Gourmet Abu Dhabi extras

Daniel Patterson is the head chef and owner of COI, a two Michelin-starred restaurant in San Francisco, renowned for its use of local ingredients and innovative techniques. He will be cooking at 55 & 5th, The Grill at the St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi from   February 9-12; to wet appetites, he told us a little more about his food and what you can expect to be eating, should you attend one of his dinners.

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On his cooking style:

"My style is hard to describe. Generally, Californian, although our food does not much resemble other Californian cuisine. I look for direct, clear expressions of ingredients, used in interesting ways. We use new techniques and old ones as well, and try to express our culture and our place, while still retaining individuality. I am inspired by nature and also by people - not only chefs but artists, writers, so many others."

On the food that he will be serving at the St Regis:

"Many of our dishes are specific to our own ingredients and they don't travel well. So we chose dishes that we could adapt. One is a starter of rice crackers seasoned with dried seaweed and burnt onion, with sprouts, radish and avocado. It's really tasty, and also meant to be a little bit humorous - brown rice, sprouts and avocado are considered cliched California foods.

We embrace not only the place but the culture of where we live. Another dish is beef crusted in lichen, a plant that grows on trees. We serve it with coastal spinach, wild mushrooms and a sauce infused with native spices that we will bring, such as angelica root, bay and Monterey Cypress. It's a dish that represents our place, and it also references a classic French dish, so tradition and innovation at the same time".

On the dishes that he will be demonstrating at his masterclass on February 11

:

"We have a rice porridge dish that's great for home and a chocolate dessert. We want to talk to people about ways of thinking about food that will help them be better cooks".