A Birr Chef that's cooking with love
‘Team work is very important and I think teams work best in respectful atmospheres.’
Hassan Bouti has been Head Chef in Kelly's Bistro, Birr, since 2018, providing delicious and very popular food seven days a week. Last year the Bistro was the Leinster winner of “Best Contemporary Irish Cuisine”. The Tribune recently caught up with him at his place of work and asked about his culinary craft, his thoughts on how a restaurant kitchen should be run, and for a signature dish.
Q: What originally sparked your interest in food and cooking?
A: I grew up in Fuerteventura in the Canaries in a Moroccan family which meant we often ate Moroccan cuisine. Moroccan cuisine is one of the world's great cuisines. Its spice, its smells, its fantastic tastes attracted me from a very young age. I felt very happy and comfortable in that world.
Q: Who were your early culinary influences at home or otherwise?
A: Without a doubt, my mother. She was a wonderful woman. She lived in Tangier, Morocco before moving to Fuerteventura and she loved Moroccan culture and cuisine. She loved sharing Moroccan food with other people and seeing them enjoy it.
Q: What's an important kitchen lesson you learned early on that changed how you cook?
A: I left school at the age of 13 and started working in restaurants. I have worked in restaurants ever since. As I worked my way up the ladder of employment in the restaurants in Fuerteventura, I learned that being diplomatic and being a decent guy were essential skills. Team work is very important and I think teams work best in respectful atmospheres.
Q: In your opinion, what makes a good chef great?
A: Attention to detail and a deep love of food. It's also very important to be sensitive to your customer's preferences and to serve their favourite dishes with as much love and deliciousness as possible.
Q: What kitchen skill are you most proud of?
A: My ability to make delicious sauces. Take for example my Saffron sauce, made with several Moroccan spices, and accompanying baked salmon.
Q: Professional kitchens can be intense. What helps you stay centred during the busiest services?
A: We have eight wonderful people working in the kitchen here in Kelly's Bistro. They work in a respectful atmosphere, making the food with care and love, enjoying the fact that our customers are often very happy with the food. Of course, it can get very busy (especially at the weekends) but we don't become flustered; we remain focussed.
Q: What ingredient do you think is overrated and which one is underrated?
A: I think all ingredients are excellent if they are used in the correct dishes. I respect my customers very much but many of them don't have an adventurous palate. I wish they did, then I could cook more adventurous food!
Q: What's one misconception about restaurant life you wish people understood better?
A: Some people think it's ok for Head Chefs to be disrespectful of those working for them. It's never ok.
Q: If you could change one thing about how kitchens operate, what would it be?
A: I think some kitchens don't have the best equipment that's available. The better the equipment the easier it is for the chefs.
Q: What's your guilty-pleasure snack after a long service?
A: Banana Bread. I could eat it until it came out of my eyes and ears!
Q: Are there any Irish chefs or restaurants that particularly inspire your own approach?
A: Alan Harris. I worked with Alan when he was Head Chef in Kinnitty Castle and he taught me so much about Irish food. Alan was a stunning chef.
Q: If you hadn't ended up in food, what path do you imagine you'd have taken instead?
A: Truck Driver. I love driving. My favourite hobby is fishing. I grew up by the sea and have fished since I was a boy.
Hassan’s Signature Dish is “Oven-baked Salmon in Saffron Sauce.” This is one of Hassan's dishes in Kelly's Bistro which is very popular with customers. Perhaps you could give the dish a try in your own kitchen? You won't regret it!
Ingredients: Fresh salmon, (preferably recently caught and on sale at a local fishmonger's). White vinegar 1 tablespoon; Fish stock 100 mls; Double cream 75mls; Butter 75g; Cumin 1tsp; Coriander 1 tsp; Turmeric 1 tsp; Cinnamon 1 tsp; A pinch of Cayenne; Threads of Saffron; Half a tablespoon Corn Flour (per 100ml); Squeeze of lemon; Baby potatoes; Fresh dill or watercress; Mussels; Prawns; Spring Onions; Mashed potato.
Method: 1. Mix the vinegar, fish stock, cream, spices, butter and squeeze of lemon to create the Saffron Sauce. Thicken the sauce with the Corn Flour (gluten free). 2. Prep and debone the salmon. Cut into five portions. 3. Sauté the salmon in a frying pan for 1-2 minutes in olive oil, butter and a seasoning of salt & pepper. 4. Oven bake the baby potatoes for 20 minutes. 5. Place the salmon with the baby potatoes in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. (A reliable rule of thumb is to bake the salmon for four minutes per 1 centimetre of thickness). 6. Steam the mussels for 3 to 6 minutes. 7. Boil the prawns for 2 to 3 minutes. 8. Sauté the spring onions for 3 to 5 minutes. 9. Make some mashed potato as well, if you wish! 10. Layer the cooked salmon on top of the spring onions and mash. 11. Place sprigs of dill or watercress on top. 12. Pour some of the Saffron Sauce over the salmon, mussels and prawns. 13. Serve with a slice of lemon.