Swiss-born Anton Mosimann is known throughout the world for his culinary expertise, and has held many prestigious positions, and received many accolades during his career. In 1985 he created “cuisine naturelle”, a healthy style of cooking with flavour, and in 1988 he opened his self-titled private dining club, in Belgravia, London. Today, very much a chef in demand, Mosimann travels the globe creating, cooking and masterminding events. He is a regular guest chef with Crystal Cruises, and on a cruise aboard the Crystal Serenity from Istanbul to Athens, he created some of his favourite dishes in a demonstration for guests. Mosimann talks to Ultimate Travel about his experiences of travelling and cooking at sea.

“Early in my career, I decided the only way forward for me was to work for the best chefs and in the best restaurants, so that lead me to travel a lot at a young age. Today, everywhere I go in the world, I always make sure I check out the local market to see what produce is fresh. This is the best way to get a feel for the food and the culture of a place, and the market will give you inspiration on how to prepare and cook food in that particular part of the world. Cooking is all about timing, so when I am cooking at a venue, wherever it is, the first question I always ask is how far the kitchen is from the dining room. This is because my food doesn't travel. It is meant to be cooked and eaten right away. On cruise ships, therefore, that can be a big challenge. Another challenge is cooking when there is motion! On board today’s top cruise ships, the standards are very high, the kitchens are fantastic to work in, and the chefs are extremely professional. Compared to cooking in a restaurant, one of the differences I notice is that you see 400 people sit down to dinner all at once, and an hour later they leave. But it's always well organised. When you cook for a large number of people like that, it's all about planning. I plan the food according to the venue, the location and the part of the world you're in. But yes, sometimes that’s quite a challenge."

Recipe supplied by chef Anton Mosimann:

Grilled Scallops With Vegetable Ragout

16 fresh scallops (in shell)
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
A few small sprigs of fresh basil to garnish
1 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
1 small yellow zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
1 small red capsicum, seeded
1 small yellow capsicum, seeded
1 small green capsicum, seeded
1 small egg plant
4 tbsp olive oil
3 medium tomatoes, skinned, seeded and diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
4 fresh basil leaves, finely shredded

Open the scallops with the tip of a small strong knife, then scoop them off the half shell with a soup spoon. Remove the debris and wash briefly but thoroughly to remove all the grit.  Trim and pat dry, then brush the scallops with olive oil and season lightly. Set aside in a cool place until needed.

To make the ragout, dice all the vegetables, then heat the olive oil in a pan and sauté with the diced tomato and garlic for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the shredded basil. Keep hot or allow to cool as the ragout can be served hot or cold.

Preheat the grill to high, and grill the scallops for 20 seconds on each side. To serve, arrange the scallops on a bed of the vegetable ragout and garnish with basil.

Serves four