SuperYacht Cuisine Oceanco 42.70m / 140 Built 2002 Refit 2017 12 Guests 9 Crew
T A L K I N G C U I S I N E 2 An Interview with Element Chef, Paul Websdale. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A CHEF? During my time at school I enjoyed the food tech classes; I would buy cookbooks and read them more than other books. The different varieties of cuisine and ways of presenting dishes excited me. WHERE AND HOW WERE YOU TRAINED? I had achieved my NVQ level 2 by the age of 17, and then from there I worked an 8 month season on the Isles of Scilly at a 3 rosette hotel for Stewart Eddy. At the end of the season he put me in touch with Michael Caines, a 2 Michelin star chef who I worked with for 8 months. Afterwards, he sent me to work for Martin Burge at Whatley Manor, another 2 Michelin star chef. These 3 friend chefs worked together at Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons, and over three years, they took me under their wings and taught me the invaluable lessons in cuisine. TELL ME ABOUT A DIFFICULT SITUATION AND HOW YOU HANDLED IT? I haven t really experienced one, I ve had guests turn up with extra guests at the last minute, or turn up with lobsters asking for them in half an hour, but I ve always just got my head down and got on with it. IS THERE A CHEF YOU ADMIRE THE MOST? WHO AND WHY? Michael Caines. Having worked with him whilst he was one of England s best chefs holding 2 Michelin stars at Gidleigh Park, the passion he displayed and way he spoke about food was admirable. The fact that he lost his right arm in a car crash at the age of 26 and not letting that stop him is an inspiration. I still talk to him, and he has since opened 10 restaurants, and opened up a new country retreat, still striving to achieve his third Michelin star. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CUISINE? HOW MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF CUISINE ARE YOU CAPABLE OF PRODUCING? Having travelled and worked in the Far East for many months, made me enjoy using spices in my dishes. I have used my one-year working Visa in both Australia and New Zealand. I worked three months in India whilst filming with the BBC. I have also gained culinary experience in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia. I am classically French trained having worked in some of the top restaurants in England. I was also the Sous Chef at England s first pub to win a Michelin Star, The Star Inn, Harome. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE WINE? White wine - Montrachet Red wine - Pinot Noir from Central Otago NZ
T A L K I N G C U I S I N E 3 WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU NOTICING REGARDING WINE AND FOOD PAIRINGS? Newer world wines are replacing the stereotypical wines which we would normally associate with food. I.e. a normal matching wine to a scallop dish you might pair a Viognier; but a slightly aged pinot noir from Chile say would offer a slight spice to the dish without cutting through the texture of the scallop. WHAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF A SPRINGTIME MENU YOU WOULD PREPARE FOR A CHARTER CLIENT? Spring is a great time to write menus, the sun is coming out and the temperature is rising, the asparagus spears are in season, a great time for lamb, garden peas and the fresh herbs are fragrant. New season scallops with fresh Nasturtium and black pudding. A nice fresh lemon dessert or an Italian dessert. I ll always write a menu based on the location, using fresh products that are in season. IF YOU WERE ASKED TO REDUCE FAT AND SODIUM IN A MENU, WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO MAINTAIN FLAVOUR IN THE QUALITY OF THE DISH? One of the easiest ways to achieve this is by making everything yourself so you know how much is being used. A good way to get around using too much is to use aromatic ingredients, flavours that will stand out more by themselves. The use of spice is another stimulant to the senses without using sodium, dressing vegetables with lemon or lime juice is another way to enhance flavour without adding fat. Changing cooking methods is also a way to lower the use of fat, an example is steaming. WHAT DO YOU DO TO STAY CURRENT ON NEW TRENDS? DESCRIBE TWO OR THREE OF THE MOST INTERESTING INDUSTRY TRENDS. The use of social media is a great way to see new trends and plate design; chefs share a lot more than we used to. So by following peoples work and sharing recipes with one another is a great way to learn. You have to keep learning in this industry, ideas change all the time. If you sit back with your foot off the gas your recipes will become old and boring to people. Certain ways of plating up are getting quite trendy at the moment (not a fan of the splatter effect though!) The use of cheaper meats cooked for longer is also big at the moment, offering a lot more options to use on the menu. WHEN ARE YOU HAPPIEST AT WORK? When I m working with the freshest seafood and ingredients, and have open minded guests on board that are excited to let me loose with the menu. TELL ME ABOUT AN ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF IN YOUR CAREER. I was on a BBC TV production for 2 years, whilst on that I wrote my first cookbook. TELL ME 3 THINGS THAT YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR STRENGTHS. 1. Ability to work well under pressure 2. Confidence in talking to guests and being able to adapt to any dietary requests 3. A friendly can-do attitude
S A M P L E M E N U 4 Menu 1 STARTER Pan fried Atlantic scallops with a cumin spiced pumpkin puree, coriander sauce and curry oil MAIN Poached John Dory served with crispy Herb gnocchi, cured fennel, chickpea and red pepper salsa. Sesame fried bok choi DESSERT Coconut milk and passion fruit crème caramel, almond tuille Menu 2 STARTER Homemade spinach and parmesan tortellini nestled on a fricassee of wild mushrooms and truffle MAIN Oven roasted quail, Boudin Blanc, parsnip and malt puree, Soft boiled quail egg, sauterne wine sauce DESSERT Salted chocolate delice, strawberry ice cream, vanilla mascarpone, mango gel and caramel
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