Cooking with chef Ronny   Food culture |08 November 2021

Chef Ronny

As from today, Seychelles NATION offers its readers a Food section which will be published on Mondays.

Seychelles NATION’s in-house chef Ronny Quatre, who holds a BA in Culinary Arts from the Business and Hotel Management School (BHMS) Switzerland, will bring us on a culinary journey with a series of culinary techniques and recipes to help those who would like to master the art of cooking, prepare a simple meal for the family or a feast for large crowds.

Since mostly everyone has an interest in food, there are many aspects about food for which this section of the newspaper can act as a resource. A chef with experience in both public (former lecturer at the Seychelles Tourism Academy) and private sector and has worked in Seychelles and abroad, chef Ronny’s topics range from food culture, preparing for Christmas, diet food à la Creole and various topics of interests to our readers.

“Food is not rational. Food is culture, habit, craving and identity” – Jonathan Safran Foer

Food culture

Eating is so much more than enjoying a sumptuous meal with family and friends or filling one’s stomach to prevent hunger, hence the popular saying that food is not rational. Eating has become so ritualistic, that it encompasses all aspects of our lives. It defines us and what goes on around in so many aspects. Yes, we need to eat to survive, but we also bring around eating a whole culture which ranges from religious (saying grace before a meal), to occasions (we have to have a feast on special occasions), to social interactions such as dining out with friends, or entertaining guests at home. In some cultures, food is even offered to Gods.

In Seychelles, the food culture is mostly around social gatherings. The Seychellois way of hosting is to always offer plenty of food, a large buffet with an endless variety of good dishes and the host should be careful not to ever run out of food. Should that happen, it ís considered an embarrassment.

In this series, I will not only provide recipes, but provide insights into how food impacts on our culture, our way of life, our health, and our pockets. Preparing a meal is no longer about cooking for the family, but making sure that you bring into it health, budget… Preparing a meal is no longer about cooking for the family, but making sure that you bring into your food that which is good for your health; food which you can afford; food which is sometimes home grown and foods which tell a story about us, who we are, where we come from and how we have evolved in the way we prepare our meals.

Heading to the kitchen

I’ve heard a lot of people say they do not like cooking. Well cooking is not for everyone, just like everything else in life. But if you don’t know how to cook, or would like to upgrade your cooking skills, I’m excited to head to the kitchen with you. In fact I have prepared a series to help you manage your time and meals, and prepare a feast (If you wish) while ensuring that the cooking experience brings you joy and happiness. Cooking is not a chore, if it is, then you must fix it. As a chef, cooking is my profession, but with each meal that I prepare, I get a sense of satisfaction and happiness, knowing that someone is going to enjoy the fruits of my labour. So enjoy your time in the kitchen, don’t rush, prepare in advance and give it time as you learn a few techniques to make your life much easier. So today, we will not cook, we will instead learn about the basics of cooking.

My first piece of advice to you – Plan ahead

The fundamental to cooking is preparation. If you have a plan, you will save time and save money. It’s much easier if you’re new to the kitchen to plan ahead. Whether it’s for time management or a healthy meal. My first piece of advice to you is always plan ahead. Sure, while driving to Beau Vallon you can pick up a nice packet of mackerel along the way and suddenly decide to put it on the grill as you head home. This spontaneous decision is fantastic.

But it does not mean that you still cannot plan ahead. For example have a weekly menu plan. I know, few people do that. Well start here. In having a plan, you can prepare ingredients in advance, you can also purchase according to your plan and avoid buying unnecessary ingredients which end up sitting on your shelf for years.

So plan ahead, plan according to your choices and budget and put pen to paper to do this weekly plan. As an aside, if you do an exercise and get rid of all those ingredients which you bought spontaneously and never used, you will realise how much money you have wasted.

Prepare your ingredients in advance if you can

For time management always prepare your ingredients in advance. Always have crushed garlic or ginger in a jar (topped with some oil and stored in the fridge) or crushed preserved chillies. I always have shredded papaya in my fridge. I always have boiled salted pork for a quick meal. And I always have my fish or meat cleaned and portioned according to a family size meals.

In having those ingredients in advance, you spend less time preparing your mise en place. Mise en place tends to take more time than actual cooking and in getting them out of the way, you can spend more time on preparing your meal.

Keep your kitchen clean

A clean kitchen is the basis to good kitchen practices. There is such a thing as clean as you go. It means you always clean after your mess as you go about cooking your food. This discipline is important in keeping good kitchen hygiene. If you love food, if you want to cook, you have to be prepared to keep your utensils clean and your kitchen in proper order.

I am not talking about a kitchen upgrade here, just basic kitchen hygiene. I will also advise here, that you have separate cutting boards for meat/fish and vegetables and bread/cheeses. Professional kitchens have colour coded boards, you don’t have to go that far, just at the very least three separate boards.

Look after your utensils

You don’t have to have top of the range utensils, just strong and reliable pots and pans, good knives (sharpened regularly), a blender or chopper etc. I prefer stainless steel utensils including bowls, they are strong, sturdy and very useful in the kitchen. Make sure you clean your utensils and sharpen them regularly. Keep them in a place where it’s easy to reach, and arrange them properly. If you have a small kitchen with very little storage space, once washed and dried, keep them in a plastic box covered with a lid.

So let’s start by adopting those three good habits. Next week, we will start planning ahead for Christmas. Yes, it’s just around the corner, and every week, we will prepare a wonderful meal together.

Happy reading and happy cooking!