Chef”s Corner
rpt
What are you doing / where are you working right now?
Freelance relief chef
Who is your food hero (dead or alive) and why?
Marco Pierre White. He was a game changer when I started cooking
What three ingredients could you not live without?
Olive oil, salt, chillies
What are your three favourite cookbooks and why?
Marco Pierre White White Heat
The French Laundry
Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons
All are inspirational books at the start of my career
What 3 kitchen gadgets could you not live without?
Thermomix , joule, kitchen scale
What piece of equipment should every yacht have in the galley?
Vacuum pack machine
What would you say are some of the most over rated ingredients?
Tofu, biltong, chia seeds
What would you say are some of the most under rated ingredients?
Offal, connective tissue meat, beetroot
What has been the most popular (or requested dish) on a yacht by a guest so far?
Apple tarte tatin
If you were a guest on a yacht, who would you want to cook for you and why?
Heston Blumenthal for a fun dining experience and for desert Antonio Bachour for his excellent pastries
What music do you listen to in the galley (if at all)?
Off charter, I listen to talk sport
Best galley tip/hack?
Vacuum pack fresh ingredients like meat/ fish and keep them in ice water if on a long journey
What is the most difficult location you have ever had to provision in? And what bit of advice can you give to figure out where to go?
Croatia. 10 years ago, it was difficult when cruising the small islands. If you know the itinerary do a lot of research beforehand.
What is the hardest part of your job?
We are sometimes working for clients expecting the same 5 star hotel kitchen service as if there were 10 chefs working 24/7 and demanding things all day and night. Also, we are quite a lot of times in very remote places, so the provisioning is quite challenging sometimes, so experience and good imagination is a plus.
What do you see as being the biggest challenge for chefs in the industry moving forward?
Trying to keep the standards high with changing crew
What would you say to people who stereotype chefs as being prima donnas with big egos?
Being a chef is a way of life and we are very passionate about our profession, and very focused on small details that may not seem relevant to others but mean everything to us. Most people don’t realise the years of hard work and sacrifice that have been put in before. So sometimes we can come across arrogant but it’s more of a passion.
What is your attitude toward crew with dietary requirements?
Any genuine requirement is not a problem but fads are not so acceptable.
What is the weirdest most bizarre thing you have ever been asked to cook?
Liver, kidney, tongue, etc bought from the market as requested at 7.00 am and guests wanted it all straight away for breakfast.
Name something you have cooked for guests that you are most proud of?
I recently did a Japanese buffet which I loved as it’s also one of my favourite cooking styles. We got the crew involved and all dressed up in the spirit of things. We set up a sashimi and sushi table where guests could interact, choose and make their own rolls/sushi etc . I used to work in a Japanese restaurant and we bought a Teppan table and a professional Teppan chef I knew to entertain and cook for the guests. It all worked out for a really enjoyable night for guests and crew alike.
When you are interviewing a chef to work for you, how do you know if they are any good?
How they speak about food (I’m looking for passion and knowledge)
What one thing should all chefs do to help the environment?
Use sustainable produce.
What one thing can chefs do to limit food wastage?
Better portion control.
If you weren’t a chef, what would you want to be?
A professional golfer (I wish…)
Name: Scott Dickson
Years’ Experience as a chef: 30 years
Nationality: Scottish
Brought to you by Amandine International Chef Placement
