Chef Watch – Stuart Muir, Dine, Edinburgh
CHEF WATCH
Featuring Stuart Muir, chef and co-proprietor of Dine, Edinburgh
How long have you been a chef?
I started work as a commis chef at age 16 so 35 years ago now …
Why did you become a chef?
I used to go fishing and shooting with my father when I was young and then would cook the bounty with my mother when I got home.
Favourite ingredient
It has to be rose harissa. I love rose harissa and preserved lemons. I always have a jar at home.
Favourite or signature dish
I don’t have a particular dish as I change all the time but I do love cooking with seafood, particularly scallops and langoustines.
Favourite kitchen tool or equipment (apart from sharp knives)
I love oysters so a good oyster knife is always at hand.
Food hero(es)
Rick Stein for his love of seafood and his travelogues.
Any food you can’t/won’t eat
I’m not a fan of tripe – it’s just the smell and texture.
Comfort food/guilty secret
I love eggs, from an omelette to a soft boiled – the best fast food after a long shift!
Stupidest customer or kitchen experience
I had a customer with a very extensive list of dietary requirements who was also vegan. We spoke several times before she came into the restaurant and I put together a dish that she could enjoy (and was able to eat). When she arrived at the restaurant, she changed her mind and ordered steak frites with garlic butter – which was pretty much everything on the list that she couldn’t eat!!
Dine, Edinburgh is on the first floor at 10 Cambridge Street, Edinburgh. Click here for the website. There is a bewildering selection of menus for different times of day and days of the week. Menus may vary but not the quality of the food. Tom Eats! has been a huge fan of Stuart Muir for many years, going back to his days at the Forth Floor at Harvey Nicks. In 2018 Dine featured in the top five of the year, scoring a whopping 22/25. If cocktails are your thing, sample The Martini Experience and learn to make your own. The website claims that Dine epitomises relaxed luxury. On The Side can confirm that it lives up to that boast.
***On The Side will return in September***