5 Ingredients, an Urban Family series where we sit down with a Shanghai-based chef and ask for a family-friendly meal using 5 Ingredients easily found in Shanghai; let us help you start the week with a simple five-step recipe!
This week we talked to Hugo de Mondragon, owner of DODU, a French rotisserie chicken restaurant on Changshu Lu. Leaving his consulting background to launch his own project, Hugo researched France’s best rotisseries in search of their secrets, to bring us his special succulent chickens, free from hormones, steroids and antibiotics. Hugo has immersed himself into Shanghai life with his partner Sylvia and their rescue dog, and his greatest joy is recreating the flavors from his French childhood and sharing them at DODU.
What dish are you helping us prepare this week?
Tian de légumes (Vegetable tian). This recipe is from the south of France.
Funny fact: In the Disney movie Ratatouille, the star dish is not actually a ratatouille but a tian. The main difference is the cooking process; a ratatouille is made in a big pot whereas a tian is cooked in the oven. Tian was originally a traditional flat earthenware vessel from Provence used for cooking and serving and it is also the name of this dish, which is not only simple but also delicious!
What five ingredients do we need?
2 zucchinis, sliced
2 peppers (1 red and 1 yellow), sliced
2 large tomatoes, sliced
1 eggplant, sliced
1 onion, chopped
Plus, olive oil, thyme and any other dry spices you wish!
What is the five-step recipe?
1. Cut all vegetables into even slices.
2. On a bed of onions, lay the vegetables in an earthenware or suitable oven dish. Alternate the vegetables e.g. a slice of zucchini, pepper, tomato, eggplant and repeat.
3. Sprinkle the herbs and olive oil on top.
4. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and cook for 45 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.
What’s your advice on your dish of the week?
This dish is great when served with fatty and lean meats. A tian can also be made with different variations such as meat, cheese, fresh herbs (tarragon or basil). My favourite is with mustard, garlic, paprika, cloves and a hint of white wine. It can also be served cold as an appetizer, it’s very flexible.
Tell us something that’s happening in your restaurant at the moment, that our Urban Family community can enjoy.
We are a small company, with a young team of highly motived chefs. We work in an open kitchen and one of the greatest pleasure for my chefs is to see and talk with our customers. We are always willing to adapt to any requests and can design personalized buffets and private events for any style of celebration. At DODU, we enjoy providing simple and authentic cuisine. We only use fresh ingredients and all of our meats and sides dishes are non-processed. We are very proud that in June 2017 our DODU Rotisserie Française became the first restaurant in China to receive the Good Chicken Award from the NGO CIWF (Compassion in World Farming).
See listing for DODU.
For more 5 Ingredients recipes, click here.
