Q&A with Mounir Toub
Mounir Toub, known among other things from 24 Kitchen and ‘Mijn Arabische Keuken’, has been observing Ramadan for years. Is it difficult not to eat when you’re a chef? No, he says: “It’s a month of hardship in which you strengthen your willpower and increase your compassion for others. You truly realize what you have and are extra grateful for it. In the evening, when the sun has gone down, a glass of milk with a date suddenly tastes so incredibly good.”
Which food trend should we stop immediately?
I’m genuinely allergic to trends: if everyone turns left, I turn right or go straight ahead. People just blindly follow one another like meek sheep, without really thinking for themselves. First everyone is a fan of Sonja Bakker, and then it’s someone else. People need to stop following others and start thinking for themselves.
Most memorable food experience?
My mother always made chicken bastilla at home when guests came over. It’s a kind of chicken pie with almonds wrapped in filo pastry. The combination of sweet and savory, soft and crispy, makes it a real taste sensation. It’s now also my signature dish, and I make new variations every time, but the chicken version remains the tastiest.
And I have a second moment I won’t soon forget. Some time ago, I treated myself to an ice cream maker, and the very first ice cream I made myself was so full-bodied and creamy in flavor. I added coffee, pecans and white chocolate praline. That was pure gold for me, a wonderful moment. When the weather is nice, I make fresh ice cream every other day. Everyone who comes to eat at my place gets home made ice cream.
Favorite drink?
I’ve been drinking coffee since I was fifteen, about twelve cups a day. But recently, I’ve switched to tea. Two friends of mine started T’s on Jan Eef in Amsterdam. It was the first time I drank tea the way tea is meant to be. I immediately bought twelve varieties and a teapot. My favorite? Lychee Lady—it sounds feminine, but it goes down like a man’s drink.
Make this Arabic chicken dish from Mounir’s book.
Indispensable kitchen gadget?
My ice cream maker and coffee machine.
What would you never eat again?
Sheep’s head, tripe, or whatever: I eat everything I’m allowed to eat, as long as it’s prepared well (and with love). There’s actually nothing I don’t like. I’m an extremely easy eater.
Which country is your favorite when it comes to food?
Morocco is absolutely number one. Life there revolves around family and eating together. I used to visit family every two years, and everywhere we stopped, a large table packed with delicious food would be waiting for us.
What should everyone try at least once?
My homemade chicken bastilla. I’ve been making bastilla for several years now, and I feel that I’ve perfected the recipe.
What is the best product from the supermarket?
I sometimes buy my coffee beans in Morocco, sometimes at a coffee shop, but also at the supermarket. I like that I can go there for beans from early in the morning until late at night. I always roast the supermarket beans a little extra in the oven. That gives them a little ‘boost’, so to speak. This also works very easily with old nuts.
What’s still on your food wish list?
I’m very curious to know what Peking duck tastes like. If you ever know where I can get halal Peking duck, I’ll drive there immediately.
Which cookbook should everyone have on their shelf?
I have books by well-known chefs such as Jonnie Boer, Robert Kranenborg and Abdelkader Benali on my shelf. Most books serve as a source of inspiration, but Benali’s book contains beautiful stories that you can really read. That inspired me: in my cookbook ‘Mijn Arabische Keuken’, besides recipes, there are also personal food stories and several ‘fresh verses’ written by Derek Otte.
What do you like to make at home when you want to eat quickly and well?
Usually, I ‘cook a round of the fridge and freezer’. I see what I still have at home and make something with it. I always have eggs, potatoes and onions in the house, so it often becomes a tortilla: a kind of potato pie that you can mix anything into.
Which dish makes you lose all self-control?
I actually always have self-control, but bastilla is what I can lose myself in. When I eat it with my hands, I become intensely happy.
Read also:
- 5 reasons why Dhofar in Oman should be on your bucket list
- Surprise: Ramadan is very healthy
- This is how you stock your Moroccan pantry
Image: Saskia Lelieveld
