STI: Fat no more

March 19, 2009

Guest chef

Fat no more

Mandarin Oriental's executive chef Eric Teo overhauled his diet a decade ago and lost 10kg. He tells POON CHIAN HUI how he did it

 

Celebrity chef Eric Teo, who is 1.74m tall, used to be a burly 86kg. However, he has shed 10kg over the past decade to cut a trimmer figure today. One thing has not changed, though - his loud, energetic voice laced with infectious laughter.

 

'I am a livewire - I like to make people laugh. If I hadn't become a chef, I'd probably be a comedian,' said Mr Teo, 46.

 

This might explain his recent role on Channel 5's comedy sitcom, The Yang Sisters, which was aired last May.

 

However, the seasoned chef of 23 years is more well-known for his judging and mentoring roles in food and cooking reality shows on Channel 8, such as Star Chef and Buzzing Cashier.

 

What most people may not know, however, is that beneath Mr Teo's jovial demeanour lies a steely streak of self-discipline.

 

Not only is he the executive chef at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, he is also president of the Singapore Chefs' Association. Add that to his filming schedule and he is a very busy man.

 

However, none of this has made him veer off the course of a strict diet. 'I take a maximum of 120g of carbohydrates a day and hardly any sugary foods,' said Mr Teo, who also does not drink coffee.

 

'I eat lots of fish, but not cod fish as it has a high fat content, and I always have oatmeal with milk once a day,' he said. He added that although food tasting is an inevitable part of a chef's job, he limits consumption of fried food to one or two pieces daily.

 

Fortunately for Mr Teo, the task is made easier by the fact that he enjoys vegetables.

 

'I especially love bittergourd,' he said enthusiastically. 'Sometimes, I blend it with celery and cucumber into a juice drink.' It is no wonder he looks youthful and trim for his age.

 

However, this was not always the case.

 

'I used to be fat,' he said. 'Statistics show the risk of getting heart disease increases after the age of 40. So I felt it was important to start taking care of my health as I approached 40.' That led to his diet overhaul 10 years ago.

 

He admits that sticking to a diet is not easy. 'Healthy eating is a habit that you have to pick up gradually,' said the chef. 'You need to control your appetite all the time and be very selective about what you eat.'

 

To help make the transition to healthy eating easier, he has created a nutritious yet delicious dish - pan-seared chicken breast layered with a crumbly crust of fresh herbs and apricot. The dish comes with a unique lasagne made of baked pumpkin and eggplant, as well as freshly made beetroot sauce for that extra boost of fibre, vitamins and minerals.

 

'It's important to use fresh ingredients and to always remove the skin and fat from meat,' he said. 'Also, try to avoid deep-frying. Instead, pan-sear in olive oil; it's healthier.'

 

However, a healthy lifestyle is incomplete with regular exercise. The chef - who lives with his wife, 43, an accountant, his son, 17, and daughter, 14, in a terrace house in Jurong - rounds off his weekends with a two-hour cycling session from his home to Kranji.

 

He has a simple piece of advice on healthy living: Start early. 'If you wait for your medical report results before taking any action, it may be too late,' he said.

 

chpoon@sph.com.sg

 

PAN-SEARED CHICKEN BREAST WITH VEGETABLE LASAGNE AND VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients (Serves 6)

6 pcs of 140g chicken breast, skin and bones removed

30g Dijon mustard

Olive oil

Blended fresh herbs and apricot

100g Italian parsley        }

100g English parsley      }           Blend all three using food processor

100g tarragon leaves      }

 

50g dried apricot

50g white bread crumbs

5g sea salt

 

Baked pumpkin and eggplant lasagne:

300g butternut squash pumpkin, sliced, skin and seeds removed

200g eggplant, sliced

200g fresh red tomatoes, sliced

200g white onion, whole and sliced

100ml olive oil

5g mixture of sea salt and crushed black pepper

 

Beetroot vinaigrette:

300g fresh boiled beetroot puree, process in food blender with a little water

3g salt

20ml white wine vinegar

125ml olive oil

 

Method

 

Sear the chicken breast in a hot pan for three to four minutes till browned. Rub the Dijon mustard all over the meat and sprinkle with blended herbs and apricot. Put crusted chicken breast in the oven for 10 minutes at 170 deg C. Set aside.

 

Place all the vegetables in a large bowl and marinate with olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Grill over high heat and place them, layer by layer, in a round mould. Oven-bake at 200 deg C for five minutes. Set aside.

 

For the beetroot vinaigrette, place the beetroot puree in a mixing bowl and slowly add in the vinegar and oil. Whisk the mixture slowly till the texture is even. Add sea salt to taste.

 

Assemble the dish by removing the baked pumpkin and eggplant lasagne from the mould. Place it in the centre of the plate. Slice the breast meat in four and place them on top of the vegetables. Drizzle beetroot vinaigrette around the plate.