Chef Datuk Ismail Ahmad: Born to cook

Chef Datuk Ismail Ahmad shares why he often uses palm oil in his cooking.

IT was just after 3pm and the last of the lunchers at Restoran Rebung in Bangsar had yet to disperse. Known for its wide array of traditional Malay dishes, Rebung is almost always packed, no matter the time of day.

Co-owner/chef of Rebung Datuk Ismail Ahmad, was making his way to the private dining area where we were to conduct this interview but was waylaid several times by diners who wanted to commend him on his food.

The friendly chef stopped to accept the compliments and then chatted a little with each of the diners, looking apologetically over at me each time he paused.

“Hello dear,” he says as he finally sits down beside me, flashing a warm smile. “You have a drink, darling? Good. So, we are talking about palm oil today, yes?”

Good for cooking:Chef Ismail says he cooks with palm oil all the time.

The chef recently conducted a workshop for children at the Kuntum Junior Chef Workshop 2012 where he taught the budding chefs the virtues of cooking with palm oil.

“We need to increase awareness about the benefits of cooking with palm oil. We have it at our door step and yet, many of us choose to use blended oils that are more expensive but not necessarily better,” says the chef.

At Rebung, Chef Ismail says he uses palm oil extensively.

“I cook with palm oil all the time. All the time and every day. Look at our food here (at Rebung) ... we use a lot of palm oil. That’s why I always say, ‘Pagi goreng nasi, tengah hari goreng ikan, petang goreng cucur dan malam goreng sayur (In the morning, we fry rice; in the afternoon, we fry fish; we fry fritters for tea and stir-fry vegetables in the evening),” says the jovial chef, with a laugh. “That’s just our style of eating and cooking.”

The fruit oil, he adds, is not only versatile but has many nutritious qualities.

“Palm oil is a fruit oil and it is very nutritious. We’re talking about the oil from the fruit and not the kernel, ya? Palm oil has some excellent cooking properties. It is more heat-stable than many other vegetable oils. It is good for deep-frying as it has a good holding temperature and can withstand the heat of deep-frying. And, it has a high smoke point.

“Palm oil is also great as a light, quick dressing for salads. It’s good for making pastry too as it keeps the dough moist and lends it a nice texture,” he says.

Chef Ismail lending a hand to Farhan Zahin Ajaimi (left) and his dad Ajaimi Shah Shahruddin at a recently held cooking workshop.

Since his restaurant opened in 2004, Chef Ismail has gained a reputation as one of the country’s top chefs. The Hotel Management and Catering graduate from Mara University of Technology has over 30 years experience in the industry and has appeared on television hosting shows like Aroma, Sri Murni, Hey Good Cooking, Wok and Roll and Ala-Ala Kampung, among others.

His style of cooking though is largely influenced by both his mother and grandmother.

“I wanted to be a chef from the time I was 10, I think. The kitchen was always the happiest place in my house. It was a hive of activity. My grandmother and all my aunties would congregate in the kitchen and it was always so much fun. I was drawn to it.

“Everyone was happy and everything was so colourful and smelt and tasted good. It was also a place where the community would come together. A neighbour would walk by and see the activity and just join in and help. I like working in a team, so naturally, I loved it.

“My grandfather, on the other hand, was a carpenter, and though I loved his work, I never wanted to work in solitude like him. No, I loved the kitchen and I loved parties,” recalls the chef of his childhood in Kampung Chengkau Hulu in Rembau, Negri Sembilan.

Chef Ismail’s highly acclaimed repertoire of local cuisine has also seen him act as an ambassador for Malaysian food at International culinary events. He joined Matrade (Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation) on a tour of the United States, the Middle East and Europe some time back to promote Malaysian food and products and has been involved with the Agriculture Ministry in promoting local fruit and food in Amsterdam.

He has also worked with Tourism Malaysia to promote Malaysian cuisine in Japan, South Africa, Cambodia and Britain.

“We need to raise awareness and education, and not just about palm oil. People say that oil is bad or that sugar is bad. But we really should not blame the commodity. We need oil and sugar in our diet, but of course, not all the time. Blame ourselves and our choices and lifestyle. If you eat deep-fried food all day or take sugar in all your meals, all the time, whose fault is it if you get fat or are unhealthy? It’s about healthy choices and opting for a balanced diet,” he says.

Chef Ismail’s Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

1 1/4 cups cake flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1½ tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup palm oil

1/2 cup buttermilk (or add ½ tsp white vinegar to ½ cup milk and leave to sit for 5 minutes)

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C.

In a medium bowl, add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, add eggs and beat for 10-20 seconds. Add sugar and continue to beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add vanilla and oil and beat.

Reduce mixer speed to low and add half the flour mixture and then half the buttermilk. Add the remaining flour and milk and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. The batter will be thin. Pour batter into a muffin pan prepared with liners. Fill about 2/3 full. Bake cupcakes in pre-heated oven for 12-14 minutes. Cool in pan for 1-2 minutes then remove cupcakes from pan carefully and finish cooling on a wire rack. Frost as desired when fully cool.

Vanilla Frosting

140g margarine

280g icing sugar

1-2 tbsp milk

Few drops of food colouring

1 tbsp vanilla essence

Method
Beat margarine in a large bowl until soft. Add half the icing sugar and beat until smooth. Add the remaining icing sugar and 1 tbsp of milk and beat mixture until creamy and smooth. Beat in the remaining milk, if necessary, to loosen the mixture. Stir in the food colouring until combined.

Creamy Nestum Droplet Cookies

350g margarine

150g castor sugar

210g flour

175g cornflour

120g Nestum

4 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla essence

Method
Cream margarine and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg yolks and the essence and combine. Fold in flour, cornflour and Nestum. Mix well. Drop a teaspoonfuls of the dough onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven (160°C) for 15-17 minutes. Cool cookies on a cooling rack.