As often happens in many families and depending on what professions, parents insist that their descendants not follow in their footsteps. For this reason, Miguel Barrera’s parents, who founded the El Paraíso restaurant in Vall d’Alba (Castellón) in 1973, insisted that he study a career. But the chef had grown up in the kitchen and the goat threw him into the mountains. Now the chef is in charge – together with Ángela Ribés, maître – of the Cal Paradís restaurant, with one Michelin star and two Repsol suns. On Monday at 11:00 a.m. in the Region of Murcia Gastronomic will give the presentation ‘Evolution of offal in the cuisine of the interior of Castellón’.
–What will you explain in your presentation at the Murcia Gastronomic Region?
–I want to show the cuisine we make here, at Cal Paradís. Our restaurant is in the interior of Castellón, about 20 kilometers away. We are not that far from the sea either. We cook what we have close to home: fish, meats, vegetables… a little of everything. And that is what our cuisine is based on, but it is true that lately we are cooking a lot of offal, so the idea is to show how offal can evolve in today’s cuisine. We are going to show options for offal dishes. We know that many people like offal, and those who like it are usually passionate, but sometimes others are a little hesitant. In the restaurant’s tasting menu we put some dishes with offal and people are delighted. I think it should be given its rightful place in the kitchen.
–Why did you have this interest in offal now?
–I had always put a lot of offal on my menus, but I didn’t even realize it. Honestly, it wasn’t something I was looking for. I come from a family in which we have made many traditional dishes. Our parents worked a lot in this type of cuisine and we, without realizing it, go towards dishes with combinations of the sea and the mountains. It is always nice to give new options and for people to see the possibility of presenting things. A priori, that’s what congresses are for.
–Does the love of offal in Spain vary geographically?
–There are dishes that are quite recognizable and cooked throughout Spain, for example, tripe. They are dishes that are eaten at home. Maybe they are related to areas where it is a little colder or they are even more winter dishes but, honestly, when people see what can be done they are going to love it and they are going to see that there are many options for working with the offal.
TODAY’S KITCHEN
«We are going to show what everyone does at home, but there is little to show»
–In what aspects do you consider useful conferences such as the Murcia Gastronomic Region?
–Congresses have evolved a lot. It is true that a few years ago they were much more relevant for young people and for people who liked to see cooking trends. There was a ‘boom’ from the kitchen. Every day different things were invented and that has now passed a bit. In the end, we are going to show what everyone does at home, but there is little to show, honestly, there are cooks who sometimes go out of their way to show something that seems to come out in a forced way. I like to be honest. I also don’t try to want to discover anything because now everything is quite discovered.
restless people
–How do you see the gastronomy of the Region of Murcia and what stands out about it?
–Luckily, I have traveled to the Region quite a bit lately. I was in Murcia Gastronomic Region years ago and I saw that there was a lot of interest. It seems to me to be a Region that is gastronomically located in an important point in this country. I have a lot of friendship with Nazario Cano. I was recently doing a four-hander there. People love modern cuisine and also product cuisine. They are restless people and there are great cooks. There is a very interesting future ahead because in addition, the Region has a wonderful product.
ESSENTIALS
«Having some good vegetables and good olive oil is basic for me»
–What is a star product for you?
–For me there are two very important products. One is olive oil. To cook, I need to have good oil. Apart from the restaurant we also have our own farm with olive trees and an orchard. Having good vegetables in general and oil, for me is basic. In that sense in Murcia you are privileged, because you also have wonderful vegetables and the chefs know how to translate it into their dishes.
–Do you remember when you decided to dedicate yourself to cooking?
–I come from a catering kitchen. I was born in a farmhouse in the middle of the countryside and I am used to the smells of the countryside, the flowers, the vegetables… what we had around us. I always carry that in my subconscious. Since my parents had a restaurant and it is a very demanding job, because even if you like it a lot you work on weekends and nights, they didn’t want that for me. They wanted me to go to university. What I did was get a university degree, the fastest I could get, Teaching, and at twenty years old I already had it and I went to my things, to my kitchen. I was clear that I was not going to dedicate myself to teaching.
–How important is Ángela Ribés to you? [su «compañera inseparable en esta travesía culinaria», como se cuenta en la web de Cal Paradís]
-That’s all. This is a project between both of us, although, very unfairly, lately people know the chefs from the restaurants. But she has 50% of the work and importance in the restaurant. She is in front of the room, she is the person who knows how to transfer everything I do in the kitchen. We are a perfect tandem because we understand each other, we know what we want and the client notices it, because when there is good vibes and good harmony, that is transferred to the table. We are both a team and we always have good staff in the restaurant. But that’s basic, having a good team is what makes you succeed, otherwise the project doesn’t work.
#Miguel #Barrera #good #team #succeed