An Evening with Chef Mourad Lahlou

Posted By: Gretchen Dec | In: Tags: Aziza, De Gustibus Cooking School, Food and Wine Event, Food and Wine Pairing, Mourad Lahlou | Dated: January 28, 2012 | No Comments »

Chef Mourad Lahlou with his Date Leather

On November 7^th 2011, I attended the De Gustibus Cooking School’s fascinating “Culinary Destinations” class taught by Mourad Lahlou, Executive Chef and Owner of Aziza, the highly acclaimed, modern Moroccan restaurant in San Francisco. Mourad’s energy, passion and focus were apparent as he prepared a stunning seven-course menu. This was all on the tails of guest starring on the Martha Stewart Show, that morning!

Mourad was born and raised in the ancient Medina of Marrakesh amongst his large extended family. At 20 years old, he came to the United States to study economics at San Francisco State University. It was during this time that he began teaching himself how to recreate his favorite Moroccan dishes with local ingredients using his own creative techniques. This experimentation blossomed into his career as a trail blazing Moroccan-American chef.

Mourad’s talent has not gone unnoticed. In 2008, he was named a Rising Star Chef by StarChefs, and in 2009, the Chronicle raised Aziza’s rating to three and a half stars. Also in 2009, Zagat named Aziza one of the top 10 Bay Area restaurants of the decade, and Mourad won Food Network’s Iron Chef America by a record-breaking margin. In 2010, Aziza became the first Moroccan restaurant to receive a Michelin Star. Needless to say, I’ll definitely be making reservations at Aziza the next time I’m in San Francisco.

The bright, exotic flavors of Mourad’s menu were perfectly paired with three delicious wines from the New Zealand Complexity portfolio. The citrus and apple flavors of our favorite New Zealand sparkling wine, the NV Quartz Reef Methode Traditionelle from Central Otago, were a sublime pairing for Mourad’s Lentil Soup with date balls and celery salad. The fourth course, a Salt-Roasted Thai Snapper with lettuce puree, was beautifully paired with Complexity’s Spy Valley Envoy Riesling from Marlborough. The third wine selection, Amisfield’s Pinot Noir from Central Otago was delightful with all three! Cous Cous preparations that Mourad demonstrated. This incredibly versatile Pinot sailed us through the rest of Mourad’s menu, pairing with both his Basteeya recipe (Moroccan meat pie) and his Beghrir (Moroccan pancakes).

After this energy packed class, I had the opportunity to ask Mourad some questions about his background and culinary career. The attention that he gave to my questions was impressive, especially considering the whirlwind day that he had. The Wine Cellarage’s exclusive interview with Mourad Lahlou is below…

WC: I’ve read that you studied economics at San Francisco State University before becoming a Chef. At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a culinary career?

Mourad: Basically I just stumbled on it. I never knew that I was able to cook, I never knew that I had a palate that was clean and sophisticated enough for me to even taste good food. Initially, when I started cooking, it was as a student. I always invited people over because I didn’t have any money and I would cook for people for their birthdays. That was literally what I did. Instead of going to a restaurant, I would bring my friends home and cook for them. I would prep for a whole day, sometimes for two days, and then people would come and we’d get together and eat. My friends would say, “This so good, this is the best food that I’ve had”. I would think, “You’re just saying that because it’s free, of course you’re going to say that.” I never believed them to be honest with you. It became more and more precise in terms of people telling me why they liked the food. Little by little, I gained enough perspective on food that I felt that I could actually make food. Not just repeating dishes made either by somebody here, or back home, but I started actually intellectually trying to dissect and deconstruct every single thing that I was doing. Trying to understand the science, the physics and everything that happens in the dish, and once I get a grasp on that, I say, “Okay, this is what I could possibly do. It would be really cool if I take this out of it and introduce it back in a different form or texture.”

WC: What do you consider to be the worst clichés and misconceptions about Moroccan food?

Mourad: The worst thing that I could possibly think of is probably that it is a food that is only enjoyed in the cliché setting of the tent, sitting on the floor and eating with your fingers and having a half naked woman shake her ass in front of you before you enjoy Moroccan food.

WC: Aziza’s wine list is very unique and eclectic. Can you explain the philosophy behind the list?

Mourad: The list originally was put together by Mark Ellenbogen. He was doing my list for about 15 years. He was interested in biodynamic, organic wines. He hates wines from California, so we had no wines from California whatsoever, and people took offense to that. People would come to Aziza and see the list and say, “How can you be in a place like San Francisco and claim to be local and sustainable. Why are you bringing wines from across the world?” His argument to that was that he doesn’t believe that the wines and winegrowers and makers in Napa have the same depth and the same philosophy as winemakers in Europe. When he first put the wine list together, he used to have it categorized as the “old world” and the “new world” and he really believed that the grapes that were grown in Italy and in Austria and Germany were far more superior than the grapes that were used in Napa. He also believed that the alcohol level in the wines that are made in America is a lot higher, so basically wine was made to make you drunk in a way, because of the percentage of the alcohol in it. He really believed that the lower alcohol levels in European wines made them more suitable for food, rather than just as a cocktail. He was more inclined to use wines from Europe. And he went with the Rieslings, because he felt that they paired really well with the spices of the cuisine and the sweetness. So, that’s how he put it together. About two years ago, Mark decided to open his own restaurant, so now he’s partnered up with a couple other people and opened Bar Agricole, and when that happened, a lady by the name of Farnoush Deylamian is the one who’s taken over the list and she’s been doing the list for a year and a half now. The list is more popular now than it was before because she’s not so opposed to having wines from Napa but has picked them in a way that is so unique. She has great talent and is the same lady that does all of the cocktails as well.

WC: What experience(s) have had the biggest influence over your cooking style?

Mourad: The friendships that I have. My friendship with Daniel Patterson, the Chef-Owner of Coi, and David Kinch, the Chef-Owner of Manresa, those relationships have really been an inspiration.

WC: Is there a market in NYC that you would recommend for sourcing Moroccan ingredients? Do you have a favorite NYC marketplace?

Mourad: Kalustyan’s Spices and Sweets on Lexington Avenue at 28^th Street (123 Lexington Avenue).

WC: Do you have an all-time favorite ingredient to work with?

Mourad: That’s a tough question, but I’d have to say it’s time. I don’t like to be rushed. If you skip a step or leave an ingredient out, the dish is not going to be the same. When making a Vadouvan spice blend for example, which is a French version of curry, every step is really important. I have to say that time is my favorite ingredient.

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