In the kitchen with Sheenalyn Baluyot Buay

In the kitchen with Sheenalyn Baluyot Buay

Adding a touch of spice in the kitchen, Sheenalyn Baluyot Buay, commis III at Ramada Encore Hotel, Kuwait, tells us about life in the culinary world and shares her grilled salmon recipe.

What can you tell us about your career journey so far?
Strangely enough, I started out in sales. It was a real confidence booster for me. Eventually, I felt experienced enough to shift toward diet foods. It was then that I was hired as a kitchen operation officer and gained knowledge in the kitchen.

Learning new things and developing my skills is very important to me, so choosing to become a chef was definitely the right choice; it is a never-ending learning curve. What’s even better is bringing joy and happiness to people by sharing food.

How has your professional experience helped shape you into the chef you are today?
I have learned that if you make a mistake you should own it and learn from the experience; if you do something well, enjoy the praise and give yourself a pat on the back. A great chef knows how to take responsibility, does not seek to blame others and understands how to convert mishaps into ongoing positive development.

What are you cooking today?
I’m preparing grilled salmon mushroom spinach with creamy saffron lemon butter sauce.

What are the main ingredients and products you are using these days?
It’s all about seasoning and spices. I love working with Nestlé Professional products. They are always high quality and consistent.

What important food trends have you noticed lately?
There’s definitely demand for burgers, especially the gourmet kind. It’s what people love and will always come back to. We are also seeing a trend when it comes to high-quality meat cuts. The experience is as important as the food.

What advice would you give suppliers and foodservice professionals who are looking to offer their best to the market and meet demand?
Quality comes first. Customers want a consistently good product that’s priced well and delivered on time.

RECIPE: GRILLED SALMON MUSHROOM SPINACH WITH CREAMY SAFFRON LEMON BUTTER SAUCE

Ingredients for one portion

Grilled salmon

  • 220g fresh salmon
  • 5g Dijon mustard
  • 5ml lemon juice
  • 5ml olive oil
  • 2g ginger
  • 2g salt
  • Pinch of black pepper

Spinach and mushroom sauté

  • 100g fresh spinach
  • 50g mushrooms
  • 2g garlic
  • 25g butter
  • 3g salt
  • Pinch of black pepper

Grilled vegetables

  • 7g red endives
  • 2g yellow capsicum
  • 2g orange capsicum
  • 2g ginger
  • 2g garlic
  • 2g salt
  • Pinch of black pepper
  • 5g cauliflower
  • 2g shallots
  • 3g carrots
  • Pinch of pepper
  • 25g butter

Saffron lemon butter sauce

  • Pinch of fresh saffron
  • 2g garlic
  • 30g butter
  • Pinch of salt
  • Pinch of black pepper
  • 35g Nestlé cooking cream

Garnish

  • Handful of dill leaves
  • 3g cherry tomatoes
  • 2g kale
  • 2g Kenya beans
  • 1g snow beans
  • 1g Brussels sprouts
  • Pinch of micro herbs
  • A few small edible flowers

Preparation

Marinate the fresh salmon with the Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon and garlic ginger paste. Grill well on both sides for five minutes and keep it in the oven for 7-10 minutes (180 degrees).
Sauté the mushrooms and spinach with butter, salt and pepper.
Grill the vegetables (carrot, baby marrow, capsicum yellow and orange, shallot, broccoli, cauliflower, Kenya beans, snow beans, cherry tomato and Brussels sprouts) with garlic, salt, pepper, butter, endives and chopped parsley.

To create the saffron lemon butter sauce, sauté the garlic with the butter and add lemon juice with fresh saffron, salt, pepper and the cooking cream.
Blanch the kale leaves to use as a garnish.

Garnish with black caviar.

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About author

Rita Ghantous

Rita Ghantous is a hospitality aficionado and a passionate writer with over 9 years’ experience in journalism and 5 years experience in the hospitality sector. Her passion for the performance arts and writing, started early. At 10 years old she was praised for her solo performance of the Beatles song “All My Love” accompanied by a guitarist, and was approached by a French talent scout during her school play. However, her love for writing was stronger. Fresh out of school, she became a freelance journalist for Noun Magazine and was awarded the Silver Award Cup for Outstanding Poetry, by The International Library of Poetry (Washington DC). She studied Business Management and earned a Masters degree from Saint Joseph University (USJ), her thesis was published in the Proche-Orient, Études en Management book. She then pursued a career in the hospitality industry but didn’t give up writing, that is why she launched the Four Points by Sheraton Le Verdun Newsletter. Her love for the industry and journalism led her to Hospitality Services - the organizers of the HORECA trade show in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan, as well as Salon Du Chocolat, Beirut Cooking Festival, Whisky Live and other regional shows. She is currently the Publications Executive of Hospitality News Middle East, Taste & Flavors and Lebanon Traveler. It is with ultimate devotion for her magazines that she demonstrates her hospitality savoir-faire.

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