Join Chef Antonio Arcieri at Arco by Paco Pérez in Gdańsk as they explore the powerful connection between food, memory, and cultural identity. From the Mediterranean influences of Paco Pérez himself to the heartwarming tribute to Nonna Teresina’s Calabrian cooking, this video delves into the stories behind the dishes. Discover how avant-garde techniques blend with cherished family recipes, creating a unique culinary experience that transcends borders.
Chapters:
00:00:01 – The Kitchen as Expression
00:00:29 – Good Morning from Gdańsk: Meeting Chef Paco Pérez
00:00:52 – Tuna Taco with Polish Caviar and Spanish Fennel
00:01:27 – Paco Pérez’s Culinary Philosophy
00:01:45 – Śródziemnopolska: A Mediterranean-Polish Fusion
00:02:21 – Taking Culinary Risks
00:02:50 – Transforming Paella into Risotto
00:04:12 – Tribute to Nonna Teresina: Fake Spaghetti with Broccoli and Anchovies
00:05:44 – The Power of Culinary Imagination
Follow us on:
Website: https://thebestchefawards.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebestchefawards/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebestchefawards
#thebestchefawards #cooking #foodandtravel #familyrecipes #chefjourney #polishfood #gdansk #spanishfood #italianfood #chefsnextdoor #chef #kitchenchef #kitchenstory #chefstory
The kitchen for me is the way to express myself, isn’t it? When you arrive at a point where you forget about money and you really cook because it’s what you want, you can express yourself. You can remind people that are not anymore. I feel in Calabria without being in Calabria. I can feel the wind of Yanza of the Costa Brava without being in Spain. I can feel myself Polish using Polish products. It’s a lifestyle, isn’t it? Dzień dobry, Dzień dobry Good morning from Gdańsk in Poland. Here we are at Arco. Paco Pérez. With Antonio Arcieri from 2024 Dubai in the Best Chef Awards selection. Okay, mise en place what do we have here? So here we will do one taco of tuna without using the dough. We have a red tuna, we have a bit of caviar from Poland. Then we complete with a sea fennel. It’s a sea fennel that arrives from Galicia from the north of Spain. And then we have the flower of the nasturtium. Let me taste, guys. I always say we do Mediterranean cuisine with influence from Poland. In the end, the terroir is the one that talks, right? What we do is keep the philosophy of Paco Pérez. In the beginning, we were more very sea-sea, lot of Miramar style. But slowly, slowly, because the nature and what we have around talks, and my roots talk more than everything, we created our own style. Our Maître always makes a joke in Polish that we do “Śródziemnopolska” Now in Polish, it means like something like Mediterranean “Śródziemnomorska” but we do Śródziemnopolska So, one Mediterranean contaminated with Poland, yeah? Of course, we include techniques of avant-garde cuisine. That is what I like and what overtakes always the limit. We make some interpretation of Polish dishes. We take some risks. Like one year ago, we were doing one oyster with “barszcz”. So it was like pineapple on pizza, for an Italian, isn’t it? But honestly, it’s nice, sometimes to make some provocation with some Polish dishes, some Polish ingredients. And we never forgot the Miramar. Miramar is the biggest inspiration, Paco Pérez is the master always, the main reference. This is very important. Now here we have one concept that I remember we were doing in Miramar long time long ago. It’s the idea to make a paella, typical, so dry rice, typical Spanish way to cook rice and transform the dry rice into a risotto. A typical Italian way to make rice. And on the plate here we make one sphere. This is a cream of a smoked Groser. The Groser is a farm in Poland that makes amazing cheese and they do this cheese that is very similar to “Oscypek” in terms of shape but is made with cow milk. A little bit chipotle powder, Leo yeah. We do one paste of chipotle from Mexico. You mix this paella and we serve on the plate. So what we request to the guest is to break the sphere and start to mix the rice. So it’s the idea to transform one paella in one creamy rice. We can say risotto but oka, it’s not a real risotto but this is the idea and then to complete the experience we use instead of a piece of bread, here we have the rooster comb. Mamma Mia. This day is a tribute to my grandmother, my grandmother, Teresina from Calabria. She was making pasta with broccoli, but my grandma always cooked with so much taste, so much flavour, more than me, more than my mother. And I asked myself, how does she do it? Until I watch her and she was putting anchovies with garlic, with chili, you know? And I asked her, “Grandma, why do you put anchovies?” And the answer was, because it tastes better, isn’t it? And this is the magic behind this story, you know, because they have the instinct for better taste. I want to remember this thing, and I do this, let’s say, fake spaghetti. Fake spaghetti. Yes. This one is broccoli juice. Yeah, jellified in the shape of spaghetti. And then we add all the things that was in her pasta, so the garlic, some cherry tomatoes, anchovies, a little bit of chili, she was putting grated Parmigiano, yeah? And then, you know, because of the mentality that we don’t throw anything away, and to give a touch of crunchiness, we put the bones of the anchovies, fried. And this is our spaghetti with broccoli and anchovies. But this is amazing, guys. Amazing place, amazing concept, bravo, bravo. And that is a special tribute, you know, and sometimes, it’s nice to remember lovely people through food. Nice tribute to Teresina. Teresina, nonna Teresina. Nonna Teresina. Also called “La cucchiara” in Calabria. I think there’s a bit of magic of nonna Teresina in this dish. Yeah, totally. She helped a little bit. Totally. Bravo. When you start your approach with the avant-garde, you understand that everything is possible. If you have imagination, if you have fantasy, you have something to say, and if you are not very good with words like me, you can do it through the kitchen. You can give your message to the people, with your games, your story, your approach, with everything. To take out this and this, you know?