Marco Terranova, Executive Chef at Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa, reveals his artistic bent and explains a Sicilian-Arabic connection.

What is your earliest food memory and what inspired you towards a life in kitchen?
I remember when I was a kid I looked into my family library that was full of books and encyclopedias. Sometimes I was opening the Curcio Editori La Cucina encyclopedia, 15 volumes of books covering culinary information and cocktails from all around the world. This is partially one of the reasons I chose to become a chef, but my main reason was because my spirt was directed towards artistic matters and painting was in my soul. My father encouraged me to study at a professional school and culinary school was the best option to allow me to express my artistic spirit.

Who is your kitchen hero – someone you would like to work with or learn from?
As my career has evolved, I have been inspired by so many chefs, probably I have also been so lucky to live in a period that has witnessed an explosion of television culinary shows. But the chef who inspires me the most is Heston Blumenthal.

How do you go about constructing a new menu?
It’s a technical process, I create the menus based on menu engineering analysis, I listen to the guests to find out what they are looking for and try to design creative menus with dishes that people will remember forever, always with my own twist. It is our duty as chefs to deliver the most tasteful experience to our clientele, ensuring their return.

What is your signature dish and what makes it popular?
I choose, as my signature dish, the Sicilian Cous Cous. It may sound strange but Sicily is well known for cous cous. For centuries Sicily has had a connection with Arabic culture and this is the reason why Sicily is a region of Italy with a lot of diversity compared to other areas. The sauce is a concentration of essences that are linked with Sicily from the freshness of the fish to the sweetness of the orange and tomato; the cous cous is seasoned with dry herbs and saffron. ✤