We love this time of year. No, not the fact that Christmas is just around the corner, as nearly every day is Christmas in the SK kitchen, but that our favourite programme – Masterchef: The Professionals – has returned to our screens.
The programme has come a long way since its inception in 1990 when it was hosted by Loyd Grossman and was for amateur chefs only.
While we like to watch the amateur and celebrity versions of the show, as professional chefs ourselves we love to see our counterparts in action and enjoy witnessing the ‘journey’ they take during the show.
One of our favourite parts of the show is when the chefs visit the kitchens of some of the best restaurants in the world. Two of the restaurants that have featured in the show and that are definitely on our ‘bucket list’ are Osteria Francescana (number 2 in the top 50 list) in Modena, Italy, and Mugaritz (number 6) in San Sebastian, Spain.
These must be very intimidating places, even for professionals, but it helps that the chefs of these establishments, Massimo Botura and Andoni Luis Aduriz respectively, appear to be genuinely nice guys intent on helping the contestants learn.
At Mugaritz, there is no menu – at least, not in advance of a meal. Diners are instead treated to 24 individually tailored courses to suit their dietary requirements, wants and desires. It’s all about the sensory and creative experience, with edible cutlery and centrepieces being just a few of the routes to delivering the stories, flavours, smells and textures that make up Andoni’s idea of the perfect journey through food.
At Osteria Francescana, it’s a little more traditional with executed classics such as tagliatelle with hand-chopped ragu and risotto cooked with veal jus, but there’s also a tasting menu which experiments with local and seasonal ingredients, including rabbit macaroons and eel ravioli.
So, as well as seeing which chef is crowned the 2015 Masterchef: The Professionals winner, we are just as keen to see what amazing kitchens/restaurants are featured in the show this year. Perhaps they would like to come and visit the SK kitchen?
About Neil Shaefer
Marketing & Communications Executive of SK Foods.
Your food. Our Passion.
