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DUBAI: “My dream was not to become a footballer, a musician or a doctor,” says Cedric Vongerichten, head chef of the French-Asian restaurant Maritime at The Edition in Jeddah. “This is my calling – and my destiny.”

It’s hard to disagree. Vongerichten was born in Thailand to French parents who were in the country because Vongerichten’s father was head chef at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok. By the time Vongerichten was two years old, the family had settled in New York after stints in Portugal and Boston.

Vongerichten says his passion for cooking began at the age of eight or nine. “(I finished) school and went home – it was a hotel then – and spent my free time in the kitchen, making pastries and helping out. That was all I could think about.”

At the age of 14, he began serious cooking lessons in the south of France and has since traveled the world to get to know different cuisines and cultures.

What was the most common mistake you made when you first started?

I would say that you make things too complicated and don’t have a clear idea of ​​the dish. Sometimes you just have to step back and look at the bigger picture. The more you practice, the more things will work automatically and you won’t have to think about them anymore.

What is your top tip for amateur cooks?

When you’re at home, it’s very easy to make a mess in your kitchen and have pots and pans lying around everywhere. Then it’s hard to concentrate. Cooking is honestly 50 percent cooking and 50 percent cleaning. It’s really important to keep everything neat and tidy. And then when it comes to cooking, keep it simple. People will be more impressed by (quality ingredients) than by something overly complicated.

What ingredient can instantly improve any dish?

Chili. I can’t live without chili and neither can my family. It makes the dish very exciting from start to finish.

Do you criticize the food when you go out to eat?

I’d be lying if I didn’t say that. It’s part of our job. But I don’t talk about it, either positively or negatively. I don’t want to spoil anyone’s experience. Everyone just wants to have a nice dinner.

What problem do you most often notice in other restaurants?

I would say my biggest pet peeve is lighting. I really like it when the lighting is well done. It creates a mood. If the lighting is maybe grey or too bright, it can make you not want to stay too long.

What is your favorite cuisine?

We can’t live without our dose of Asian cuisine. We need it at least once or twice a week, whether it’s Japanese, Indonesian or Thai.

What is your favorite dish when you need something quick at home?

For seafood, I need 15 to 20 minutes. Two nights ago, I made a simple local black sea bass. You just sear it skin side down in a pan. And it’s asparagus season right now, so we had boiled, salted asparagus with olive oil and rice. Sometimes I make roast chicken for the kids, they love it. I put it in a pan with potatoes, onions, garlic, water, salt, and olive oil, and sometimes I add rosemary. I put the chicken on top and put it in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken. The sauce creates itself from the dripping chicken and potatoes. It’s not a big mess, and it’s pretty easy and delicious.

Which customer request or behavior annoys you the most?

I don’t like saying no, so if we have requests, we just do it if we have the ingredients. The only thing I don’t appreciate is when the service team is treated disrespectfully.

What do you like to cook most and why?

It depends on the season. Right now I would say it’s a flounder – the fish. It’s very simple and tastes really good with olive oil, a little lime juice, a little salt, lemon zest and of course a little chili on top.

I also like to make bouillabaisse. It’s a Mediterranean fish soup. It takes a long time. On top of the fish you put some lobster, more fish, potatoes and a piece of bread. It also has a lot of saffron in it. It’s a really great dish. And it’s very, very tasty.

What dish do you find most difficult to get right?

Pastries can be difficult. You have to be very precise. You actually have to weigh everything to the gram. And it’s completely different from country to country because – first of all – the weather is very different. There’s the humidity and temperature factor. The products, like flour, are different. So you have to adapt to all of that. It’s very technical.

What are you like as a chef in the kitchen?

I feel like I saw the end of an era in France when there were chefs who shouted and threw things. I remember seeing that in France. But that is definitely over. Did I shout a bit at the beginning of my career? Maybe, but I’m definitely not like that now. In a team, everyone reacts differently, so you have to lead people differently. Some people need a bit more coaching, others are more independent. As a manager and as a chef, you have to be flexible. I can be relaxed, but I also want great results and the right product. In the long term, you can see that most people want to stay with us for a long time, so that speaks for itself.

RECIPE: Doughnuts according to Chef Cedric

Ingredients:

90 g all-purpose flour; 30 g rice flour; 8 g baking powder; 3 g salt; 130 g water; 25 g spring onions, green tops cut diagonally; 300 g corn kernels; 10 g Fresno chili; vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:

1. Place the all-purpose flour, rice flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

2. Stir in water until well mixed.

3. Add scallions, corn kernels and Fresno chili.

4. Pour the oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pan.

5. Heat oil until shimmering but not smoking (350°F).

6. Drop the batter mixture into the hot oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, without crowding it (for larger donuts, use about half a cup of batter at a time).

7. Flatten the doughnuts slightly with a spatula, then press the spatula into the doughnuts a few times to create indentations for crispy edges.

10. Bake until the bottom is golden brown, then flip and bake until the other side is golden brown (about another two minutes).

11. Remove the doughnuts and place them on a plate lined with paper towels.

12. Serve hot with spicy kecap manis (sweet soy) dipping sauce and garnish with sliced ​​spring onions.