Challenge Yourself: Master 5 New Superyacht Chef Techniques To Become Better Prepared For The Next Season

The season is over, or almost, and you deserve the rest you’ve earned. But soon enough, you may start to feel restless. Once you’re back in your galley from your well-deserved holiday, it’ll be time to experiment and push yourself in new culinary directions. Challenge yourself to complete one (or all) of the recipes below! Here’s a guide to mastering five techniques, from the easiest to the most challenging.

Just remember, there are thousands of recipes for everything; this is Montclair Chef’s short selection of tried and tested ones. Make it your own and play with different recipes if these don’t suit you.

Let’s get cooking!

---

1. Make Your Own Butter (Easy)

Why It’s Easy:

Butter is made by churning cream until it separates into butter and buttermilk. All you need is good quality heavy cream, a bit of muscle (or a stand mixer), and some patience.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 500 ml heavy cream (organic is always better)
• Pinch of salt (optional)

Instructions:

1. Pour the heavy cream into a stand mixer or blender.
2. Mix on a low setting, then gradually increase the speed.
3. After 5-10 minutes, the cream will thicken and separate into butter and buttermilk.
4. Strain the buttermilk* and rinse the butter under cold water.
5. Squeeze the butter to remove excess liquid and add salt if desired.
6. Shape, wrap, and refrigerate.

Quick idea: Mix softened butter with chopped herbs, black garlic, yuzu or kaffir lime zest, or chopped seaweed for an easy flavoured butter to impress guests.

*Use buttermilk as a marinade for fried chicken—its acidity tenderises the meat, while the tangy flavour adds depth. Marinate for a few hours, then dredge in seasoned flour for the crispiest, juiciest fried chicken!

---

2. Make Gummy Bears (Accessible)

Why It’s Accessible:

Making gummy bears requires precision, but it’s easy to achieve using simple ingredients like gelatin and flavouring. Plus, it’s fun and customisable.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 120 ml fruit juice (your choice)
• 2 tablespoons gelatin powder
• 2 tablespoons honey or sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a small saucepan, heat the fruit juice and honey (or sugar) on low heat until warm but not boiling.
2. Slowly whisk in the gelatin until fully dissolved.
3. Add the lemon juice for extra tang if desired.
4. Pour the mixture into silicone gummy bear moulds.
5. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours until set, then pop the gummies out of the moulds and enjoy!

Quick idea: Add unusual flavours like rosemary or bergamot essence for a creative twist.

---

3. Make Kombucha (Intermediate)

Why It’s Intermediate:

Kombucha involves fermentation, requiring some care and time. You’ll work with a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) to ferment sweet tea into a fizzy, tangy drink that is great for your gut bacteria.

Important: Use filtered or spring water to avoid chlorine and impurities, ensuring healthy fermentation.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 litres water
• 4 black or green tea bags
• 200 g sugar
• 240 ml starter kombucha (from the previous batch or store-bought to speed up the process, not essential)
• 1 SCOBY (see short recipe below)

Instructions:

1. Boil the water and steep the tea bags for 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the sugar until dissolved, then let the tea cool to room temperature.
3. Pour the tea into a large jar, add the starter kombucha and SCOBY.
4. Cover with a cloth and let ferment for 7-10 days at room temperature (best between 22°C and 27°C).
5. Taste after 7 days to see if it’s reached your desired level of tanginess.
6. Remove the SCOBY and bottle the kombucha. Store in the fridge.

Short Recipe for SCOBY:

Ingredients:

• 240 ml store-bought, unflavoured kombucha (raw and unpasteurised)
• 2 tea bags (black or green tea)
• 50 g sugar
• 500 ml water

Instructions:

1. Brew the tea and dissolve the sugar in 500 ml of boiling water.
2. Let the tea cool to room temperature.
3. Add the store-bought kombucha to the sweetened tea and cover with a cloth.
4. Leave in a warm, dark spot for 1-2 weeks until a jelly-like SCOBY forms on top.

Quick idea: Try flavouring kombucha with hibiscus flowers and fresh ginger for a tangy, floral twist.

---

4. Make Sourdough Bread (Advanced)

Why It’s Advanced:

Sourdough requires a live starter, long fermentation times, and patience. Perfecting the texture and timing the rise are the main challenges.

Sourdough Starter: Mix 100 g flour with 100 g water and let sit for 24 hours. Discard half daily and feed with 100 g flour and 100 g water for 5-7 days until bubbly and active.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 240 g sourdough starter
• 500 g strong bread flour
• 350 ml water
• 10 g salt

Instructions:

1. Mix the sourdough starter, flour, and water until a sticky dough forms.
2. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes, then mix in the salt.
3. Cover and let the dough rise at room temperature for 4-6 hours, folding the dough every 30 minutes.
4. Shape the dough into a round or oval and place it in a proofing basket.
5. Proof in the fridge overnight.
6. The next day, preheat the oven to 230°C. Heat a Dutch oven inside.
7. Transfer the dough into the Dutch oven and bake for 20 minutes with the lid on, then 20 minutes with the lid off.
8. Cool before slicing.

---

5. Make Croissants (Expert-Level)

Why It’s Expert-Level:

Croissant-making is all about laminating dough with butter to create layers. It’s time-consuming and requires precision, but the flaky, buttery result is worth the effort. Be prepared—if you master this, you might be making them daily for yacht guests!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 500 g all-purpose flour
• 250 ml milk
• 120 ml water
• 50 g sugar
• 10 g instant yeast
• 9 g salt
• 225 g unsalted butter, cold
• 1 egg (for egg wash)

Instructions:

1. Mix the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, milk, and water to form a dough. Chill for 1 hour.
2. Roll the butter into a flat rectangle between parchment paper and chill.
3. Roll the dough into a large rectangle and place the butter in the centre. Fold the dough over the butter.
4. Roll the dough out and fold it into thirds. Chill for 30 minutes. Repeat this process 3-4 times.
5. Roll out the dough and cut it into triangles. Roll each triangle from the wide end to the tip to form croissants.
6. Proof for 2 hours, then brush with egg wash.
7. Bake at 190°C for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Quick idea: Try adding a stick of chocolate before rolling the dough to make pain au chocolate, or use croissant dough to create unique burger buns!

---

Conclusion

“Failure is the stepping stone to success.”

There is no need to do even one of these fun recipes. Sometimes reading about how something is made can boost your creativity and help you think of new ideas. Some of them are so easy that it would be sad if you didn’t try (gummy bears are a fun one), and if you have never made any of these recipes, I strongly advise you to do at least one. It is fun and this is exactly how you grow as a chef. If you were working in a restaurant, you would have no choice but to read and execute the recipe, and this forced mise en place list is what makes you a strong chef.

And if you worry about failing, remember that everyone fails before they succeed – “Failure is the stepping stone to success.” So keep failing and you will be successful.

Good luck, chefs!

---

Montclair Chef specialises in Yacht Crew and Private Chef recruitment globally.

Connect with Chris Demaillet on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisdemaillet/

Montclair Chef website: https://www.montclairchef.com/

---

To keep up to date with the latest Superyacht Content News, click here.

Sign up to our Newsletter below: