Chefs' Corner

Each month, a Middle East chefs tells HME.com about their culinary style, sharing kitchen tips and favourite recipes.

Here, Capital Club Dubai chef Yoann Grillet explains his redefining of Mediterranean cuisine...



My passion for cooking and creating fine food began at a young age in my home country of France — one of the world’s most famous food destinations, well-known for its divine cuisine. 

I was born and bred in Lyon, also known as the culinary capital of France, and chose to be a chef after being inspired by my father, who was a chef at a local restaurant.

I was lucky enough to develop an interest in cooking very early on and approached food as an art rather than a mere genre.

It also helped that it ran in my family, with my father being a chef., and as my grandparents come from Algeria that heritage gave me the opportunity to experience cuisines from elsewhere.

It was from them that I picked up the intricate, provincial approach of Mediterranean Spain.

Cooking from an early age gave me a unique start on my own, especially as I survived some tough environments and overcame a number of hardships early on.

After some necessary and hectic years paying my dues in Lyon, my approach started to pay off ; my culinary design and presentation brought more gravity to my work and I began to be noticed.

As a next step in my career, my standing brought me to Dubai as a chef de cuisine.

Being young and recognised meant I could use my freedom to get more creative — and also try to steer things my way in the kitchen.

My culinary style is inspired by the cuisine of Southern France: light and healthy, with an emphasis on fresh ingredients, using sun-ripened vegetables like capsicum and artichoke.

My base is always olive oil, garlic and thyme. But I mix it with European and Asian elements such as Teriyaki sauce to serve up an innovative and inspiring taste experience.

I do not swerve much from my origins, but I am proud to say that I am always creating my own style on top of it, in the kitchen and outside.

I like to lead my team and demand open discussions of the new dishes I come up with, but I also constantly demand the best from them — and their loyalty and openness is another key to the success of my cuisine.

No matter how many awards it reaps, nothing compares to the reception I have had from the clients of the Capital Club; their appreciation of my signature flavour and unique approach.

And that is the greatest pleasure for me, bringing a lot of satisfaction.

For me, the following recipe is a great example of this.

Pan-fried scallops with Kenya bean tower and crustacean dressing

[Serves two]

INGREDIENTS:

Fresh scallops in shell — 6pcs 

Clams — 6pcs
Onion — 50gr
White wine — 10cl

Carrots — 5pcs
White onion — 2pcs
Star anis — 3pcs
Chicken stock — 300cl
Salt/pepper — [as required]

Kenya beans — 500gr
Chives — 1 bunch
Balsamic dressing — [as required]

Cray fish head — 500gr
White onion — 50gr
Celeriac — 25gr
Celery sticks — 25gr
Carrot — 50gr
Tomatoes — 100gr
Chicken stock — 500cl
Brandy — 10cl   
White wine — 20cl

Sakura mix — [as required]
Mix leaves salad — [as required]

METHOD:

Scallops:

• Remove the meat from the shell and clean it.
• Keep it in the fridge and cook it à la minute.

Carrot mousseline:

• Clean and chop the carrot and onion.
• Cook the onion slowly with olive oil, butter, salt and pepper.
• Add the carrot, star anis and chicken stock.
• Cook for 20 minutes and blend it, having removed the star anis.
• Keep refrigerated.

Clams:

• Clean the onion and clams.
• Chop the onion and cook it slowly.
• Add the clams and deglazed with white wine.
• Cook until the clams are open.

Kenya bean tower:

• Clean the beans and blanche them in salted water for six minutes, to keep them crunchy.
• Also blanche the chives in the same water for few seconds.
• When the beans are cold, with the help of a round mould, start to make your tower.
• Finish it with the chives.

Cray fish juice:

• Give colouration to the crayfish head with olive oil, garlic thyme and butter.
• Add the cleaned and chopped vegetables.
• After 15 minutes, when your crayfish and vegetables are caramelized, deglaze with brandy and white wine, reduce it little bit and add the chicken stock with the diced of tomato.
• Cook for 45 minutes and then strain it.
• After the juice has cooled, reduce it to required consistency.
• When chilled, add some balsamic vinegar and hazelnut oil.

FACT FILE:

Yoann Grillet joined the Capital Club in Dubai in December 2008 as Chef de Cuisine in the Signature Kitchen, and is responsible for overseeing the Club’s busy fine dining operations on a day-to-day basis.

Officially launched in Dubai in April 2008, the Capital Club is a premier private business club exclusively designed to meet the demands of the top-tier clientele from the worlds of business, finance and government. 
 
 

If you are interested in contributing to Chefs' Corner, please contact: lucy.taylor@itp.com