Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Chef Abraham

Chef Abraham Nhlabatsi welcomed us into his kitchen in the ambient environment of The Terrace Grill, where he made the decadent Spaghetti alla Carbonara. He chose egg noodles over spaghetti. The preparation method for either choice is the same. There is not much difference between the two, but as the name implies, egg noodles contain a higher proportion of eggs to wheat than regular pasta.  Pasta offers slightly more fibre and protein per serving compared to egg noodles. A healthier option would be to cook wholegrain pasta.

Ingredients:

Egg noodles

15 ml olive oil

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

2 rashers bacon

4 button mushrooms

2 slices of ham

Pinch of salt

Pinch of sugar

Aromat

Thickening agent

Half cup cream

5 ml parmesan cheese

The garnish should have a contrasting colour with th e food being served

Method

·         Cook the spaghetti and set aside.

·         Fry the garlic in hot oil.

·         Add bacon to the saucepan.

·         Add the button mushrooms.

·         When the mushrooms are soft, add the ham slices.

·         Season with aromat and salt.

·         Add the flour, or thickening agent of your choice.

·         Add the cream.

         Add a pinch of sugar to balance the seasoning.

·         Sprinkle parmesan cheese to the mixture and stir.  

About the chef

Chef Abraham Nhlabatsi, from Mbabane, has been cooking for a quarter of a century, the last four of which he has been with The Terrace Grill. He received his training at SCOT. Regarding how he chose cooking over other careers, Abraham sighed and said it was a long story. The short of it, however, is that he grew up in a family of boys and used to cook for the family from a tender age.  When he got to Form 4, he made his decision to be a chef after falling in love with the art. “Back then, choosing a cooking career as a man was regarded as a shame, but after cooking for a number of special people over the years, I’m convinced it’s a career that men should support,” said Abraham. He regards cooking at King Mswati 111’s birthday in 1996 as one of the major highlights of his career.