Interview with Chef Abdul Sebti from Barbetta in NYC
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- July 23, 2009
Chef Abdul Sebti has taken the experience he gathered while working at Raoul’s, The ’21’Club, Amici Miei, Tavern on The Green and La Coupole and applied it to the Piedmontese dishes he creates at Barbetta. We asked him to tell us a little about the path that led him to where he is today.
FriendsEAT: Did you grow up cooking?
Chef Abdul Sebti: Yes, I started cooking a the age of 9 or 10, watching my mother cook Moroccan food. She influenced my cooking the most. She was a cook for the American Consulate in Tanjier, Morocco.
FE: What made you decide to become a chef?
CAS: Circumstance. I married and moved to the upper west side, a few blocks from The Tavern on the Green and applied for a line cook position. That was the start of my cooking career.
FE: What misconceptions do people have when coming into the field?
CAS: The biggest misconception might be that your talents, skills and hard work you will eventually lead to a lucrative book deal or your own cooking show. A big part of this job requires late nights, weekends and holidays spent in a hot kitchen.
FE: What tip would you give to a novice in the industry?
CAS: Taste as you cook. Never serve a dish you haven’t first sampled for yourself.
FE: What are the three kitchen gadgets you can’t do without?
CAS: Big #1 Stainless steel tongs, then a fork and a spatula.
FE: And what is the funniest thing that happened to you in the kitchen?
CAS: I slipped and fell on into a huge pot which required stitches on my nose. Funny incident for the kitchen staff anyway.
FE: What is your favorite food to cook with?
CAS: If spices can be considered a food, I like to cook with spices, the hotter the better.
FE: When you’re home, what do you like to eat?
CAS: Normally, I don’t like to cook at home, so the faster to prepare the better. Maybe a shocker, but often it’s leftovers–spiced up!
FE: Your favorite cookbook?
CAS: Anything by James beard
FE: Is there a specific ettiquette in your kitchen that you pride yourself in?
CAS: My motto is “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”
Chef Abdul Sebti’s Mediterranean Salmon Recipe (serves 4)
Ingredients;
¢ 4 center cut fillet of Salmon (approx 8/oz each)
¢ one medium size belgium cucumber
¢ plain yogurt (16 oz)
¢ 1 cup of virgin olive oil
¢ 1 cup dry white wine
¢ 1 tbsp lemon juice
¢ 1/2 cup chopped chives
¢ vinegar
¢ kosher salt
¢ butcher block pepper
¢ fresh italian parsley
RECIPE:
¢ Blend oil and chives in a blender to make a puree.
¢ In a mixing bowl, whisk puree with yogurt, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste
Set aside.
¢ Brush a shallow ‘sizzle platter’* with olive oil
*substitute sizzle pan with a shallow pan that can be put in a broiler
¢ Place salmon on platter and brush the top with olive oil
¢ Pour white wine over the top of the salmon
¢ Add salt and pepper to the top of the salmon
Put platter under the broiler until golden brown (approx 3-5 minutes)
Remove and place in a 375 degree oven for 4-5 minutes.
While salmon is baking, slice cucumbers as thin as possible.
In a mixing bowl add vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
Toss until cucumbers are covered with mixture
PRESENTATION
¢ pour yogurt sauce in the middle of the plate, making a circle
¢ following the sauce circle, arrange the cucumbers to slightly overlap each other
¢ with a spatula, place salmon on top of sauce and cucumbers
¢ garish with fresh parsley
¢ serve immediately
To experience Chef Sebti’s creations, stop by Barbetta.
321 W 46
New York, NY 10036
212-246-9171
Have you been there? Tell us what you think.
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