Dhaka’s food scene is simply buzzing at the moment with so many local and international brands setting up their establishments. Just when things could not get any better, The InterContinental has returned to Dhaka after a hiatus and is ready to wow both local and international foodies with a wide range of palatable dishes. Elements, Café Social, Aqua Deck, Opus and The Amber Room- The five restaurants are going to be opened soon at their premise. To celebrate the beginning of their new journey, they have provided us with three delectable recipes for the holiday seasons:
Oven Roasted Turkey
*Photographs by Tutul Nesar
Ingredients
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6350 g turkey (giblets removed, washed and dried)
Extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
Fresh thyme (for garnish)
Directions
Mix the smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, dried thyme and add one tbsp salt and 11/2 tsp of black pepper in a bowl. Sprinkle some of the spice and rub inside the cavity of the turkey. Separate the skin from the breast meat with your fingers, starting at the top of the breast and sliding to the right and left, then working down. Mix the rub onto the meat under the skin. Sprinkle the remaining rub on the turkey’s skin. Place the turkey on a sheet tray and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours so the flavors can marry. Set a rack at the lowest position in the oven and preheat to 163 degrees Celsius. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips under. Place the turkey in a roasting pan. Drizzle the outside of the turkey with a few tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the turkey about 3 hours. Transfer the turkey to a platter, cover loosely with foil and let rest 30 minutes before carving.
Strawberry Cheese Cake
Ingredient
1 egg yolk
39 g sugar
20 g strawberry filling
2 ml strawberry essence
2 sheets gelatin (soaked and melted)
120 g cream cheese
120 g fresh cream (semi whipped)
Direction
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar into a cold sabayon. Add the strawberry filling and essence into it followed by the melted gelatin. Do make this procedure fast enough so that you can avoid the gelatin settling down. Fold the mixture into the soft cream cheese and semi whipped cream and then pour it to your desired mould. Keep in the freezer once it has settled down for a few minutes. The cheesecake is ready to be served!
Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
100g unsalted butter
100g dark brown sugar
1 free range egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
275 g plain flour
½ tsp ginger powder
½ tsp cinnamon powder
½ tsp mix spice
For Decoration
400 g icing sugar
3-4 tbsp water
2-3 drops food colourings
Edible glitter
Method
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale, light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract, a little at a time, until well combined. Stir in the flour until the mixture comes together as a dough. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 1cm/½in. Using biscuit cutters or a glass, cut biscuits out of the dough and carefully place onto the baking tray. To make into Christmas tree decorations, carefully make a hole in the top of the biscuit using a straw. Bake the biscuits for 8-10 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. Set aside to harden for 5 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir in enough water to create a smooth mixture. Stir in the food colouring. Carefully spread the icing onto the biscuits using a knife and sprinkle over the glitter. Set aside until the icing hardens.