Yorkshire-born Donovan Cooke has an impressive background. He worked with Michel Roux at the Waterside Inn and at Harvey’s for Marco Pierre White, where he became head chef at 23. He has also worked at the three-star Michelin restaurant La Cote St Jacques in France.

In the early 1990’s, he moved to Australia and opened est est est and in 2002 Ondine, both restaurants won critical acclaim and numerous awards. He was also named Chef of the Year twice (2003, 2004) by a leading Australian restaurant guide. In 2005, he was recognised as Honorary Commandeur of La Commanderie des Cordons Blues de France for his culinary achievements. He has been in his current position since 2004.

WOM sat down for a chat with this friendly and talented chef to learn more about the creative process, his love of slow cooking and his thoughts on Michelin stars. He also shares a recipe for his signature salmon confit from the award-winning cookbook Food Art. 

Why did you become a chef?
My parents divorced when I was around nine and I had to cook for Dad, which I enjoyed. At 15, I thought I would become a bricklayer like my father but there were no jobs. I joined a youth training scheme instead and this led to my first kitchen job. I quickly feel in love with cooking.

How would you describe your cuisine and what is the philosophy behind it?
Classic French food but done and executed in a modern way. I create dishes that have extra dimensions that stimulate the senses.

My philosophy is to buy the best quality ingredients and treat them with the utmost respect.

In addition, everything on the plate is part of the whole so the textures need to be perfect and attention to detail is paramount.



I put a lot of effort into training staff as I insist that my staff cook the food perfectly, it only takes one second to overcook something. I don’t want to flash something in a salamander.

Why do you think you received the French award and how did it make you feel?
My style is very French and I have worked on various projects with the French government. I have always been passionate about my work and this combined with my talent and attention to detail were reasons why I was given the award.

This award is a great honour. Being recognised always makes you feel good but it is important not to let it go to your head as you can always get better.

Talk me through your creative process when you develop a new dish.
I begin in the kitchen with a blank mind and allow new ideas to come. I ignore any pressure to come up with a new dish.

The starting point is the coming season as I change the menu inline with the seasons. For example, it is now spring and spring makes me think of crab. From that I thought of ham, plus cantaloupe melon, plus crab, but because the ham and melon combination has been around since the year dot I needed to create something new with these ingredients.

I came up with a melon “mirror”, a gel of melon on the bottom of the dish. I combined the crab with apple and Iberico ham, which is placed on top of the mirror. To balance the flavours I created a muscat and melon juice shooter to accompany. The final result is the Dungeness Crab Salad.

A vital part of the process is to envisage eating all the ingredients together instead of separately. I also think about what it is going to taste like in the mouth.

What is one of your signature dishes?
Confit Salmon, it is always on the menu regardless of the season. However I change what it is served with, for example in spring I lighten the dish with ingredients such as baby fennel and asparagus, while in winter I would give it a heavier treatment, for example the addition of foie gras.

Overall my signature is slow, low-temperature cooking, which I became a fan of when I worked at the Waterside 22 years ago. The end result is a melt-in-your-mouth taste and a creamy or succulent inner texture. Texture on the outside can be achieved by briefly using high temperature cooking at the end.

How has the food at the restaurant changed since you came onboard?
Dramatically! The entire menu was changed within six weeks.

I had to show the staff the “correct” way and had to take it back to the basics, teaching how to make everything, from the stock to the sauce to the dish itself.

Also there was no consistency, no set recipes, which is vital. The difference between a restaurant with no Michelin stars and a 3-star Michelin restaurant is consistent reproduction of a dish.



The first year was the toughest because I had come from my own restaurant to working for a private club with club rules. I had to “convert” the members who had been used to the previous way and I had to also accept that members influence the dishes. Eventually I gained their trust through tasting menus and now many members no longer order from the al a carte menu, instead they want me to create something new or choose the daily tasting menu. I enjoy this as it keeps my mind young.

What makes a great menu?
Balance. That is, no matter how often you dine at a restaurant there is always something to try and a choice of dishes that meets all tastes and sophistications.

Some members dine here every evening.

Have you achieved all you set out to achieve at the Derby?
It is important not to get complacent as a chef so there is always more to achieve. I try to continually do things better, everything can always be done better.



You achieved a lot as a chef at a young age, what is left for you to achieve professionally, for example would you like a Michelin star?
I made a bad decision when I decided to go to Australia after France. I believe that if I had returned to the UK instead I would have two or three Michelin stars by now. I could have been as successful as Gordon Ramsey or Marco Pierre White.

The restaurants I had in Melbourne were a culinary success. They were voted best restaurant, and I received ‘Three Chef’s Hat’ recognition (the highest ranking) at 25 from a leading Australian restaurant guide, as well as Best Chef twice, but there was not enough people in Melbourne at that time that had money to spend and so we lost the restaurants.

I have been a chef in Michelin star restaurants but they were not mine so I will never be considered the same as a Michelin-star chef. It is just the cards I have been dealt.



It is not too late to achieve a star.
It is too late. I would have to start again as a no-name, work extremely long hours, make a substantial financial investment and make a huge commitment, it might even result in another divorce.

I am too old to sacrifice everything, instead I would rather nurture talented young staff. Although, if someone wants to set me up I will win them stars.

I do consider the food at the Derby to be 2-3 star food.

Is Marco Pierre White really the bad boy he is made out to be?
He is a madman and hard but also a very gifted genius with incredible attention to detail. In some ways working with him changes your personality, in a sense you become him.

The workday was always long (19-20hrs) but this helped with developing speed. The experience was a huge learning curve.

I learnt a lot from him. At the Waterside I learnt that I wanted to cook, this was the beginning, while working for Marco Pierre White was the finishing school. I won the third Michelin star for him.



Who do you consider the three best chefs in the world and why?
The self-taught Heston Blumenthal and Ferran Adria because they always make you think. They are today’s Escoffiers. I don’t always agree with them but they always make me think.

Also, Michel Roux because he cooks from his heart.

What is your favourite comfort food?
I like junk food, but good junk food like a great burger from places such as Shake ‘Em Buns. I also like a good steak and go to Outback Grill for steak and beers. At home, I enjoy simple pasta dishes made with quality ingredients.

While I like food served at high-end restaurants it is not relaxing for me to eat at those places on days off because I am always comparing.

What advice would you give to people considering a career as a chef?
It is not easy and takes dedication. It is long hours and in the beginning you may not get the encouragement needed, which will make you either learn from it or leave. And, don’t ever give in to the pressure of bullies because when you get it right you will feel 10 feet tall and bullet proof, and all the negative feedback just disappears.

On the positive side, every day is new.

Postscript – If you are not a member of the HKJC I strongly urge you to befriend one so that you can try the delicious food being created by Donovan.

by Vicki Williams
March 2008

Recipe
Donovan Cooke’s Olive Oil Confit of Salmon with a Ragout of Fresh Soya Beans, Tomato and Scallion, a Radish and Ginger Salad, Blood Orange Reduction and Coriander Oil
Serves 4



Ingredients
600gms Salmon Fillet (trimmed)
2 Litres Virgin olive oil

Ragout of Soya Beans
40gms Scallions, chopped
100gms Fresh soya beans
1 Clove garlic, chopped
2 Tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped
120ml Cream
20g Unsalted butter

Coriander Oil
200gms Coriander, blanched and then plunged into ice water
100ml Olive oil

Blood Orange Reduction
500mls Blood orange juice
30gms Butter
30ml Cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish
120ml Pickled ginger dressing (see below)
40gms Scallions, thinly sliced
20gms Red radish, cut into matchsticks
20gms Pickled ginger (see below)
40gms Carrots, cut into matchsticks
5gms Coriander leaves
Sea salt

Pickled Ginger
200g sugar
300ml raspberry vinegar
200ml water
70g Orange zest
10 Black peppercorns
10 Coriander seeds
5 Cardamom seeds
150g Ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

Pickled Ginger Vinaigrette
100ml Pickled ginger juice
1 Scallion, thinly sliced
Zest of ¼ Grapefruit
30g Dijon mustard
150ml Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Salmon
Trim the salmon to remove all the blood lines under the skin (for presentation as well as the texture). Shape salmon to ensure even thickness. Pre-heat deep pan with the oil to 65ºC and lower in salmon, presentation side up. It is best to half cook the salmon and rest it in a warm place covered with plastic kitchen wrap, then finish cooking just before serving (it takes 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish).

For the Ragout
Sweat scallions and garlic in butter, add peeled soya beans and cream then bring to a boil, and reduce to amount that just coats the soya beans, then add tomatoes and mix well.

For Coriander Oil
Blend coriander with olive oil until well mixed.

For Blood Orange Reduction
Pour orange juice in small pan and reduce, add cream and whisk in butter. Season.

For Garnish
Place all the ingredients in a bowl ready to be dressed with pickled ginger vinaigrette.

For the Pickled Ginger
Place sugar, vinegar, water, zest, peppercorns, coriander and cardamom seeds in a pan and bring to boil. Add ginger slices and simmer for 15 minutes. Place syrup in an airtight jar and allow to cool. After it has cooled seal the jar and store in fridge. Yields 500ml.

For the Vinaigrette
Strain pickled ginger juice, whisk in mustard, scallion and zest, adding olive oil slowly until it begins to thicken. Add a little ginger juice to thin and then remaining oil, followed by remaining ginger juice. Season. Yields 500ml.

To Serve
Finish cooking salmon in oil (best served as medium rare). Set the ragout on a serving plate and drizzle coriander oil on one side of the plate and blood orange reduction on the other side. Remove salmon from oil, pat dry and sprinkle with sea salt. Place on top of ragout. Toss garnish ingredients with vinaigrette and arrange on top of salmon. Serve immediately.