GMS’s editor makes his kitchen debut, under the watchful eye of head chef Kieran
Hosting a large group of friends for dinner can be intimidating to any foodie. So, when I heard that Marina Social at the InterContinental Dubai Marina can now host you and up to 12 guests for an intimate dining experience — complete with all of you going backstage in the kitchen to prepare your chosen dishes — I jumped at the chance. And over the next few hours, I found that hosting can be a less nerve-wrecking and more of an enjoyable experience.
Here’s how it works: In an open kitchen, your guests can enjoy an extensive menu cooked by you, with full view of the kitchen. But fear not, there’s no chance for you to make silly kitchen screw-ups, because you’re under the watchful eye of head chef Kieran, who has trained under Gordon Ramsay, and worked in various restaurants across the UK and Dubai.
This was one of the first events of its kind the restaurant was hosting, so I arrived early to have a menu run-through.
‘The nerves started to give way to excitement, and I was now keen to get my hands dirty‘
Kitted out in chef whites and stepping into the kitchen was a scary prospect. I have cooked in a professional kitchen before, but never in a live environment. I’ve seen Kitchen Nightmares on TV, but luckily, this turned out nothing like what I had seen on screen. The space wasn’t huge, but each person was busy at their station.
As my guests arrived, I felt a little nervous. When they were settled, I explained how the evening would work — I had chosen a sharing menu and would be dashing between the table and kitchen.
The nerves started to give way to excitement, and I was now keen to get my hands dirty. I shadowed Kieran as he prepared the beef tartare, horseradish cream, egg yolk jam and truffle dressing.
All the ingredients had been prepared; first, the beef was placed in a mould in the centre of the plate and topped with mushrooms. Horseradish cream was then piped into a circle, and then a blob of egg yolk was added to resemble a fried egg.
Lastly, we handpicked micro greens and finished off the dish with grated fresh horseradish. The prepared dish looked incredible; mine looked pretty much the same as Kieran’s. Looking up, I could see my guests peering over the counter snapping pictures of my first course, which was served alongside a beetroot salad and confit duck and foie gras terrine with crystallised almonds and peach chutney
‘I have cooked in a professional kitchen before but never in a live environment’
As the dishes arrived, Kieran talked the guests through the ingredients, preparation and how the dish was created, also taking questions.
No time to settle down though — I tasted the food I’d prepared and was soon back in the kitchen to make pizza and dessert.
The overall experience was incredible. It’s a great way to catch up with friends, pick up some food-preparation tips and get a real flavour of what it’s like to work in a professional kitchen. This preparing-and-dining session is a perfect environment for you to show off your cooking skills.
