While Blanca Blue’s Chef Mario Castro is widely recognized as one of the finest in his field, did you know where he got, and still gets, his inspiration from? No? Well, let us tell you about the wonder that is Chef Ferran Adrià and how he came to be known as one of the great creative geniuses of today’s culinary scene!
The rise of Chef Ferran Adrià
Chef Ferran Adrià came to international acclaim after helping the renowned El Bulli restaurant in on the Costa Brava of the Catalan Mediterranean (now closed) to achieve a coveted third Michelin star. His unique techniques and methods have earned him the title the “father of deconstruction”. Deconstructive cooking, based upon Adrià’s style, is a style of cooking which reinterprets familiar dishes in new and innovative ways, and presents them in new forms.
Passion in the Kitchen
The story of how Ferran Adrià came to be so widely acclaimed is unusual; he wasn’t a lifelong culinary wannabe, and he didn’t aim to be a chef from day one. In fact, Adrià’s culinary journey began at the age of 18 when he took a job washing dishes in restaurant in coastal Castelldefels so that he could afford to spend a full summer in Ibiza. In the end, Adrià did make it to Ibiza, but when he returned he worked in a few restaurants in Barcelona before he served as a military cook and became chef to the Admiral of Cartagena.
Dishwasher to Renowned Chef
It wasn’t long at all before Adrià found himself climbing the ranks, and soon he was in charge of a team of five and full kitchen which created meals for high ranking officials, and even the King of Spain on one occasion. It seems that this was the spark which set him on the course to his current position as his next job was as an intern in El Bulli.
Experimentation
While attending a culinary course, Adrià met an instructor who encouraged, in fact insisted upon, creativity and originality rather than the imitation of others. Adrià must have found inspiration in this as soon he was experimenting with food in new and unique ways. It’s no surprise, we feel, that he moved quickly from being a line chef to being a head chef, and that he was given the go ahead to begin developing his own brand of highly creative gastronomy. These are techniques which catapulted him into a league of his own, but which may also be shaping the next generation of fine dining!
Inspiring a generation of chefs
The ingenious techniques of Ferran Adrià have inspired a full generation of chefs and culinary whizzes to approach food and dining from a more artistic direction. When working at El Bulli he was able to really focus on his art because the restaurant was open for only half of the year. In his free time to tweaked and polished his ideas and recipes until they shone.
The science of flavor and texture
Throughout his entire career, Ferran Adrià has wowed his customers with food that is truly transformative. Adrià has enjoyed playing with the ingredients of well-known and loved dishes in order to create things that are good looking and unusual, but which stay true to the original form and feel of the dish. This can mean presenting certain aspects as foam, gel, mousse, or even freeze-dried in order to provide an unforgettable dining experience. He’s done this with everything from gazpacho to savoury ice-creams, cocktails, and even dishes from his home country like the tortilla española (Spanish omelette).
This science-ey approach to food is becoming very popular, and is being taken up by many an up-and-coming chef, but remember that all of this was only possible because of the creativity and passion of one man; Ferran Adrià, the father of deconstructive cooking!
Join us at Blanca Blue Restaurant and see how our very own chef, Mario Castro, pays tribute to Ferran Adrià while creating totally original and delicious dishes.
