Thursday Food had a quick catch up with featured Food Network Chef Dylan Benoit who was in the island recently handling guest chef duties for National Commercial Bank’s Grilling In The Garden, a celebration of fathers. The Canadian chef who is resident in the Cayman Islands tantalised taste buds with his signature Pork Belly Burnt Ends.

Thursday Food (TF): What inspired you to become a chef, and how did your Canadian background influence your culinary journey?

Chef Dylan Benoit (CDB): When I was growing up, my mum was a very good cook, so we always ate really well. I think that was the first source of inspiration and exposure to good-quality food. Once a week we would have a taco night or we would do sushi, so from a young age I was introduced to a lot of really international cuisine, and that kind of fuelled my love for cooking.

TF: As a Canadian-born chef now based in the Cayman Islands, how have the culture and ingredients influenced your cooking style?

CDB: As I got a bit older, I started to experiment more in the kitchen, and then I decided to go into cooking full-swing. I really draw a lot on international flavours because I have travelled quite a bit, but I do rely heavily on my upbringing and flavours from Canada and try to incorporate that in my food.

TF: What is the signature dish you’ll be preparing for NCB fathers?

CDB: Pork Belly Burnt EndsTF: How can we elevate our grill game?

CDB: The thing I always tell people is that when it comes to grilling, you need to manage your heat. That’s the biggest thing. A lot of people cook at too high a temperature, and items end up being charred or burned on the outside and then undercooked or raw on the inside. Learning how to control the heat using techniques like indirect heat, where the heat is on one side and your products on the other, is really going to elevate your grill game.

TF: What are some of your favourite dishes to prepare for special occasions like Father’s Day, and why?

CDB: Anytime I think of Father’s Day, the first thing that comes to mind is an Egg Benedict, so a toasted English Muffin or some type of bread or croissant, and then a poached egg, Hollandaise sauce of some nature, which you can also doctor up a little bit. You could add tarragon to make a Béarnaise, or you could add a little cayenne to spice it up. You could use jerk paste in there to make a jerk Hollandaise sauce, and then usually there is some kind of vegetable (sautéed spinach) or meat (steak, smoked salmon), or a combination of the two.

TF: How do you approach menu planning for events like NCB Father’s Day BBQ, ensuring a balance between creativity and meeting the guests’ preferences?

CDB: When handling an event like this, especially when you cooking in volume, the biggest thing is to get all of the risks done in preparation, not for the actual event. So when we show up, everything is already cooked and ready to go, but we have chosen our proteins strategically so that they can hold up very well without overcooking or drying out. For example, today I’m using pork belly. This morning we had everything cooked; it has a really nice fat content so it won’t dry out; it has been roasted so it’s nice and crispy tossed in sauce; and the longer it sits in that sauce, the better the flavour development. You need to be strategic with what you bring to an event like this because it’s going to last for several hours and you’re going to be cooking for a lot of people, you’re going to want the dish that goes out first to be the same as the last, and if you plan your menu right, it will be stress-free.

TF: Are there any particular flavours or spices from Jamaican cuisine that you find inspiring or enjoy working with?

CDB: I am using local pork from Copperwood Pork, local scallions, green onions, and local honey in the BBQ sauce.

TF: What do you hope guests will take away from the Father’s Day Brunch experience?

CDB: Anytime you’re cooking for people, whether you’re cooking for your dad or you’re coming here to see me cook for you, food always brings people together, and it not only nourishes the body but also your mind and soul. Every time there is food around, there’s inevitably good conversations and good interactions.

Photographer: Karl Mclarty