I asked Samira a few questions.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
My family. Being the youngest of eight children I had many siblings to look up to and learn from. But, most importantly, I learned from my mother and father whose hard work has given us the best possible future and life.
What was the first thing you remember cooking?
My brother's favourite dish - chicken with yoghurt and nuts. He loved it when my mum cooked this special dish. I was 13 at the time and had an affinity with food. That was the dish that got me the first dish of the day on MasterChef.
Your family is very multicultural. is that reflected in your choice of meals?
My family is a large, crazy beautiful bunch of people.
We have Cypriot-Turkish, Egyptian, Australian, Italian, Lebanese and Syrian -- you can't get more United Nations than that.
Having so many different cultures in my family is great as we get to experience different cultural foods and traditions.
We always talk about food in our family. As we are lovers of great foods, this has made me so creative with my dishes.
How did you come to enter masterchef australia?
I applied as my reward for recovering from postnatal depression and anxiety. I thought it is time to venture out and follow my dreams. I guess I was trying to find who I was as a person at the same time; my love for food helped me recover and have the strength to apply for MasterChef.
Tell us the highs and lows of appearing on the show, where you finished in the top three. Did that change the path you were taking?
The highs were learning from Australia's best - George [Calombaris], Matt [Preston] and Gary [Mehigan]. The lows - being away from home, my girls and my husband. It was very difficult being away for so long.
In six words tell us what food means to you.
Sharing, banquets, giving, love, indulge, spices.
Your first book is called eat with love. who came up with the title?
On the last episode of MasterChef George asked me what I would like my waiters to tell my diners. I said, "Eat with love." For me it's really important that when a person cooks with their heart that people would eat with love so that is where my book name comes from.
How did you select the recipes in this book?
I chose recipes that meant a lot to me, recipes that were passed down from my grandparents and parents and also some of my MasterChef creations and reinvented dishes.
Have you a favourite?
My modern baklava and chicken with yoghurt.
Who in the world would you like to have dinner with?
Muhammad Ali. He is an inspiration and stands for so much. He had a passion and to this day is praised for his amazing skills and work.
What are your four essential ingredients?
Salt, olive oil, ghee and my Lebanese spice mix.
Tell us three things about yourself that would surprise us.
I'm pregnant. I'm working on a cooking show. I secretly love to watch Home and Away.
Extract: Eat with Love
Fried Eggplant Salad
Ingredients
Corn oil, for deep-frying
1 pita bread, cut into little squares
1 eggplant, diced
1 iceberg lettuce, finely sliced
1 small Spanish onion, finely sliced
2 cucumbers, finely sliced
1 &1/2 cups chickpeas
1 x 150g corn, drained
Sauce:
1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 chilli, finely chopped
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
3 tsp lemon juice
METHOD: In a deep-fryer, heat corn oil to a temperature of 180C. If you don't have a deep fryer, heat the oil in a deep frying pan over a high heat. To test if the oil is hot enough, drop a piece of bread in the oil. If it browns within 30 seconds, the oil is ready. Fry the bread until golden. Remove and drain on paper towel.
Fry the eggplant until golden. Remove and drain on paper towel. Season with salt.
On a large platter, arrange the lettuce, onion, cucumber, corn, fried bread, eggplant and lastly the chickpeas in layers, one on top of the other. In a separate bowl, mix the sauce ingredients all together.
Drizzle the salad dressing over the top of the salad just before serving.
-Serves 4
Modern Baklava
Ingredients
Shortcrust pastry:
1& 1/2 cups (250g) all-purpose/plain flour
125g butter, chilled and chopped
13 cup confectioner's/icing sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp milk
Salted caramel:
1 cup dark brown sugar
125g salted butter, diced
125g condensed milk (about 1/2 x 250g can)
1 tsp salt, to taste
Mohalabiya (eggless set custard)
500ml milk
500ml cream
2 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch
3 tbsp superfine/caster sugar
1 tsp orange blossom water
2 cups cashews, dry roasted
METHOD: To make the pastry, combine flour, butter and sugar in a food processor. Process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add yolk and milk. Process until dough just comes together.
Turn pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until just smooth. Shape into a disc. Wrap in cling film and rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Line a large pastry case with baking paper.
Place pastry between two baking paper sheets and roll out with a rolling pin to 1/2cm thickness. Place into the pastry case, pressing around the edges and then prick the base with a fork a few times. Place the baking paper on top, fill with weights or uncooked rice.
Blind bake for 10 minutes. Remove the weights and paper then bake for a further 5 to 10 minutes or until pastry is golden. Allow to cool.
Place a saucepan onto a high heat and add the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. Once melted and just before it hits burning point, add the butter and condensed milk to the pan, stirring until everything is combined. Add the salt and taste. Be careful as it is very hot.
If you cannot taste the salt, sprinkle a little more in.
Place 2 ladlefuls of the salted caramel in the bottom of the cooled tart base. Place in refrigerator to cool.
Place a saucepan over a high heat. Add the milk, cream, cornflour, sugar and orange blossom water and whisk until it comes to a boil and thickens. Pour a layer of mohalabiya onto the cooled caramel in the tart case until it is about 1cm thick.
Sprinkle the cashews on top until the whole layer is covered with the roasted cashews, then drizzle some more salted caramel on top.
Place in the fridge for 2 hours before serving to set the mohalabiya.
- Makes 2 large tarts or 21cm tarts
