Peter Gordon

Peter Gordon is perhaps New Zealand’s most internationally recognised chef. Born in Wanganui Peter started collecting recipes from the age of four and began cooking not long after. After completing a chef’s apprenticeship in Melbourne in 1985 he travelled throughout South East Asia, India and Nepal for a year before setting up the kitchen at The Sugar Club in Wellington in 1986. Peter moved to London in 1989 and worked at various restaurants until he established his name as executive chef at Mayfair’s Green Street Restaurant then at the Notting Hill and Soho branches of The Sugar Club. Peter opened his current restaurant The Providores and Tapa Room with his partners in August 2001.

www.peter-gordon.net
www.theprovidores.co.uk

Slice of Life 2007

By Peter Gordon - May 2007

A few weeks ago I was in Valencia – as a guest of New Zealand’s America’s Cup team. At that point London was experiencing a heat wave whilst Valencia was having high winds and heavy rain which had prevented the yachts from racing. Luckily for us though the day we hit the water the yachts performed amazingly well – winning both races and pretty much guaranteeing them a place in the semi finals for the Louis Vuitton Cup – the precursor to the America’s Cup.

Valencia is Spain’s third largest city after Madrid and Barcelona. The city is a fantastic mix of the very old and the very modern – as seems to often be the case in Spain. The Gothic Quarter is full of run down crumbling buildings sitting next to empty lots which you just know will soon have some swanky apartments sitting on it waiting to be sold off. With the arrival in town of the America’s Cup some locals were saying property prices have more than trebled in some parts of town. If you want to eat some great local food, especially a plate of steaming gorgeous mussels (and remember European mussels are often a quarter the size of NZ’s green lips) then head to Bar Pilar, just off Plaza del Esparto. If they’re cooking their sliced raw artichokes, tossed with oil and cooked on the planchada (griddle) then you must try them as well. And the garlic prawns, baby squid, Jamon amontillados… Just around the corner is Jamon Jamon – another lovely noisy crowded bar.

Valencia is also famous for it’s Horchata – a drink served cold or hot, resembling sweet milk. It is however made from tiger nuts (or chufas as they’re called in Spain). It’s not the most amazing thing to try – but you must try it. If only to say you have. I used to drink this in Melbourne back in 1982 and thought it wonderful then.

The photo of me is taken in the Mercado Central – the fantastic ornate central market, on of the biggest in Europe. You simply have to visit it (be aware it closes around 2pm and is closed on Sundays) – if only to see some of the most incredible fish, crustacean, shellfish and meat displays. You can buy pigs ears, razor clams, beef fillets and chickens with their heads on. The food is wonderful, and if it all gets too much stop at one of the very casual bars in the market and eat some tortilla (potato omelette), sliced chorizo (spicy pork salami) and have a café cortado (Spain’s strong and less milky latte).

I’m gearing up for my next visit to Auckland to tweak the menus at dine and Bellota. I’ll also be hosting an event to raise funds for leukaemia to be held at the SKYCITY Grand Hotel convention centre. I’m planning on cooking my guests grilled Firstlight wagyu on miso risotto but I haven’t quite figured it out yet – I’ll let you know what I’ve come up with in next months blog. At the dinner there will be 13 chefs from 4 countries each cooking for 2 tables of 10 – all with different menus – it’ll be a challenge!