AUBERGINE PÂTÉ

How does the chef conceive a signature dish?

The creative process that inspired my aubergine pâté began when I sat at Martín Berasategui’s dinner table. I embarked on this pilgrimage of emotions with great expectations and when I arrived at that table I was bowled over by a tasting menu that left me speechless. One dish in particular lingered in my mind for days: a perfect foie gras. I thought about adding it to my menu but my identity and penchant lean more to the vegetable world and simple ingredients, making me think twice. Aubergine – with its supple texture and a flavour that lends itself to myriad interpretations – seemed to be an alternative. So I toyed with different cooking techniques until I came up with what I was looking for, but the flavour was not what I wanted, so I decided to let it ferment. I carried on experimenting until I achieved what I had in mind but I needed the aubergine to look like a foie gras, so I found some moulds of the right shape. At that point, I had lots of scraps, like the skins, so I decided to use them to make a broth. I gave it a try, caramelized the aubergine pâté, and served it with the broth made from its skin. I liked it and so I was happy.