In a nutshell, Chef Andrea Sendon Alonso: ‘The first time I tried to make Sourdough the birds didn’t even want to have a go at it’

Andrea Sendon Alonso was appointed new Restaurant Chef onboard Fingal Hotel in 2024 to lead its two AA Rosette restaurant in Edinburgh. Andrea is originally from Galicia in north-west Spain, which shares its fame with Scotland for the world’s finest quality seafood. 

What’s the closest thing you have to a signature dish:

Over the years I’ve developed my own vegetarian red wine jus recipe. It’s rich and punchy, and really gets people talking. Also, the crab dish we currently have on the menu is now a signature dish.

Describe your style of cuisine in ten words:

Passionate, classic, honest, seasonal.

Best and/or most memorable meal you’ve ever eaten:

I celebrated my 27th birthday at a restaurant called Gundel in Budapest, which is the most famous restaurant in the city. Gundel is 130 years old and serves traditional Hungarian cuisine with original flavours. This fine dining venue is also well known for its live music and excellent wines. The food, service and atmosphere is exceptional. I still remember the steak tartare and live orchestra with violins. 

Worst/weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten:

Pork chops. I usually love pork, as my grandma used to keep pigs on the farm, but I once ordered a pork chop in a well-known restaurant, and it was the worst thing ever. Dry and chewy. I couldn’t eat it. 

Worst thing you’ve ever cooked:

The first time I tried to make Sourdough. I could have used that loaf as a weapon. Hard and compact, the birds didn’t even want to have a go at it. 

What’s the dish that you’re most proud of having cooked:

It was the dish I first cooked at home for my husband – red mullet in a red wine sauce with cockles and saffron potatoes. It’s been 10 years. I might give it a go on Fingal soon. 

Favourite ingredient (could be an ingredient or spice which transforms dishes) :

It has to be sherry vinegar. It really lifts all kinds of sauces, but you must use it sparingly.

Your go-to recipe book:

Restaurant Nathan Outlaw. Not only does it have good recipes in it, but I also use it as a guide for seasonal products.

What other country’s cuisine really excites and intrigues you?

Italy. I always go for pasta dishes with big flavours and rich aromas. I think pasta is so versatile and can always be a good addition to a dish.

Most you’ve ever paid for a meal:

My wedding meal. Never seen a bill that big in my life, but it was for all our guests and it was worth every penny. It was in a restaurant that dates back to 1840. They’ve been using the same traditional braised beef shin recipe since the day they opened, generation after generation. 

Your favourite Scottish chef:

Roy Brett, owner of Edinburgh’s renowned Ondine Restaurant. I was a chef at Ondine for almost two years. He’s had a huge influence on my culinary career.  

Favourite chef outside Scotland:

Martín Berasategui. He is a Spanish chef from the Basque country. I not only admire him for his dozen Michelin stars, he is a character and a very humble chef. His favourite word ‘garrote’, which in Basque means ‘effort, enthusiasm and perseverance with which something is done’, a phrase that has guided my entire career.

Who taught you to cook or ignited your passion for food as a youngster:

When I was just 16 years old, I was able to get some work experience in my uncle’s restaurant in Spain. It’s where I got my first taste for the restaurant and hospitality industry. 

Most important lesson a young chef can learn:

Listen to the advice and tips you are given by your mentors. Learn what to do and what not to do in the kitchen, there is a lesson to learn from every mistake.

The most important person in your development as a professional chef:

My uncle Luis was the one who introduced me to the world of hospitality when I didn’t even know how to fry an egg. It was tough. I wasn’t a very good student, but everything changed when he pushed me to go to the cookery school. That moment changed my life. 

Best thing about the industry:

The best thing for me is the friends you make on the journey. I’ve gained friends for life at every venue where I’ve cooked.

Worst thing about the industry:

It can sometimes be a challenge to demonstrate the true value of the dishes featured on the menu. I always try to meet with guests and share the stories of our great food and drink producers and suppliers. 

What’s the biggest sin a chef can commit:

Not to taste their food before they serve it. How else will you know if your dish tastes good or not? 

What do you eat when you’re at home:

My husband is the Spanish tortilla master. In 10 years, I have never done one at home. He is not a chef, but a very accomplished home cook. I’m also a big fan of barbecuing, especially fish. I’ve been known to barbecue in winter, even if it’s snowing outside. 

Celebrity guest or your perfect dinner party – who would you most like to cook for:  

It would have to be the American actor, Jane Fonda. I love her.

Tell me a something about you that virtually no-one knows:

I’m a big football fan and used to play five-a-side football in Spain from the age of five until I was 18 years old, then the decision had to be made and becoming a chef won the battle. 

What’s your favourite wine?

Terras Gauda Albariño wine from my home region of Galicia in Spain.

Your spirit of choice?

A classic Hendrick’s gin and tonic, served with a slice of cucumber.

Do you play music in the kitchen and, if so, what’s your go-to track or artist:

I’m a rock girl. I’ve been a big fan of Australian rock band, AC/DC for years and my godfather has been playing Guns and Roses to me since I was born. The song in my head every time we are about to head for a busy service is Livin’ on a prayer Bon Jovi. That said, I am not a big fan of music in the kitchen, I keep it for special days. 

If you weren’t a chef, what would you be:

A footballer or horse rider.

Read more Reviews here.

Subscribe to read the latest issue of Scottish Field.