Despite 2018 being hailed as the year of the woman, female chefs have been nailing it in San Sebastián for some time, says one of the region’s standout culinary stars, Jessica Lorigo.
When young American chef Jessica Lorigo, two years out of culinary school, signed up for an internship at Mugaritz – the avant-garde restaurant that resides in the top 10 of the World’s 50 Best – she barely even knew where Spain was, let alone the Basque Country. By the time she got to Mugaritz in March 2013 and met its maverick founder, Andoni Luis Aduriz, she’d done her homework, bought the cookbook, devoured hours of YouTube videos and was well and truly starstruck. “I did my research after getting accepted. I did it a little backwards,” she laughs, tickled by her own naivety. “I’m the kind of person who, when a door opens, just jumps right through.”
At first it was a struggle. “I knew no Spanish. I was confused as to why I had left everything I had known. Why would you put yourself through that? But to really grow, you need to get out of your comfort zone.”
Her leap into the unknown has paid off. The nine-month stay stretched to five years; the 28-year-old from Buffalo has got used to hanging with a culinary superhero (“He’s just a normal guy”) and is relishing her role as head chef at his latest concept, Topa Sukaldería in San Sebastián.
Denne historien er fra March 2018-utgaven av Olive.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra March 2018-utgaven av Olive.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
kitchen therapy with Rosie Birkett
Give salad the Jersey Royal treatment with Rosie's rustic new potato platter
PUB MENU The Barley Mow
Put aside some quality time at the weekend to recreate this relaxed Anglo-French pub menu from a newly restored Mayfair landmark
BOLTHOLE Fort Road Hotel, Margate
Kentish ingredients, local artists and extra touches of hospitality give this distinctive seafront hotel the perfect combination of contemporary style and seaside nostalgia
COOK LIKE A LOCAL South Korea
Su Scott introduces the deep, complex flavours of this East Asian country
READY? SET MENU? GO!
Delegate decision making to the experts - say feed me, thrill me. Rather than poring over menus, opting for a great-value set menu or a blow-out tasting experience allows you to kick back and relax, confident that incredible food will follow
Speedboat Bar SIGNATURE DISH
Whip up a spicy chillispiked dish and zingy ginger cocktail from Thai canteen Speedboat Bar in London's Chinatown
Coronation chicken cups
Give this gorgeously creamy filling the canapé treatment - perfect for easy entertaining
3 WAYS WITH Pickles
Whether it's cornichons, onions, beetroots or dill pickles, you can do so much more than you might think with these vinegary beauties
Keep it sweet
Show-off desserts to end your meal with a flourish, from food writer Claire Saffitz
Cook with the season
That sweet spot between spring and summer brings with it some of the very best produce
