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José Andrés, who stands out, among many other things, for his powerful humanitarian work serving food to the affected populations of Gaza through his organisation World Central Kitchen, had a conversation with the gastronomic media EatingWell. In it, he offered a number of culinary tips such as organising no-expectations dinners for his loved ones.
In the interview, structured around his new programme ‘Dinner Party Diaries with José Andrés‘ in which he cooks Spanish recipes for stars such as Jamie Lee Curtis and O’Shea Jackson Jr, the chef talked about the motivations behind the special, as well as the versatile protein and Spanish spice that coexist eternally in his kitchen.
Asked which underrated ingredient he would like people to use more often, he said eggs: ‘the perfect dish that you can fry, boil and scramble’. You can make omelettes, soufflés, sweet and savoury dishes. You can whip egg whites with sugar to create meringue. You can simmer egg whites for masterpieces. From mayonnaise and aioli to mousse, the egg is, in a way, the perfect protein. It can be a centrepiece, a side dish, on top of rice or part of a Caesar dressing – it’s fascinating the possibilities an egg gives you. I know not everyone will agree, but for me the egg will always be the one ingredient that should never be missing from the fridge.’
Later, they would focus the conversation on a key ingredient with infinite possibilities that could not be missing in their star dishes: ‘If there is one ingredient that I particularly like, it is Spanish paprika. You can turn it into a salad dressing. You can make a stew and add it to the sofrito to make the dish better and a bit smokier. You can use it to make Spanish rice, paella, meat stews and fish stews. You can sprinkle it over the fish with some aluminium foil and salt. It’s a simple spice with many possibilities.’
