Chef Marco Pierre White believes in simplicity in the kitchen. A master who has influenced the global food scene, often challenging conventions, shares openly, from his visceral love for butter to sharp critiques of high gastronomy.
The opinion
For Marco Pierre White, a world-famous chef, his culinary journey began in childhood. His love for food took root as he watched his mother, grandmother, and aunts cook simple yet authentic recipes. After his mother's death at the age of 6, Pierre White grew closer to nature, spending entire days in the English countryside. His connection to the countryside became almost visceral, drawing him back to the kitchen. "I remember, even with my small hands, peeling potatoes, scraping carrots, and, most importantly, watching my father cook," he told today at femina.in.
At the age of 16, he arrived in London to start his training as a junior chef under the guidance of the Anglo-French chefs Albert Roux and Michel Roux at their world-renowned restaurant, Le Gavroche. A few years later, at the age of 24, he became the head chef and co-owner of Harveys, a French cuisine restaurant in London. At just 33, his extraordinary skills earned him the coveted three Michelin stars, making him the first British chef and the youngest at the time to receive this recognition. Four years later, he realized he wasn't fully satisfied with his work and announced his retirement, returning the Michelin stars.
In this regard, he states: "I never earned the three Michelin stars; the men and women who were with me in the kitchen did. They were the orchestra creating the symphony, and I was ultimately just the composer and conductor." His love for everything related to food remains unwavering. It's a love that leads him to perceive gastronomy as something inherently connected to nature. From these experiences, he comes to believe that "nature is the true artist; we are just cooks." For Marco Pierre White, cooking is also about feeling and being spontaneous, elements he believes are often missing in many starred establishments.
"Often, when you go to a two or three Michelin-starred restaurant, there's no emotion on the plates. The food is technically perfect, but it's all method without feeling," he asserts. His philosophy also revolves around the worship of essence. "There's nothing worse than overworking something. Raw materials, especially if of the highest quality, should be preserved," says the chef, emphasizing the importance of entering a restaurant and recognizing the scents of the ingredients used in the kitchen, something that happens less and less often. Speaking of ingredients, recipes, and spices, it's revealed that one product Pierre White loves is butter.
"I think a life without risks is no life at all. I like fat; it makes everything taste better. Salt is also very important, but most people don't use it correctly. They seem scared and shy when, in reality, everything you do should be pushed to the extreme!" In short, there are chefs, and then there's Marco Pierre White, from whom one not only absorbs a cooking philosophy but also a way of living life through his experiences, through which he has learned that recognizing one's strengths is the key to doing well in whatever one does.
All photos come from Marco Pierre White Restaurants' website
