This archive report was first published on 7 October 2021.
Chef Khafafa's Art on a Plate ¶
Published on October 7, 2021
Chef Stephanie Khafafa's passion for cooking is evident in her dream to bring joy to people through great food, expertly prepared and exquisitely presented. She describes her culinary creations as 'Art on a plate.'
Khafafa's journey in the culinary world began when she attended Top Chef's Culinary Institute, where she applied for an attachment program under Michelin-rated chef Mohsine Korich. Impressed by her work, Korich accepted her application, and Khafafa went on to apprentice under him for almost a year.
During her time with Korich, Khafafa learned the importance of plating and how to work with ordinary ingredients to make them extraordinary in terms of flavor development. She recalls watching Korich plate mashed potatoes and steak to look like a gourmet meal, which was inspiring.
Khafafa emphasizes the importance of starting with fresh ingredients and keeping tasting at every stage to ensure no flavor is overpowering the other. She also highlights the significance of salt in transforming a dish and her favorite kitchen tool, a cast-iron skillet.
When asked about her biggest pet peeve, Khafafa mentions cross-contamination, where one touches raw meat and then handles salt or other ingredients with the same hands.
Khafafa shares two easy recipes: a beer meat marinade and a barbecue sauce. The beer meat marinade consists of 1kg of meat, 250ml of Hop House 13, 1/4 cup of oil, 2 tsp of vinegar, 3 tbsp of dijon mustard, 4 cloves of garlic, 5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme, 1 tbsp of paprika, salt, and pepper. The marinade is mixed in a bowl and poured over the meat, which is then refrigerated for at least 2 hours.
The barbecue sauce recipe includes 1/4 cup of butter, 2 cups of ketchup, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup of Guinness Hop House 13 Lager, 2 tbsp of honey, 1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce, and a pinch of paprika. The ingredients are mixed in a medium-sized pot and heated over medium-high, simmering for 5-10 minutes or until thickened.
