A trip to the sandy shopping Mecca of Dubai inspires Clare Latimer to conjure up a maritime delight

I HAVE just got back from Brent Cross in the sand; well, in fact, Dubai on the Persian Gulf. What an extraordinary place.
An unbelievable amount of building, an incredible amount of sand and very glitzy hotels and shopping centres.
On the subject of food, one of their main concerns is hygiene.
The little produce grown there is monitored very closely. For example, with no soil and extreme heat they have solved the problem of fresh milk by building huge steel units out in the desert for cows.
They are kept in air-conditioned units, which are completely sealed for hygiene reasons. The milk is bottled in the area to keep it fresh and the dung is dried, so there is no smell, and then brought into the town in white plastic bags to help build flowerbeds. Apart from dates and camel meat, I think the only other useful product is fresh fish that is sold from a large open fish market.
We went to the Burj-al-Arab (the big sail-shaped hotel in the water) where we had the £40 per head Friday brunch which virtually served every treat from around the world with fois gras, oysters, caviar and lobster. But I felt the food was not as fresh or tasty as we have in this country.
I spoke to a very experienced chef from England who was working there and he said although it was a good experience he would not stay long as he could not shop at a market and choose produce as it all arrived on an aeroplane and a great deal was frozen. Certainly, the best meal I had was at the seafood market which is out in the sea at the end of the harbour wall. It had a magical 360 degree bar on the roof of the restaurant.
You must pre-book, arrive before sunset and sip your drink while the sun dips over the normally cloudless horizon. It is a delight to watch a wonderful light display over the two nearby hotels.
After all that entertainment, slip down into the restaurant below and tuck into a fabulous mainly fish menu which turns up beautifully displayed.
Here are two recipes that I had while on my sandpit holiday.

SCALLOPS IN GINGER WINE
For a luxurious, simple supper dish or smart starter for a dinner party, this takes the biscuit.
Make sure that the scallops are large, very fresh and still have the coral (the orange bit) attached. Slightly undercook them so they remain, plump, succulent and they will still have a fresh seawater taste.
Serves two
INGREDIENTS
Four spring onions, peeled and finely chopped;
One desp olive oil;
Little butter;
Four large fresh scallops, without shells;
Two tbsp ginger wine;
Salt and freshly ground black pepper;
A good handful of mixed salad leaves like rocket, oak leaf, curly endive, washed and dried.
METHOD
Put the spring onions in a frying pan with the olive oil and butter and cook for about three minutes being careful not to brown the butter.
Add the scallops and ginger wine and cook for about one to two minutes on each side depending on the size of the scallops.
The butter can brown slightly at this point. Season with salt and pepper.
Put the salad leaves on the plates, place two scallops on each, boil down the juices slightly and then pour over the top of the scallops. Serve hot.

GARLIC BREAD
Garlic and ginger are two essential ingredients to eat while abroad as they protect against infections and help keep you fit and healthy. Serve this with the scallops.
Serves two
INGREDIENTS
50g butter, room temperature;
One large clove garlic, peeled and crushed;
Salt and freshly ground black pepper;
Little fresh parsley, chopped finely;
One small French baguette or ciabatta bun.
METHOD
Preheat the oven 200C 400F Gas 6. Put all the ingredients except the bread into a small bowl and pound until mixed well.
Cut the loaf into slices one inch thick but still just attached at the bottom and spread each slice generously with the flavoured butter.
Wrap in foil and bake in oven for about 15 minutes or until butter is melted. Serve hot.

Clare’s Kitchen
41 Chalcot Road
Primrose Hill
NW1
Tel: 020 7586 8433
www.clareskitchen.co.uk