Driss Mellal was born in a small town in the south of Morocco, near the beautiful Dades valley. His love for cooking started at the age of 20, when he was in art school in southern France.
He missed Moroccan food and flavours and so started cooking and experimenting himself. After graduating from art school, he didn’t work in the arts as planned, but instead went to culinary school.
“I finally got to combine my art background with new cooking skills, and it became the start of a new life for me”, Driss says.
After several years of working abroad in France and Spain, he decided to return home and start a new cooking adventure in Morocco.
“What inspires me in Moroccan cuisine is definitely small villages or nomads cuisine because this is where we find the most fusion and fresh ingredients, as people there use only what they have around them or what they produce themselves.”
Driss loves Moroccan food.
“One of my favourite Moroccan dishes is a Northern dish. It’s a mix of fish cooked in a tagine with a fusion of spices and herbs. We find similar recipes in Greece and southern France.”
Similar to Moroccan cooking, Mediterranean cuisine is full of rich flavours and diverse ingredients.
“Mediterranean food for me is a festival of colours and flavours. A mix of fresh veggies and few spices with fresh seafood is the perfect combination,” Driss says. “What excites me about Mediterranean food is the freshness as we can see in the recipes,” he adds. “Sometimes the only ingredients we add to local or seasonal products are salt and olive oil and Voila!”
At RootedEveryday, we believe sustainable cooking starts outside the kitchen. Driss enjoys going to the market to see what’s there. “Sustainable cooking for me is absolutely dependent on using local products and working with local farmers,” he says.
Driss is now based in Marrakech and is the chef and owner of his own catering business called Marrakech Gastronmy. He loves spending time in his kitchen.
“My happiest moments in the kitchen are when I have lots of fresh ingredients and I can create something without following any classic recipes.”
He creates magic on plates using delicious, colourful, and fresh ingredients. Chef Mellal’s Instagram is a celebration of good food, good vibes and pure culinary art. He is one of our #MedFoodHeroes.
Photo credits for all: © Driss Mellal
What Are You Cooking?
When you make a dish using sustainable Mediterranean ingredients share the love with a photo of your culinary creation @RootedEveryday #MedFoodHeroes
What You Put on Your Plate Can Change the World
Share A Dish Night
25-27 June 2020
#MedFoodHeroes
Let’s celebrate sustainable food
rootedveryday.org/medfoodheroes
What You Put on Your Plate Can Change the World
Share A Dish Night
25-27 June 2020
#MedFoodHeroes
Let’s celebrate sustainable food
rootedveryday.org/medfoodheroes