Whites Regular Column - June 10

We interviewed Stuart Dove, Chef at Whites Kitchen.

What was your first experience of cooking?
Licking the spoon from the bowl of my mum’s Victoria sponge recipe.

What/who inspired you to become a chef?
My mother. She would always be in the kitchen by 4 or 5 in the morning baking cookies and cakes for us to take to school. By lunch time our dinner would be busy simmering away on the stove.  My childhood was full of the smells from our kitchen, she was a mighty cook.

I also have January Tutukadoa to thank for my success.  I travelled to Australia at 17 to train as a chef having worked in Wimpy and the Harvester in the UK. All I had was my back pack and a few changes of clothes. When I met January in a hostel his energy, mentality and passion for food was infectious and he gave me the confidence to go out there and enter the world of serious kitchens. He also gave me an oversized chef’s jacket and large cook’s knife which meant I could turn up on my first day!

Where did you train?
I started working as a KP in kitchens in Australia and worked my way up through the ranks,  9 months after arriving I was a chef de Partie and ready to apply my new skills at home. I did a fast-track course at City College, where I was awarded and went on to work under Gordon Ramsay.

Have there been any chefs in particular who have influenced your career, and where did you work with them?
Gordon Ramsay taught me how to push myself to the peak of my endurance. To create food at that level was perfection led by repetition, skills invaluable to any chef working in Michelin star restaurants.

Henrik Nordstrom at Lux in Stockhol has been a big influence on me. His flavor combinations, plate design and technique were incredible. All the plates in the restaurant were handmade, with many of them being one offs. Within 9 months of working there he was awarded his first Michelin star and won the internationally acclaimed Bocuse d’or, the world chef championships. It was an exciting time to be working with him.

What kind of food do you produce at Whites Kitchen?
I am passionate about using local, sustainable produce. There is an abundance of fantastic seasonal produce available, this month we have some stunning lamb, crayfish and foraged herbs, nuts and seeds coming onto the menu. I often create taster plates so that people can try a seasonal product cooked in different styles. For me its about the variety and excitement our food generates.

Do you have a signature dish?
Crispy shredded pork balls, sweet potato puree and a sour apple and mustard seed jam.

Is your cooking influenced by any particular region or style?
Having spent a lot of tome living and travelling in different places I draw inspiration from all of over the world. Whilst in New York I used a lot of Mexican/South American flavours as well as the classic beef and New York style brunch dishes. In Sweden it was all about technique and plate design. In Spain the focus is on simply cooked fish and great core products such as olive oil, nuts, serano ham, peppers and manchego cheese. All of the things you that for granted when you were there, the quality and flavor were sublime. With a good grounding in classic French cooking, I am able to draw inspiration from all of my travels,  and am proud of the flavour combinations I create.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Meeting my wife in the Kitchen in Spain. Moving from Brighton to London to work with Gordon Ramsay gave me the platform I needed to move forward in my career.

What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
The satisfaction of designing, producing and watching someone eating and enjoying an original dish I have created.

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