Interview with JRE member Maurizio Oster
Normally, top chefs let their culinary creations speak for themselves - after all, aspects such as the choice of ingredients, the way they are prepared and the presentation reveal a great deal about the people behind them. In the ‘JRE member interview’ section, however, we literally want to look beyond the horizon and find out more about our JRE chefs.
You rely heavily on regional ingredients such as kale and beetroot. What do these ingredients mean to you?
These products remind me of my childhood. So when I work with them, I'm in my culinary comfort zone.
How do you integrate these ingredients into your dishes?
"When working with ingredients such as kale and beetroot, it is particularly important to me to show how versatile they can be prepared and presented."
As Commis de Cuisine on the MS Europa, you gained valuable experience that still characterises your cooking today. What is the difference between working in a galley and in a kitchen on land?
The biggest difference is probably that you only get fresh produce every fortnight - and by that I also mean obvious products such as eggs, herbs and meat. Of course, the quality suffers as a result.
Is there an anecdote from your time on the MS Europa that you can tell us?
One of the most bizarre situations was definitely when a chef colleague didn't feel like cleaning the mobile deep fryer and sank it in the Indian Ocean without further ado. Of course it was discovered.
You are passionate about travelling the world, which serves as inspiration for your culinary creations. Which recent trip has particularly inspired you and how do you incorporate your experiences into your dishes?
I recently travelled to Mauritius. There it was very exciting to see how different the curry pastes are. Now I want to create a similar paste with local products.
