{"id":54710,"date":"2025-03-14T15:03:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T15:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gulftimes.ae\/recipes-for-success-chef-laia-ferrer-baile-offers-advice-and-a-tasty-recipe\/"},"modified":"2025-03-14T15:03:00","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T15:03:00","slug":"recipes-for-success-chef-laia-ferrer-baile-offers-advice-and-a-tasty-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gulftimes.ae\/?p=54710","title":{"rendered":"Recipes for Success: Chef Laia Ferrer Baile\u00a0offers advice and a tasty recipe\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\tDUBAI: From Michelin-starred kitchens in Spain and France to luxury dining destinations in the Maldives and Bangkok, Chef Laia Ferrer Baile has built an impressive career.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tBorn and raised in Barcelona, Baile knew from a young age that she wanted to be a chef. She ended up training in some of the world\u2019s most celebrated restaurants, including the three-Michelin-starred Restaurante Disfrutar.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tNow, as head chef of Tabrah in Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve located on Ummahat Island off the coast of Saudi Arabia, she brings her expertise to the Kingdom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tabrah in Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. (Supplied)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cMy experience in Saudi has been amazing,\u201d she tells Arab News. \u201cThe people are really welcoming, the food is amazing, and the environment I\u2019m working in is fantastic.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tHere, Baile shares her thoughts on simplicity in cooking, customer preferences, and her favorite cuisines.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tWhen you started out, what was the most common mistake you made?\u202f\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\tI remember putting thousands of things on a dish in university because I thought the more things I put, the more the teacher would like it. But it was a disaster. I\u2019ve learned that simplicity is best. You don\u2019t need to add thousands of things to make something taste good. Sometimes it\u2019s just salt and pepper.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat\u2019s your\u202ftop tip for\u202famateur\u202fchefs?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tEnjoy what you are doing. I always say to my family: \u201cThis isn\u2019t a race.\u201d Relax and enjoy the moment. Be curious about what you are doing, and learn why you are doing it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tabrah in Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. (Supplied)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat one ingredient can instantly improve any dish?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\tAs a Spanish woman, I think it\u2019s extra virgin olive oil. We call it liquid gold. It can make anything very simple become amazing; like, if you just put a bit of olive oil on a piece of bread, it will always be better.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tWhen you go out\u202fto\u202feat, do you find yourself critiquing the food?\u202f\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\tMy first instinct was to say no. But, then my boyfriend said, \u201cHow can you say no to that question? You do that all the time.\u201d So, apparently, I do. But I also like to enjoy my experience. I think it is when I\u2019m expecting something to be very good and it isn\u2019t \u2014 that\u2019s when I’m really critical. When I\u2019m not expecting much, like street food in Bangkok or a small family restaurant, I won\u2019t be that critical. But when I go to an expensive place that I really want to try and they disappoint me, then I will be.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat\u2019s the most common issue you find in other restaurants?\u202f\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\tOvercomplicating the dishes. Also, there are restaurants where you can feel that the servers don\u2019t want to be there, so they will always lack care.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t\u202fWhat\u2019s your favorite cuisine?\u202f\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\tI have two kinds of favorite restaurants. There are the ones I go to with my family or friends to enjoy and celebrate \u2014 these are the ones where I find my comfort food that reminds me of my mom\u2019s food and all the Spanish things. But I also like to find new touches that elevate food a little bit. These also inspire me. So I really like to go to Michelin restaurants, where the chefs are doing something new, just to give me a spark.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tabrah in Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. (Supplied)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat\u2019s your go-to\u202fdish if you have\u202fto\u202fcook\u202fsomething quickly at\u202fhome?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\tIt used to be curry. I used to love making quick curry dishes \u2014 I\u2019d always have curry paste at home. Now, though, I like to cook pad Thai because it is my sister\u2019s favorite dish. I always try to cook that when I am in a rush. It tastes good and it\u2019s quick and easy to make.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat customer behavior most annoys you?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\tIt really annoys me when people want to change the ingredients of dishes. I can understand if, for example, someone doesn\u2019t eat tomato, then we will try to remove it. And I understand if people have allergies; I\u2019m allergic to leek, for example, and when I go to some restaurants, people won\u2019t believe me because there are a lot of people who say they have allergies when they don\u2019t. We take it very seriously in the kitchen when someone says they have allergies: We cook the food separately, and we will clean the kitchen from top to bottom and we have special cutting boards and knives that we will use just for that person. So, if they say they are allergic when they aren\u2019t, it really wastes our time.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat\u2019s your favorite dish\u202fto\u202fcook?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\tSuquet de Peix, a potato-based seafood stew. It brings me back to my roots. When I was a kid,\u202fmy family owned an apartment by the beach, and it was a very typical dish in the area.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat\u2019s the most difficult dish for\u202fyou\u202fto\u202fget right?\u202f\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\tAnything that has to be cooked with flour or sugar, like pastries. I think I\u2019m really bad at it. I think it\u2019s because I tell myself every day that I\u2019m bad at it and I don\u2019t practice the skills for it. Don\u2019t ask me to make a souffl\u00e9, for example; it will be an omelet.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tAs a head\u202fchef, what are you like? Are you very strict, or quite laidback?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\tRight now, I\u2019m leading an all-female team. Most of them are fresh graduates, so I can\u2019t be too harsh or aggressive with them. I really try to give them a positive and empowering environment, because I\u2019ve worked in very, very bad kitchens where they would scream and throw things. I wouldn\u2019t want them to experience that. But we always have to have discipline. It\u2019s the most important thing.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t1 cup cooked chicken (spiced with kabsa seasoning: cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, turmeric, cumin)\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t2 tbsp olive oil\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t1 small onion, finely chopped\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t2 tbsp grated carrot\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t1 spoon of tomato puree\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t1\/4 tsp ground cinnamon\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t1\/4 tsp ground cumin\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tSalt and pepper to taste\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tFor the b\u00e9chamel sauce (croqueta base):\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\t3 tbsp butter\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t3 tbsp all-purpose flour\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t1 1\/4 cups whole milk, warmed\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tSalt and white pepper to taste\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tFor coating:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\t1 cup all-purpose flour\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t2 large eggs, beaten\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\t2 cups breadcrumbs (panko or regular)\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tFor frying:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tVegetable oil\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tInstructions:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\tPrepare the filling:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\tHeat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Saut\u00e9 the onion, the garlic and the carrot until soft and translucent, then add the tomato and keep cooking for 10 minutes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tAdd the shredded chicken, ground cinnamon, and cumin. Mix well and season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tMake the b\u00e9chamel sauce:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\tIn a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in the flour and cook for two to three minutes to form a smooth paste (roux).\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tGradually whisk in the warm milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook until the mixture thickens and becomes creamy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tSeason with salt, and white pepper.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tMix the spiced chicken into the b\u00e9chamel sauce until well combined.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tTransfer the mixture to a shallow dish, cover with plastic wrap (pressing it directly onto the surface), and refrigerate for at least two hours or until firm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tShape the croquetas:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\tOnce the mixture is firm, take small portions and shape them into cylinders or balls about the size of a golf ball.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tCoat the croquetas:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\tRoll each croqueta in flour, dip in beaten egg, and then coat with breadcrumbs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tFor an extra crispy texture, repeat the egg and breadcrumb coating.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tFry the croquetas:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\tHeat the vegetable oil in a deep frying pan or pot to 180\u00b0C (350\u00b0F).\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tFry the croquetas in small batches until golden brown and crisp, about two to three minutes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tRemove and drain on paper towels.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tTips:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\tFor a baked version, brush the croquetas with olive oil and bake at 200\u00b0C (400\u00b0F) for 15\u201320 minutes, turning halfway.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tYou can freeze the croquetas before frying for a quick make-ahead snack.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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