A Flavor Journey with Rixos Beldibi Chef Halil Alkan
For Rixos Beldibi guests, one of the most important details that make their holiday memorable is tasting the culinary delights at every meal of the day, no doubt. There is a talented team behind the wonderful flavors of course. Now sit back and enjoy the culinary journey we reached in the kitchen with Rixos Beldibi Chef Halil Alkan...
At 1979 Halil Alkan was born in Burdur, in a little town named “Yeşilbaş” known with its green nature. The secret behind his success is working with right people at the right place and time and is connected to the philosophy of being better than all the previous day.
Halil Alkan currently works for the Rixos Beldibi as Chef and also prepares and let our guests re-live lost and modified Turkish food.
We can make meals by ourselves, but to make this profession appropriate to reveal different people's tastes and flavors important to keep that bar is pretty hard to craft consistently than anything else. Why did you choose such a profession?
How could a doctor if experiencing the greatest happiness in the world when it heals a patient, it also goes for our profession too. When your food gets appreciated by someone, it gives us pleasure and happiness in the same way, and it drags you to new flavors and new happiness.
Is there any easy and difficult aspects of working as a chef in the kitchen?
In fact, kitchen is a form of art, and we are -the cooks- is artists. Actually I can say we’re romantic artists too. Therefore, we must attach great importance to the work we do. Our kitchen, where we produce these works are hot and dangerous areas aswell. You must provide one hundred percent of domination in the kitchen and do not damage your health or your work.
Each region has its own tastes and cooking methods. Which cuisine you most enjoy cooking?
It is absolutely the Turkish cuisine, because this kitchen has a wide selection of foods. In this geography, you can reach every food 12 months a year. We have the most valuable spices that flavor the world to eat. Fresh spices are the factor that fascinates me the most.
You are practicing a very popular profession. While you could work in many different places, what was the thing that attracted you to work at Rixos?
If you are a good chef, when someone tries to put limits on what you are doing, it can push you to the state of fatigue and resentment. Rixos’ value given to the kitchen and the chef removes all boundaries.
You are a famous Chef. Are you cooking at home?
I love cooking as far as i can remember. My wife is a daughter of Uzbek and that country's food is also great like ours. I’m feeling lucky to be married with my wife.
What are the essential ingredients that you use in during the cooking?
I prefer to use organic and fresh ingredients. Butter made by villagers and fresh spices are my favourites. If you use fresh and organic ingredient, then you don’t need sweetening and promoter that much.
What are the favourite meals and deserts of your guests?
I cannot really decide, but if the cook pours his/her soul to what he/she does, all the meals are delicious. Yet we don’t want to say goodbyes to our guests without making them taste our delicious kebabs, casserole meals and crispy baklava.
And lastly, could you please share a desert recipe which we can easily cook with ingredients at home?
Of course. I can give you an easy “Apple Pie” recipe.
APPLE PIE
Ingredients:
200 gr. White wheat (1,5 cups)
65 gr. Castor sugar (3 spoons)
70 gr. Butter or margarin
1 egg
Vanilla (half of a tea spoon)
Hazelnut powder or walnut powder
DIRECTIONS:
All ingredients are worked till they get as thick as earlobe. Half of them are kept for later use, and the other half sprinkled to the cup.
MIXTURE:
Grated apple – 2 of them
Cinnamon powder – 2 tea spoons
Granulated sugar – 2 spoons
Walnut or trail mix
The mixture is added onto the pie crusts, and covered with the remaining half of it (pie crusts). You can cook for 30 minutes at 180 degree oven and serve it.
You can add castor sugar or jam on the pie as you like.
Enjoy it.
Our talented chef Halil Alkan is ready for his new guests. We suggest you to do your reservation if you want to spend your holiday at Rixos Beldibi with delicious tastes.
If you would like to watch last Diamond Chefs' Festival in Rixos, just click here