If we had to talk about the two most important gastronomic revolutions so far this century, it would be the rises of, first, elBulli and then of Nordic cuisine. From Ferran Adrià to René Redzepi – who are, interestingly, disciple and teacher. Redzepi worked at elBulli, but when he set up Noma in Copenhagen he wanted to interpret Adrià’s boldness in his own way. “He taught me that everything is possible,” the Danish chef said at the time.
His cuisine is naked, with few ingredients, simple on the surface but complex deep down. Redzepi’s raw style of cooking has set a trend, with more and more restaurants around the world – including in Ibiza – fo- cusing on combining simple ingredients with common sense (but also a sense of adventure), using techniques that require limited energy consumption. Goodbye spherifications, foams and show cooking.
FEWER INGREDIENTS
Some of Noma’s signature dishes don’t sound weird: fresh calamari and currant broth, grilled Danish black lobster kebab with roses, oysters with cabbage… Limiting the number of ingredients is another of the revolutionary practices that this approach to cooking has brought about. Among its successors are recipes that are almost trilogies of ingredients that go well together on the plate: Mediterranean tuna-Iberian bacon-black pepper, clams-kimchi-herbs, sweet potato-endive-molasses… It’s the art of combining ingredients, prioritizing raw materials over technique, and always trying to make the flavours recognizable.
REDISCOVERING NATURE
This new naked or raw style of cooking has also been a pioneer in taking inspiration from the surroundings. Redzepi sent his team into the forest to find forgotten ingredients. And the same approach can be applied in almost any territory, including Ibiza. It is the willingness to work with citrus fruit from Matances, red potatoes, or honey from the island, all products with designation of origin protection. In the end, the true culinary revolution was this: to stop looking at distant cuisines and embrace your own path, always putting local ingredients first. A journey of (self) discovery laid bare.
RAW
R IS FOR RESPONSIBLE…
This cuisine does not abuse energy consumption. Cooking is done using low-energy and traditional techniques, such as fermentation.
A IS FOR AUTOCHTHONOUS
The closer, the better. Gone are the days when high-end restaurants were obliged to work with foie gras or caviar. Local ingredients come first.
W IS FOR WHAT?
This style of cooking often surprises more than those that rely on magical techniques. The pure flavour of a dish, a perfectly cooked vegetable… WHAT-THE-****!
