Do not think for a minute that I have moved from New Jersey to London as this is my second interview in a row with a chef based in London. A third one is actually on the way.
It just happened, I love Spain, its food, culture and liked the idea of featuring a chef, Jose Pizarro who first came to prominence with a restaurant in Borough Market, Tapas Brindisa.
Jose recently published his first book Seasonal Spanish Food (Kyle Books) in collaboration with Vicky Bennison.
Call it a love letter to his native country as much as it is a cookbook with 125 recipes you can try at home. Local flavors and wonderful scenery are vividly brought to life by photographer Emma Lee.
Here's what came out of my conversation with Jose.
Q: Jose, you come from the Extremadura
region of Spain, would you describe it as mostly rural? Is it poorer than other
regions of Spain? Dusty like the road with sheep herd on page 45?
Yes it is.
It is mainly rural but there are a few cities such as Mérida, Cáceres. I
grew up on a farm in a small village and there are plenty of them in
Extremadura. The dusty road you refer is
like because our winters are very cold, our summers are very hot, and it
creates this dust. Our Springs and
Autumns are sublime.
Q: Besides its Black Iberian Pigs and Jamon
Iberico, what is Extramadura famous for?
We have lots of things we are proud of,
such as our Pimentón de la Vera (paprika), our Picota cherries, wonderful wines
made from Tempranillo grapes, and the most delicious cheeses, such as Torta del
Casar.
Q: Your book has a down to earth feel to it
reflected by the 'spinach tortilla' on page 33 pictured on newspaper, was it
how some food would be served in your youth?
I
need to correct you there! That picture
is in fact of my Potato Omelet – containing down to earth ingredients: potatoes, olive oil, onions and eggs – and a
bit of salt and pepper.
Q: Do you like that 'street food' aspect?
Any favorites in that category?
I
don’t really think it’s street food – we don’t really have much of that in
Spain. All of my food really reflects the importance of home cooked food in my
country – bringing together wonderfully simple, local ingredients and creating
an explosion of flavor.
Q: In the past decade or so, many Spanish
chefs in the limelight have been experimental ones, would you describe yourself
more as a traditionalist?
Yes
I would. But I do think I bring a fresh
dimension to traditional Spanish food.
Thanks to my training in progressive restaurants in Madrid I learned to
combine modern twists on classics.
Q: Your book documents your love and deep
knowledge of the foods of your home country, in your London dishes do you mix
up things with ingredients from other countries?
My
dishes are completely Spanish. It’s who I am and it’s the food I love. Personally though, I love all sorts of food, such as Japanese
and Lebanese.
Q: Are there Spanish products you cannot
get in the UK and that you miss?
Not
really. We’re very lucky in the UK that
we have access to all types of Spanish ingredients – from oils to Jamón
Iberico. We import the highest quality
products from Spain. Having said that, in my book if there is a recipe
containing an unusual ingredient, I will always offer a substitute.
Q: Is Cheese part of your daily diet? Can
you share some of your favorite cheeses and cheese makers from Extramadura?
I
love cheese!!! Particularly the cheese from my region. My favorite is the Torta del Casar;
it is a little bitter, it’s soft and creamy, with a bit of a punch. I love it. One my favorite things to do when I am at home is to sit outside and
spread the Torta del Casa onto toasted bread, washed down with delicious wine.
Q: I
was intrigued by the Deep Fried Goat Cheese with Orange Blossom Honey (Page
25), is it a classic dish?
Not
really – it’s my modern twist on grilled cheese with honey. I’m so glad you like it! It’s one of my most popular dishes.
Q: You offer a couple of recipes with
Mackerel and note it's a sustainable fish, does it tend to be considered as well
as a poor man's fish?
Not at all. It’s is plentiful and delicious
and we should all be eating it. Grilling
a fresh mackerel on the beach with friends is heaven for me.
Q: In 'Mushroom Hunting', you note that
Catalans are crazy about it, any specific reason?
I
think it’s because there are so many weird and wonderful types of mushrooms in
Catalunya.
Q: You offer a Castillian Garlic soup
recipe (page 123) besides that one, which are your favorite soups? Does it
depend mostly on the season?
It
all depends on the season. For example
in the summer we use the freshest tomatoes to make a Gazpacho. In the winter, we use garlic because it’s so
warming, and so abundant. In Autumn, I
love the flavors of the countryside you’ll find in my Mushroom and Chestnut
soup. And finally you’ve got to love a
fresh pea soup in Spring – rich, green, vibrant. Delicious!
Q: Your book is titled 'Seasonal Spanish
Food', in your restaurant cooking do you keep the same seasonal approach?
Yes – it’s so important to me. You get better flavors and it means that the
menu stays fresh and exciting.
Q: Paprika makes frequent apparitions in
your book, is it your favorite spice, any others?
It’s one of them – i love it. The other one is Saffron, from Castilla La
Mancha.
Q: I have not had razor clams (we call them
couteaux in France) in ages. Are they popular at the restaurant?
Yes very. The flavor is stunning. One of
my most popular dishes is Razor Clams with Chorizo – a best seller!
Q: Paella needs rice and you call Calasparra
DO Rice as your favorite for its flavor, what flavors?
It’s not that its flavor is good but
it’s more that it has the perfect texture to absorb all the flavors from the
cooking.
Q: Your mother's treat when you visit is
Pig Ears, is it sometimes on your menu?
Sometimes! People seem to like it but it’s
an acquired taste. I especially like to cook it for friends when they come
over.
Q: Morcilla (blood sausage) with mint
oil reminded me of a Boudin Noir and Apple Dish I used to love, what do you feel
mint oil adds to the dish?
For
me, mint oil really adds a freshness to the Morcilla. It lifts the flavour.
Q: Roast Duck with Quince sounds
appealing, what do you like most about the combination?
I
love the way the sweetness of the membrillo (quince paste) complements the richness of the
duck.
Q: Can you share some of your favorite
Spanish wines and which of your dishes you would pair them with?
Start with a good Albariño, I would drink this with
the Razors Clams or the Scallops. For red wine, my personal favorite is
a Tempranillo, which goes really well with my Roast Shoulder of Lamb. Spain has some wonderful dessert wines too,
such as PX (stands for Pedro Ximénez), which goes perfectly with my Turrón Mousse. And you have to start off with a really cold
glass of Manzanilla sherry, whilst nibbling some of my Gordal olives – big
juicy green olives stuffed with fresh oranges.
Q: Is Tapas Brindisa location near Borough
Market a plus in your quest to serve fresh seasonal food?
Yes
– it means that the people who come here to shop and eat are interested in
quality, seasonal, local food. I often
shop in the market for the restaurant to cook and serve. I love going to Borough Market, it reminds me
of being little and going with my dad to pick vegetables from our garden.
Q: Is there a big difference between Tapas
Brindisa and the other 2 restaurants both in the food offered and the type of
crowd they attract?
Yes
very much so. At Tapas Brindisa in Borough Market we have a
foody, bustling crowd of people. In
Soho, at Tierra Brindisa, it’s quieter and a bit more civilised. And at our South Kensington branch – Casa
Brindisa – the crowd is often more genteel, looking for a more formal lunch or
dinner. The menus are all different so
that we keep things fresh.
Q: Is there such a thing as an average Jose
Pizarro customer?
It’s
really hard to define a certain type because they are all so different. Foodies, businessmen, women, couples,
people curious about Spanish food…all sorts.
Q: Are there dishes more popular with women
than men and vice versa?
Not
at all.
Q: One last question? Would you have
ventured in the same direction, restaurant wise if you had not established a
partnership with Monika Linton of Brindisa Foods?
Monika has been very important for
me. She opened my eyes to the
possibility of being able to serve authentic, simple, quality Spanish food in
London. We have a great
partnership. I think if it was my own
restaurant I would be doing exactly the same thing.
Thanks to Jose for talking with us.
Thanks also to Kyle Books and Ron Longe who made it happen.
(illustrations for this piece are Roast Pumpkin Soup with Blue Cheese and Red Mullet with Sliced Potatoes and Black Olives and Jose back home).