Chef Juan Mari Arzak – Into Modern and Innovative Basque Cuisine

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Modern and innovative Basque cuisine that has not lost its feel of tradition, this is exactly what Chef Juan Mari Arzak offers his diners. His cuisine is considered as evolutionary, and his expertise in his field has placed his restaurant, Arzak, among the top restaurants of the world. Right now, Arzak is on the 9th spot.

Born on the 31st of July 1942, Chef Arzak has always been interested in food especially since they have a family-owned restaurant. It used to be his grandparents’ restaurant, and they gave the control over to his parents when they retired. In the early 1950s, his father passed away, so his mother was left to run the business. A few years later, Chef Arzak finally took over.

He has always wanted to boost his restaurant’s profits and popularity, and although he has always been passionate about food, his real interest in becoming a chef begun when he enrolled himself in School of Hosteleria. However, a mandatory period in the military temporarily put a hold on his plans, and it was only when his time with the military was over that he finally had the time to focus his attention on his restaurant.

When he came back to his family’s business, he began his career as a chef. His mother was still the backbone of the restaurant then, and she was a very patient teacher who taught him everything he has to know about running the restaurant until he finally took over. His mother was also the one who taught him their trademark cuisine and the secrets of creating the perfect dishes exploding with flavor and aroma.

His wife, Maite Espina, was a godsend blessing to them in 1967 when she joined their restaurant. She was the one who improved the restaurant with her flair for style and elegance as well as her skill in management and customer service; while it was his duty to perfect their cuisine.

Restaurant Arzak began receiving awards and praises since the mid 1970s, and it was not long after that they received their first Michelin star, the third of which was given in 1989. Their daughters, Marta and Elena, also became involved with running the business, but it was Elena who got completely involved in Arzak. Right now, it is a father-and-daughter tandem of Chef Arzak and Elena who controls the kitchens of Arzak, and it is a good tandem indeed as they have continually shown the world that their restaurant is considered as the best in the whole world.

They specialize in traditional Basque cuisine, but through modern methods of cooking and the use of fresh local ingredients, spices, and produce, Chef Arzak has recreated the cuisine and infused his own cooking style into it to develop his own distinctive cuisine. His straightforward dishes have won the hearts of many, and Arzak has continued to be the favorite restaurant of many diners as well as food critics.

Chef Juan Mari Arzak’s Roasted Potato Flower with Stuffed Truffles

Ingredients:

Potatoes:

4 large potatoes
Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Truffle stuffing:

4 truffles, about 1½ ounces total
3 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 onion, finely chopped
Salt
1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter

Sauce:

1 shallot, minced

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup port wine
1 cup concentrated beef stock
3 chives, finely chopped
Salt

Directions:

For potato: Preheat oven to 300°F. Peel potatoes. With a paring knife, carve each potato into a cylindrical shape. Carefully cut away at the potato to form layers of small petals around potato (to resemble a flower, as shown in photograph). Using a paring knife or small melon scoop, carefully hollow out the centers, leaving a ½-inch base. Lightly brush potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake potatoes in the oven until they are golden brown, about 25 minutes.

For truffle stuffing: Wash and clean each truffle carefully. Cut off the tip of each truffle. Hollow out truffles, leaving only a small portion at the base. Finely chop the removed portion and the tips of the truffles. In a small sauté pan over low heat, gently cook chopped truffles, onion, cream and salt until a thick mixture is achieved.

Heat butter in a separate pan. Salt hollowed-out truffles and lightly sauté them for about 2 minutes. Remove truffles from pan and reserve any liquid. Cool truffles slightly and fill with stuffing.

For the sauce: In a saucepan over low flame, heat butter and shallots together until lightly browned. Add the port wine and reduce until approximately one Tablespoon remains. Add reserved truffle liquid and beef stock and reduce by half. Pass sauce through a fine mesh sieve. Add chives and salt to taste.

To serve: Place the stuffed truffles inside the roasted potato flowers. Heat in 300°F oven until warmed. Spoon 1 Tablespoon of sauce onto the plate. Place the potato flower on top of sauce and drizzle sauce on top. Serve warm.

Yield: 4 Servings.

Image Credit: starchefs.com

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