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The 21st Madrid Fusión is proving to be a great success. After an opening in style, the second day once again stood out for the variety of topics addressed. One of the main attractions on Tuesday was chef Dabiz Muñoz and his boundless imagination. Almost 10 years later, the DiverXO chef returned to cook on stage at Madrid Fusión, where he gave a tour de force, preparing more than 100 dishes concentrated in four courses. “After many years of travelling and seeing how everyone embraces the ingredients of their environment, I wanted to make an apology for our own pantry”, specified the Madrid-born chef.
Among Muñoz’s creative creations was a spinach dish with buffalo stracciatella, Tahitian lime, jalapeño emulsion, kale leaves, honey and vanilla oil. One of the most talked about themes of yesterday’s event was “cuisine de aprovechamiento”. Dabiz Muñoz also showed it off, as did Ricard Camarena.
The Valencian chef presented his new project: a line of delicatessen by-products, which perfectly reflect a work philosophy based on making the most of them. Compotes made from the leftover orange juice, aubergine juice that he reuses for desserts, a pumpkin curry made with the fruits that this year have not reached the desired sweetness…. A real plea against waste. “That’s what creativity is for”, concluded Camarena.
Creativity and exoticism
The presence of the Koks restaurant in the Faroe Islands also stood out. This hut, reached after a heroic journey, is the most remote Michelin-starred restaurant on the planet. Here, chef Poul Andrias Ziska cooks seafood of impressive calibre from the frigid waters of the Arctic just 20 minutes before it lands on the plate. Not so remote, but in a stunning natural landscape, there is also the project of Francis Paniego, Jordi Grau and Pol Contreras. The Ibaya restaurant, in Andorra, is the only star restaurant in the country.
There was also time to talk about the creativity of the Mugaritz restaurant. Julián Otero, a member of Mugaritz R&D since 2014, where he combines his work as a chef with that of a researcher, revealed the secrets of Andoni Luis Aduriz’s restaurant. “We give importance to the path when it comes to creativity because many times you think about the finished product, the recipe, the dish, the presentation, the restaurant… but the important thing is the path you take to reach your goal”, he added, while acknowledging that many of his dishes have taken four years to become a reality on the menu.
The second day concluded with a reflection by Quique Dacosta on beauty and the artistic connotations of cuisine. In addition, Pedrito Sánchez, apostle of simplicity, offered a portentous recital of dishes made with just two ingredients. “The difficult thing is to think. We value the product in the kitchen, but not so much the chef’s workmanship. The product is always overrated”, said the chef of Bagá, a small restaurant in Jaén where they only serve 8 diners.
