” says Amedi.

“It has a zestiness

that lingers and gives

dishes an extra depth

of flavour.” Sumac

comes out on top for

antioxidant capacity,

too, beating headline-

grabbing turmeric

into submission.

04- COMPLEMENTARY

ARRANGEMENTS

A Middle Eastern

blend of sesame seeds,

herbs and salt, Za’atar

gives food an aromatic

edge. “For the perfect

side dish, serve it on

houmous,” says Amedi.

With studies showing

it can protect DNA

from disrepair, the

doc will be as pleased

as your dinner guests.

SPICE

WORLD

05

01

02

03 04

SUMAC IS YOUR

BEST FRIEND

in the fight

against diabetes,

thanks to its

blood sugar-

stabilising power

CHINESE

MEDICINE

Real Sichuan food is hot – really hot. It

numbs the mouth with a tongue-tingling

edge, and it’s this unfamiliar effect that is

the sine qua non of cooking from this area.

Without it, you’re either eating Chinese

food from a different region, or made by a

chef who doesn’t know his anise from his

peppercorns. Fortunately Sichuan native

Bing Fu, head chef at Soho’s renowned

Barshu, is a master of spice.

KOSHER

CLUB

If needed, one

glance at The

Palomar’s trophy

cabinet is proof

that Levantine food is finally

being taken seriously by

international foodies. Head

chef Tomer Amedi’s style

slaps you in the face with salt,

then cauterises the wound

with lemon and chilli. “I come

from a culture where food

is everything,” he says. “I’m

Jewish, so we have a lot of

holidays – they tried to kill us,

we survived, so let’s eat.”