If you are what you eat, then it could be said that chefs are what they cook. Michelin-starred Swiss chef to the British royals, Anton Mosimann, is well-known in the food world for having created “cuisine naturelle” in the mid-1980s, a philosophy that eschewed the trend of bathing proteins in
rich, cream-based sauces.
But, he’s better known for having prepared the royal wedding dinner for Prince William and Kate Middleton, last year. Here, the chef talks about the miracle of scallops (an edible bivalve mollusk with a ribbed fan-shaped shell), in a rapid-fire interview:
Why do you frequently indulge in scallops as an ingredient for your dishes?
Cooking the ingredient takes only a few seconds. It just makes for good and honest food.
What’s your favourite memory associated with the product?
Eating it very simply with black bean sauce, when I visited a random food stall in Hong Kong.
What’s the best way to cook scallops?
Fry them for 55 seconds, on each side. Then, top it with fermented black bean sauce, and garnish it with lots of coriander.
What are the most common mistakes people make when cooking this ingredient?
They tend to overcook it. That’s what makes scallops rubbery.
If it has to be paired with wine?
Go for Champagne. It’s a great excuse to pull out a fresh bottle.