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Nomad Dining in Polish? Chef Marcin Budynek Ignites a New Trend in Gastronomy

Nomad Dining in Polish? Chef Marcin Budynek Ignites a New Trend in Gastronomy

Aleksandra Nagel – Well.pl: In the new project “Straight from the Fire” you want to “practice fine dining” on a live fire and in the fresh air. It’s quite a crazy and risky idea, considering the Polish weather conditions…

Marcin Budynek: Not at all. The philosophy of nomad dining comes from England, and there, let's be honest, the weather is not kind and it rains even more often than here. This is my dream, something I've always wanted to do. Returning to the roots, to raw, natural cuisine, based solely on fire. I already have a few elements of this cuisine in my restaurant, but now I wanted to go a step further - light a fire, grill, bake and grill in embers, in ash. It simply turns me on. I wanted to take on this culinary challenge. Extract this flavor, combine it with live fire and smoke. This is something that gives dishes a unique character.

How far is this project from classic fine dining?

Very far. These are two different worlds. The only common denominator is taste – of the highest quality. Fine dining is theatre, and here nomad dining is more of a ritual by the fire.

Campfire cooking brings to mind sausages, baked potatoes, and beer. Why are you, a person associated with fine dining, so excited about it?

You mature with age. Just like you start appreciating red wine, you stop drinking bourbon – it all comes with time. I still do fine dining, but fire is something we don't do widely yet, I see it as the future of gastronomy. Fine dining is a game of emotions – but fire… fire is pure passion.

You say that fire in the kitchen is a return to the roots. Does this mean that everything in fine dining has already been done, and now we can only go back, experiment with what someone has already invented?

Certainly, when it comes to ingredients. There are plenty of them in the world, but in the end, herbs, spices, fruits, vegetables, meat – all of these are countable. So, chefs can only, and as much as, experiment with the form of their presentation, unconventional combinations, cooking techniques, etc.

A culinary return to the roots, or how did the "Polish Chef" cook?

You say that fire in the kitchen is a return to the roots. Does this mean that everything in fine dining has already been done, and now we can only go back, experiment with what someone has already invented?

Certainly, when it comes to ingredients. There are plenty of them in the world, but in the end, herbs, spices, fruits, vegetables, meat – all of these are countable. So, chefs can only, and as much as, experiment with the form of their presentation, unconventional combinations, cooking techniques, etc.

Do you sometimes feel like a scientist in a laboratory?

Yes, but I also draw a lot from the knowledge of those who came before me. I collect cookbooks, I have almost 500 of them. It's my hobby, apart from collecting knives. (laughter)

Do you have any rare rarity?

I have a 17th-century "Polish Cook" and a few other gems.

This sounds like a good alternative investment…

A bit like that, although cookbooks don't yet command the same prices as other works of literature, but it's one thing to have an old cookbook, and another to use it and draw inspiration from it anew. The challenge is all the measures, conversions, weights, sometimes completely incomprehensible notations. It's an incredibly inspiring challenge.

Does cooking from old books have the power to transport you back in time?

I feel it perfectly, and you know what, the kitchen was also based on fire then. Of course – there were stoves, cauldrons, etc., but fire was the center.

Now, thanks to the project “Straight from the Fire”, it can once again become the center…

I deeply believe in this, because fire is not just about its function. Fire, bonfire, fireplace – it is light, the smell of burning wood, the sound of sparks, a unique atmosphere that hangs in the air and above all a symbol of community – cooking together, experiencing a meal. It is difficult to generate such an atmosphere in a restaurant.

In the kitchen, emotions count

Emotions matter.

Always. A regular pork chop in a bar can also have emotions. For example, whenever I'm on the road, I eat pork chop at my friend Janek's. I go back there because there are emotions, a real home-cooked meal.

It is the emotions that make the difference, and emotions at the campfire dominate everything. In addition, we will eat in a very beautiful place, Siedlisko Morena in Masuria - a view of the lake, a small grove, greenery, nature - all this will create a unique atmosphere. And even if the weather is bad, we have a plan B. We will carry out the project in various places close to nature. I invite you to follow our next dinners from the series "Straight from the Fire".

So "Straight from the Fire" is a return to the culinary past.

Certainly to the original culinary techniques, although the whole thing will have a very elegant, luxurious dimension. Because fire - apart from marinating, is the first culinary technique, but experts on the history of cuisine claim that fire was earlier.

You can read more about the STRAIGHT FROM THE FIRE project in this article:

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