QUAY TO HAPPINESS
French chef Didier Dejean’s restaurant in Aberdeen harbour is a beacon for seafood lovers
The Silver Darling is a Mecca for seafood lovers in the north east
When I ask Didier Dejean where his love of food comes from, he laughs. ‘Well, I’m French, so…’ The Aberdeen-based chef has been sharing his passion for food since he opened his seafood restaurant The Silver Darling in 1986. Situated in the old customs house, it has views out over the harbour and a focus on modern, elegant seafood.
In his still-strong French accent, Didier elaborates: ‘Really, the love of food comes from my parents. They both used to cook a lot. They were not chefs, but the whole family – my parents, my aunt, my uncle – all really loved food and we used to enjoy it together, all around the table having a long, beautiful meal.’
Originally from Millau in southern France, Didier started to cook when he was 12, helping his mother. Her traditional approach still has an influence. ‘I think probably more now,’ he says, ‘because people like simple food, not too complicated. I think things are coming back to simple, fresh ingredients, and not too many ingredients.’
After catering school and a stint in a local restaurant, Didier worked in Paris before following a colleague to Aberdeen. ‘The first time I came to Aberdeen was 1978. I must have been 19. I stayed a few months, then went back to France and did my national service in the Navy. I came back to Aberdeen in 1984 and I have been here since.
‘The fish market was pretty busy. I thought there was an opportunity to open a seafood restaurant. Then you couldn’t get mussels – people didn’t like them, or oysters or monkfish. I remember the fishermen used to throw the monkfish back in the sea.’
As the oil industry developed, things changed. ‘Before the oil, Aberdeen was like a big village,’ Didier says, ‘and then, boom, the oil arrived, and thousands of people came with new ideas and it changed a lot.’
The original emphasis on fresh, local produce is still in place today. Inspiration for new dishes comes from travel and eating out. ‘If you go to a restaurant, you take a little idea from a dish and then you do the dish in your own way,’ Didier says. ‘I like to eat out, but I try not to go to the same places. The problem in Aberdeen now is there are a lot of chains.’
Luckily, Didier still offers an alternative – a personal take on local produce with a side order of French flair.