Carlos Cabrera was born in Tenerife, but spent his childhood in Lanzarote. After a great journey working in kitchens around the world, Meliá contacted him to be the head chef of the new Paradisus concept at the Hotel Salinas in Costa Teguise. Cabrera couldn't believe his luck, that he would return to the island of which he had such good memories.
In an interview with the radio program Mas de Uno Gourmet of Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero, Cabrera explains the responsibilities of an executive chef in a five-star hotel, with more than 70 people in his charge, and announces the upcoming opening to the public of the hotel's restaurant specializing in local gastronomy, 'La Graciosa'.
- How did you get started in the world of cooking?
I was born in Tenerife, but I grew up here in Lanzarote until I was eleven years old, then I returned to Tenerife with my family. I didn't like studying and suddenly I had to do military service, so I decided to study cooking. When I was little it didn't appeal to me, but once inside I started to like it.
- What has been your career path to becoming the chef of the Paradisus?
After studying cooking and pastry, I started an internship in a hotel working in a restaurant as an assistant, then I was a cook, head of department... Then I went to Barcelona and with Meliá I got the opportunity to go to the Caribbean, to the Paradisus in Punta Cana. Afterwards I went to Qatar and due to fate, I returned home, to the Canary Islands.
- What is it like to work in the kitchen in other countries?
It's lucky. On the one hand, all hotels have a little bit of international gastronomy and on the other hand, I have always tried to learn from the best in the area.
In the Dominican Republic we had good Peruvian chefs, we had a pizzaiolo, who was one of the best in Italy. When I went to Qatar we had a restaurant that was advised by Sanjeev Kapoor, an eminence in Hindu cuisine and there I was every day stuck to him.
- How did the opportunity to return to Lanzarote as head chef arise?
After returning from Qatar I was in Tenerife working in hotels. I decided to set up a personal project, and the truth is that it didn't go as well as I expected, and suddenly, they call me from Lanzarote. Are you seriously calling me from Lanzarote? I said. An island that I have a special affection for, the island where I grew up. I said yes, Lanzarote yes.
A very ambitious project, new, a rebranding of an emblematic hotel in Lanzarote, a very interesting project.
- What is it like to present a completely new menu for a five-star hotel?
Luckily we work with corporate teams that give us a base. In our case, for example, we have the La Graciosa restaurant, where we are advised by Germán Ortega, who has a Michelin star.
We have made a menu with products that we can work with on the island, focused on the international client and also a little bit on the island client, working that zero kilometer.
- Is the La Graciosa restaurant at the Paradisus going to open to the public of Lanzarote?
Not yet, but in the middle of this year or before it will open to the public of Lanzarote, we will offer slightly different dinners.
- How many people are in your charge?
Right now there are 73 in the team, between cooks and dishwashers.
- What are the responsibilities of an executive chef?
The main thing is that the dish arrives as you designed it, that certain parameters are met, a recipe, cooking times, that the staff is focused, especially that they are healthy, that nothing is left behind.
Today we have to be very focused on seeing especially elaboration processes. A head chef has to know everything, also about nutrition.
- What is the most difficult personalized diet you have been asked for?
A client who came for seven days asked us for a paleo diet, that is, nothing processed, all natural, you can't cook in an oven, they are complicated elaboration processes.
- How do you make a dessert? Well, maybe with dates, with avocado, with cocoa...
We suffered, but the client left very grateful, because we managed to do things that he had not tried.
