Desert is a Forest Tasting Session with BOCA.

Join us on Saturday, November 27, for a tasting session with award-winning chef Matthijs Stinnissen (BOCA, UAE). Inspired by five native UAE desert plants found in the Artist’s Garden commission, ‘Desert is a Forest’ at the Jameel Arts Centre, Stinnissen will demonstrate three recipes of his creation. Techniques of aging, pickling and fermenting will be used to create a salad dish, locally-based oyster entree, and infused Spanish olive oil. This tasting session is a contemporary take on five native desert plants that have been traditionally used in food or as medicine in the UAE.

Maximum capacity of 15 people per session (first come, first served).

The tasting session is part of Down to Earth, Jameel Arts Centre annual festival celebrating all things green.

About Chef Matthijs Stinnissen, Head Chef, BOCA

Spending time in Dubai under the attentive care of the UK’s, and perhaps the world’s, best chefs Aikens and Atherton, Matthijs has an unparalleled understanding of local ingredients and the varying palates of the Dubai and the UAE market. Joining award-winning Mediterranean restaurant BOCA in February 2018, he kept all the original elements that guests know and love while using his expertise and creativity to take its sustainability drive and menu quality and execution further. During his tenure at BOCA, the restaurant was one of five from the Arabian Gulf featured in the Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery guidebooks. These are the world’s first guides to truly showcase good, organic, sustainable, and ethical restaurants. BOCA was recognized for its efforts in sourcing locally, collaborating with local and regional fishermen and farmers in the UAE. Matthijs was recently awarded Head Chef of the Year at the Caterer Awards 2020 and Highly Commended Chef of the Year at the Caterer Awards 2021 for standalone restaurants. By using techniques such as fermenting, curing, dehydrating, aging, pickling to create new dishes and new dining experiences, Stinnissen can use ingredients to their full capacity and reduce waste significantly.

About BOCA

Tucked away in the heart of Dubai’s financial district, BOCA is a Modern European restaurant heavily influenced by Spanish cuisine and with a solid commitment to sustainability and local sourcing. We live in the desert, but the UAE is far from being a barren land. In addition to sourcing ingredients locally and supporting local farmers and fishers, we have stepped up our efforts to reduce waste with the help of our Waste Officer. We continuously audit our kitchen and bar operations, refuse single-use plastic from suppliers and to customers, operate a demand-driven inventory, and prefer working with like-minded partners across the value chain. BOCA is currently undergoing a Carbon Footprint audit by Dubai-based sustainability and carbon management consultancy elementsix.

For more information about BOCA, please click here.

COVID-19 Protocol: Jameel Arts Centre follows UAE government protocol when it comes to safety and hygiene. This is a socially distanced event held outdoors. All performers and attendees are required to wear a mask and undergo temperature checks.