Jeddah: The newly opened St. Regis Red Sea is home to several restaurants, including Middle Eastern restaurant Nesma, Japanese restaurant Gishiki 45, and “floating” restaurant Tirina, which offers tasting menus. The resort’s executive chef, Russian-born Skotarenko Artem, oversees a team of 75 people.
“Discipline is one of the most important things in the kitchen. You could say it’s one of the pillars. But relationships in the kitchen need to be based on respect. Don’t yell at your employees. You can scare people, but it will never respect your employees,” Artem told Arab News. “Screaming in the kitchen is a thing of the past.”
Tirina is a “uniquely Saudi concept,” he says.
“Tasting menus take two to three hours. Not everyone can spend this amount of time sitting and waiting for their food. That’s why we try to educate our guests,” he explains. .
What was the most common mistake you made when you started?
I think they are trying to recreate dishes from famous chefs from other parts of the world that they have found online. And I was really pissed because the results were below my expectations. It depends on the product and the season, because each country’s produce is different and you can’t expect to get the same results in another country.
What is your top tip for amateurs?
Don’t be afraid to experiment. Even if you find a great recipe and want to follow it, there’s a good chance you don’t have all the available ingredients at home. Therefore, if you use your imagination, you can achieve such wonderful results.
What’s the one ingredient that can instantly improve any dish?
It doesn’t matter where you cook. It can be at a restaurant or at home. The most important thing is love.
What are some common mistakes made by other restaurants?
Actually, I’m not very picky when I go out. But the most common problem for me is the seasoning. Inadequate seasoning will ruin the dish. It’s flattened and actually dead.
What is your favorite dish?
When I go out, I’m always looking for unusual or interesting things that I don’t know about. It helps keep an open mind.
If you need to make something quickly at home, what is your go-to dish?
Actually, I don’t cook much at home. But I always eat fresh bread and good quality cheese. Along with them, I have all different types of preserves and pickles. So, if I have to make something quick at home, I think I’ll make a nice Cuban sandwich.
What customer behavior frustrates you the most?
There’s actually a long list. But what really irritates me is when the food is ready, the guests leave the table for no good reason. Because if that happens, you’ll have to recreate the dish. It’s rude to all other guests in the restaurant.
What is your favorite dish to make?
Where I come from it tends to be very cold. So, I love making all kinds of rich soups. However, they tend to require a lot of time and patience.
What is the most difficult dish to get right for you?
In fact, I’m very flexible and adaptable. For me, anything is possible if you focus and put your mind to it.
recipe
Chef Skotarenko’s salted mackerel, salted laminaria and dill kefir sauce
material
For brine: 1L water. 80g sea salt; 30g brown sugar; 1 garlic clove; 10g dill; 30g sunflower oil (or your favorite flavored oil); 2g black pepper; 2g bay leaves
Instructions
1. Place one mackerel (300-400g) in salt water and leave overnight.
2. Place 500g of fresh laminaria in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Strain the water and repeat the process three times.
3. Wash the laminaria in cold water, sprinkle with 5g sea salt and refrigerate overnight.
4. Slice 500g fresh cucumber. Mix 50g of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and 20g of apple cider vinegar. Refrigerate overnight.
5. Mix 500g of kefir (or laban if you prefer) with 30g of lemon juice, 5g of finely chopped garlic, 5g of salt and 2g of white pepper.
6. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add 500g of dill. After about 10 seconds, remove it and place it in ice water. Mix the dill and 500g of olive oil until smooth and strain through a fine sieve.
7. Plate all ingredients separately and serve.
