Countertenor with a powerful voice, painter, sportsman who loves life “without excess”, esthete collector of emotions and memories, Matteo el-Khodr moves in his apartment in Gemmayzé like a diva in his element. Living room, boudoir, dining room, everything here is full of portraits, paintings, photos, objects that jostle to tell his story and that of his family. His kitchen, this place where he seems to have a good time, is ready for the day’s preparation, “easy, healthy, seasonal”. Even his dog Kiri, 30 cm tall, smiles. “I am someone who likes seasonal dishes with seasonal products, dishes that are colorful, generous and not pretentious. Simple tastes are a luxury and I find that in a country like Lebanon where we have access to good seasonal products, it is a godsend to be able to cook according to the arrival of fresh produce and vegetables. Zucchini has always been shunned in sophisticated cuisine, but I find that it has a fairly sophisticated taste and texture that quickly gives Mediterranean and sunny notes to your plate! Married with feta, it gives off a pure holiday feel! » So, when, behind the stove, Matteo el-Khodr accompanies his preparation with his countertenor voice, we can only think of his role as “sitt Nour el-Shams” in the comedy Chicago the Musical bil arabi who, after the Casino du Liban, performed at the Beiteddine Festival on August 2, 3 and 5, while awaiting an international tour in preparation. Likewise, he will perform at the AUB Assembly Hall for a concert, on November 2 at 8:30 p.m., with his Barocca ensemble. He will sing a “bouquet of tunes ranging from the baroque period, through the romantics, songs by Asmahan, Feyrouz and Dalida. A stroll through the eras in a countertenor version,” he explains.
In the same series
The kafta bi batata by Chaker Bou Abdalla
8 GOURMET QUESTIONS
1- When did you start cooking?
I moved to Paris very young (18 years old) after signing a big contract with Universal Music France to begin my career as a countertenor. I had to quickly learn to cook and fend for myself. At first, I ate Picard frozen foods, but eventually, that was no longer possible!
2- What is your relationship with cooking?
With my family, we were born in Beirut in a house where our palates were quite sharp. My grandmother is a fine cordon bleu chef, we had a full-time cook too. So good cooking was definitely in our blood! Then my mother became a chef and dad was always in the kitchen on Sundays! Cooking and good food have always been very important to us, and so cooking was natural for me!
3- Sweet or salty?
Obviously, sweet! I’m obese in my head. Beneath the muscular and sculpted appearance, the result of 20 years of sporting discipline, I am a fan of pastries in my brain! I only think about eating, and especially sweet things! Living in Paris was torture! I lived on rue Jacob in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and my neighbors were Ladurée and Pierre Hermé!
4- Gourmand or gourmet ?
Both ! They are inseparable!
5- Breakfast, lunch or dinner?
Dinner ! Even if I only have a very light dinner… But it’s from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. that I turn into a glutton!
6- The chef you admire?
Already, my mother Rima is an exceptional chef. But I’m going to come out of the cocoon and bow out to a few chefs I admire: Joël Robuchon, one of the first starred chefs whose cuisine I tasted, Alain Ducasse and recently, Alan Geaam, the first Lebanese starred chef!
7- Your favorite cuisine?
It’s a real dilemma! Lebanese cuisine wins every time, of course, but I’m a fan of Italian and Asian!
8- Carnivore or vegetarian?
Carnivore, and I’m really sorry to my vegetarian friends who are bothering me!
Easy preparation. Photo Mohammad Yassine
Matteo el-Khodr’s zucchini “pappardelle” with feta and lemon
Gender : main course
Preparation time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 25 minutes for the sauce and 12 minutes for the pasta
Total time : 45 minutes
Serving size: for 4 people
Difficulty : AVERAGE
Tips: for those who do not want to eat too salty, do not add salt during preparation and cooking, because feta is always salty. And cook the pasta al dente, it will be tender once incorporated into the sauce!
Ingredients
For the sauce
3 tbsp. to s. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 tbsp. to s. oregano
3 large green zucchini, quartered lengthwise, then sliced
Salt and black pepper
150 g feta, cut into large pieces
100 ml of vegetable broth.
For the pasta and zucchini ribbons
30 g unsalted butter
80 g pine nuts, roughly chopped
2 zucchini (300 g) yellow and green, sliced into long, thin strips (ideally using a mandolin or vegetable peeler). Save the excess ribbons and add them to your next salad.
300 g egg pappardelle pasta (you can replace it with tagliatelle)
Zest of 1 lemon plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
25 g of basil leaves.
Matteo el-Khodr’s zucchini “pappardelle” with feta and lemon. Photo Mohammad Yassine
Preparation
For the sauce:
Step 1 : Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat then sauté the garlic and oregano for one to two minutes until the garlic begins to brown.
2nd step : add the sliced zucchini, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Sauté for five minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 3 : add the feta and stock, bring to the boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 25 minutes until the zucchini is tender, the feta has melted and the sauce is creamy.
Step 4: turn off the heat and cover the pan.
Enjoy your food ! Photo Mohammad Yassine
For the pasta:
Step 1 : Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. When the butter begins to splutter, add the pine nuts and fry until golden brown then place them in a small bowl to stop the cooking.
2nd step : Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pappardelle until al dente.
Step 3 : add the zucchini ribbons to the pasta water just a few seconds before the end of cooking.
Step 4 : drain then return the pasta and zucchini ribbons to the pan, and incorporate the sauce, basil, lemon zest and juice then add a generous grind of black pepper.
Step 5 : divide into four shallow bowls, add the reserved pine nuts and serve hot!
Countertenor with a powerful voice, painter, sportsman who loves life “without excess”, esthete collector of emotions and memories, Matteo el-Khodr moves in his apartment in Gemmayzé like a diva in his element. Living room, boudoir, dining room, everything here is full of portraits, paintings, photos, objects that jostle to tell its story and that of its…
