Getting to Know Top Chef, Ferran Adria

Do you like this post?

If there is one chef who has truly taken the culinary world by storm that is Ferran Adria. Chef Adria is often regarded as the world’s greatest chef. His restaurant has also been named as the world’s best restaurant. Without a doubt, he certainly holds a prominent place in the world of gastronomy. He is also one of the most innovative, inventive and creative chefs around.

The Beginning

Chef Adria had a humble beginning. He did not become a culinary star overnight. In fact, he started as a dishwasher at Hotel Playafels’ restaurant. Even then, the art of cooking has already captured his fancy. In fact, it was here that the chef introduced him to El Practico, a classic culinary technique. Thereafter, he worked from one restaurant to another. He worked at Club Cala Lena in Ibiza for several months until he finally moved back to Barcelona.

While in Barcelona, he landed a job at Finisterre. There, he worked as a chef’s assistant. He did not stay long because he had to comply with his compulsory military service. While serving at the military, he was assigned at the kitchen of Naval Base of Cartagena. He initially served as the member of the kitchen staff, but he eventually became in-charge of the kitchen. This was the first time that he handled a kitchen.

Getting a Job at El Bulli

Soon after completing his military service, Chef Ferran Adria applied for a job at El Bulli. He was given the chance to “audition” for the job and he was good enough to land it. He became the restaurant’s Chef de Partie or line cook. He was then 22 years old. He was 23 when he became the head chef and he placed El Bulli in the culinary map.

Creating a Masterpiece

In truth, before he became El Bulli’s head chef, few people have heard of the restaurant. In fact, it was relatively unknown. Now, the restaurant is one of the most famous restaurants in the world. It has received 3 Michelin stars. This did not happen overnight.

When he took the reins, Chef Ferran Adria traveled to get some new ideas that he can use in the restaurant. He went to some of France’s best restaurants and he came back to El Bulli armed with countless techniques.

He then started to create innovative culinary experiments. These experiments marked El Bulli’s spot in the world of gastronomy. Chef Ferran Adria’s technique is so precise that you can practically call it an exact culinary science. Chef Ferran Adria is still young. The world is still expecting wonderful things from him and there is no doubt that he has still a lot of culinary tricks up his sleeves.

Ferran Adria’s Rotisserie Chicken

Recipe via Epicurious

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

* 1/2 cup pitted prunes

* 1/2 cup dried apricots

* 1/4 cup pitted dried sour cherries

* 2 tablespoons pine nuts

* 1 strip orange zest (4 inches), white pith removed

* 1 strip lemon zest (4 inches), white pith removed

* 1/2 cup tawny port

* 1 small cinnamon stick

* 2/3 cup chicken stock or broth

* 1 store-bought rotisserie chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), cut into 8 pieces, juices reserved

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the prunes, apricots, cherries, pine nuts, and orange and lemon zests and cook, stirring, until the pine nuts turn golden and the fruits are browned in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the port and cinnamon stick and cook until syrupy, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and the chicken juices. Increase the heat to high, bring the sauce to a boil, and cook until reduced, about 5 minutes.

3. Place the chicken pieces in a baking dish that can hold them snugly. Pour the sauce over them, scraping up all the fruit and liquid from the bottom of the skillet and turning the chicken to coat it with the sauce. Bake the chicken until it is warmed through and the sauce is further reduced, about 10 minutes. Transfer to plates and serve at once.

Image Credit: Cocina

Popularity: 3% [?]

Currently 0 comment - But what do you think?