Chef Spotlight: Chef Chirino
The Bluehouse KitchenJun 9 2022
Hailing from Antofagasta, Chile, Chef Christian Chirino is the executive chef at TUR Kitchen, an upscale Eastern Mediterranean concept located in Coral Gables’s signature Giralda Plaza. Before launching a remarkable career of cooking across Santiago, Paris and now Miami, Chef Chirino formally trained in his native country, where he was confident about pursuing a future in the culinary arts since he was a teenager.
“When I was 16, I understood the importance of sharing the table, and I discovered that cooking for others is like sharing a part of yourself,” Chef Chirino said. “My experience started in the world–renowned Michelin Star restaurant Le Chateaubriand (Paris, France). I then moved to different restaurants in Europe, expanding my knowledge and learning about the different culinary traditions. I also worked in Latin America as a Corporate Chef for a corporation. Now, as Executive Chef at TUR Kitchen, a Mediterranean restaurant in Coral Gables, I am able to express my passion for fresh ingredients and sustainability working hand in hand with local farms, both green and ‘blue.’”
We asked Chef Chirino about his signature dish and what he thinks customers love about it. His response? “My menu is changing by the season and I have a favorite dish for each season. The latest Spring & Summer menu includes the Bluehouse Salmon Mi-Cuit with fresh asparagus veloute, tomato confit and micro sprouts. We cook the salmon at a very low temperature for approximately 90 minutes. This allows the fish to be fully cooked while maintaining the texture of a raw fish. Our guests enjoy the texture and the combination of the flavors. It is so much easier to feature a recipe once you start with a great fresh product. The fresh salmon allows me to be creative and maintain the great flavor profile of the fish.”
When asked about some of his favorite ways to season and cook Bluehouse Salmon, he advised, “Keep it simple. The protagonist is the fresh salmon; I like to serve it as a ‘crudo’ by simply adding freshness with grapes, acidity with mustard seeds, a touch of spiciness with guindilla pearls, and finding the balance with the delicate white garlic veloute. Perfectly balanced and ideal for the summer.”
What’s coming up next for Chef Chirino that he’s excited about? “Every season is a new start! All the new products available from the local farmers are an abundance of opportunities. Every season I’m discovering something new, and this excites me and my team,” he said.
When it comes to sustainable protein options like Bluehouse Salmon and shopping local, Chef Chirino didn’t hesitate to share his thoughts: “That’s my priority. Support local, fresh products, sustainable products. That’s why I have relationships with over 12 farms. I strongly believe that sustainability in the supply chain is the utmost reward for both chefs and consumers.”
