It turns out that celebrity chefs are just like us!
We asked beloved chef Miguel Maestre his go-to pantry staple, and honestly, his answer shocked us.
We assumed it would be some fancy ingredient that only chefs know how to use, but it turns out Maestre’s go-to is something that we can almost guarantee you have sitting in the pantry at home.
He might be a famous chef, but his favourite ingredient is something you can find in almost every Aussie household. (Getty Images for AFI)
But he’s found some bizarre ways to use it.
“Extra virgin olive oil, it’s my favourite ingredient in the world,” Maestre tells nine.com.au.
“I put it on everything! Like, I actually put olive oil on ice cream. You can do olive oil in an ice chocolate ganache. I use olive oil in all my dressings, like in a salad, just by itself to dress my meats, my fish.”
He says that the versatility of the ingredient is what he loves so much, explaining that it’s commonly used in Spanish cooking and in the Mediterranean diet.
And you can almost guarantee he’ll be using a healthy splash of extra virgin olive oil for the incredible bites he’ll be serving up at the launch of the latest CUPRA model in a few weeks time.
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It might sound bizarre, but Maestre even suggested putting olive oil on ice cream. (Instagram/thecrazybull)
Although olive oil might be his go-to ingredient to elevate a dish, there’s a second ingredient that he simply can’t help himself from using whenever he gets the chance.
“I have to put chorizo in everything because I make it and I love it so much,” he laughs.
“I love it! Why would I not put it in everything? I made the best sausage in this country!”
In 2016, Maestre launched Chorizo a la Maestre through his brand Maestre Enterprises, made from his very own Spanish recipe.
While he uses olive oil wherever he can, nothing trumps Maestre’s love for chorizo. (Instagram/thecrazybull)
Almost 10 years after the product’s release, Maestre still gets excited when he gets a phone call from a friend or a DM from a fan telling him about a dish they cooked with it.
“I always answer when people cook something with my chorizo, because it makes me really excited! It’s like I’m not the only person who is in love with chorizo,” he says.
His love for the ingredient runs so deep that he even had the idea to incorporate it into an iconic Australian tradition.
Maestre is also an ambassador for CUPRA, set to cater their upcoming launch event in Sydney. Maybe we can expect to see some chorizo on the menu? (Instagram/thecrazybull)
“We should change the Bunnings sausages for chorizo,” he suggests.
“Spanish barbecue, chorizo, maybe a tomato salsa instead of the barbecue sauce.”
Maestre will be catering the upcoming launch of the CUPRA Formentor range at Sydney’s Machine Hall on June 18. Nine.com.au is the media partner for the launch.
Along with catering by Maestre, the event will be headlined by internationally renowned artists Anna Lunoe and Memphis LK. Tickets are available for purchase here.
This article was produced in association with CUPRA as part of a nine.com.au partnership.
Dining and Cooking