A chic restaurant has a Big Bird surprise for SU AZIZ.

AFEW years ago, we started farming ostriches. These two-toed flightless birds are actually indigenous to Africa and Arabia. The largest of living birds, they are farmed for their plumage and meat. Ostrich meat is low in fat and is an option for the usual red meats, although, I have to say, it is an acquired taste. There is a distinct aftertaste of the meat that some may not enjoy. Chef Al-Fithri Shah of 7atenine Restaurant at Jalan Pinang, Kuala Lumpur created the Grilled Marinated Ostrich, a main course, that has become popular. “People may have been a little hesitant in trying ostrich meat but it is definitely gaining in popularity now,” he said. With the clever combination of ingredients Al-Fithri used, I can see why. The grilled meat is served with yummy mashed potato sprinkled with black truffles and mixed with mascarpone cream, pan-fried vegetables, and capsicum coulis (or puree). My palate became a playground for creamy, juicy, bold flavours. So much so that the brazen after-taste of ostrich meat took a backseat and only a small hint of it surfaced. The 7atenine ambience is chic.It only opens for dinner. This is because, “the kind of food we serve is to be enjoyed at leisure; they are not quick eats,” explained Jolene Yap from marketing.

DO not be overwhelmed by the number of ingredients used. Chef Al-Fithri has divided the recipe into four parts since there are four components to this dish. It takes all of 15 minutes to prepare this dish, with some practice of course! INGREDIENTS l 700g of ostrich meat sliced, to an inch in thickness l 1 stalk of rosemary, leaves chopped l 10g nutmeg l 10g cinnamon powder l 2 stalks thyme, leaves chopped l 5 tbsp olive oil l salt and pepper to taste For the Truffle Mash Potato, you will need: l 5 Idaho potatoes l 3 tbsp of mascarpone cream (cheese) l a generous pinch black truffle l 30g butter l 100g cooking cream For the Capsicum Coulis, you will need: l 2 red capsicum l 2 tbsp olive oil l a stalk of thyme l salt and pepper to taste Finally, for the Sautéed Vegetables and Gravy: l handfuls each of tau miu (pea shoots), baby French beans, Shimiji mushrooms and cherry tomatoes l 200ml of demi glace sauce (rich brown sauce)

METHOD Pound the ostrich meat well with a mallet. Season with rosemary, cinnamon, thyme, nutmeg, oil, salt and pepper. Then roast the capsicum until the skin is ready to peel off. Once this happens, simply peel and de-seed the capsicum. Place in the blender with a dash of thyme, salt and pepper. Blend this until smooth. Now, put these two things aside.

1Boil the peeled potatoes until soft. Remove the water and mash them while they are still hot. Meanwhile, boil the cream over a low fire. Mix in the mascarpone, butter and the mash. Then sprinkle on the black truffles, salt and pepper.

2Quickly sautée the vegetables in some oil and season to taste. Take it out and pan-fry the cherry tomatoes. Take the tomatoes out and pan-fry the marinated ostrich meat pieces on medium to high heat for around a minute on each side. After you take the meat out, put in the demi glace sauce and cook for a few seconds.

3On a serving plate, dot out the capsicum coulis.

4Place a generous dollop of mashed potatoes in the middle of the plate.

5Pile the sautéed vegetables atop the mash.

6Place the cherry tomatoes on the side of the mash and vegetables.

7Spear the pieces of ostrich together with a cinnamon stick to keep them in place and place them atop the mash and vegetables tower. Lastly, dribble some sauce on top of all.

Al-Fithri's tips:

1. Ostrich meat can be substituted with beef. “Preferably sirloin,” Chef Al-Fithri advised. “Avoid lamb; it is not suitable.” 2. There is no replacing the black truffles and it is decadent. The trick is to experience this highly esteemed fungus and its pungent flavours. 3. The suggested food arrangement is aesthetically pleasing but it may be a little messy to eat. If you are of a pragmatic nature, like me, arranging the foods separately on the plate will make for easier manoeuvring.