This Dish Makes Marco Pierre White Want To "Be A Slave To Indian Cuisine"
Marco Pierre White, the godfather of modern cooking and the youngest chef to earn three Michelin stars (which he returned in 1999) talks about how Indian Cuisine is more than just food. It's a religion for him which coincides with an emotional state when he is on the streets of India.
Marco always wanted to come to India because he knew the sheer spectrum of spices and flavours of Indian food makes it one of the richest cuisines of the world.
“I believe Indian cuisine is one of the great cuisines in the world like French and Cantonese cuisine. Having been to India for the very first time, I sampled Indian food and felt that it doesn't get the spotlight like it deserves to get. I think Indian cuisine is very sophisticated and it should be on the spotlight a lot more than it is”.
Biting into a piping hot Vada Pav, a favourite Maharashtrian snack is something that made Marco blurt, "I'm going to be a slave to Indian Cuisine. I just know it". The simplicity of this deep-fried potato fritter cased into a ladi pav or bun bowled Marco over.
He's not a great fan of food photography and calls it utter madness. He has a pretty legit explanation for that as he believes in putting all energies on the food one puts on a plate rather than how it looks. For him, simple flavours bring out intriguing depths in a dish.
"Make food that is designed to feed, not impress. I believe we live in a world of refinement, not invention. I don’t understand chefs who think they can reinvent.”
With organic and sustainable food trend making the rounds, he thinks there is a certain kind of romance attached to it but clearly doesn't advocate it. He says it has a lot to do with PR. He prefers buying the best produce whether far or near instead of sourcing locally.
“What's important is to allow food to present itself. If you over fuss food, overwork food you are losing temperature and when you lose temperature you are losing favour”.
Our Takeaway:
Lastly, he says that if anyone wants to own a restaurant, they must be prepared for all the madness that comes with it. All in all, be realistic and don't think about fame but what you put on the plate.
Shreya Jalavadia
Think of her as a delicacy. She could be a red sauce penne pasta or refreshing strawberry smoothie. A little sweet, quite tangy and unapologetic on the palate. Her soul is that of a gastronome, mind of an illustrator and heart of a writer. She uses these ingredients to plate up tasty stories about food at India Food Network as an Associate Editor. Be it her blogs, articles, reviews or food shows; she promises a wholesome affair.