Peter Gordon's a rare chef these days: one who is unapologetically fusion. While a wave of restaurants and chefs combining ingredients and techniques from different countries swept the food scene a decade ago, there are very few left who still define themselves that way. Gordon, a New Zealander who is now based in the UK, is still happily fusion and sees no need to defend the cooking style that came in for so much criticism for being overly complex and directionless. "It speaks for itself," he said in an e-mail interview ahead of his visit to the UAE next week. "Eating it is the way to experience it."
Gordon, who has four restaurants to his name, will be at Jones The Grocer in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from Monday to Wednesday, demonstrating fusion dishes such as his seared tuna on nori sauce with green mango and coconut salad. Fusion cooking, says Gordon, isn't new but is relevant to our global society — and it's something we can all cook at home.
"Countries become a fusion of cultures, and you can't always get the ingredients you remember from back home, so you often need to adapt. Transportation of ingredients in chilled containers and freighted on aeroplanes have meant that we can source many non-regional ingredients in the same way all cultures have assimilated spices into their cuisine. Ground ginger and cinnamon are staples in British baking, yet they will never be grown on British soil."
How would you define fusion food?
Let's face it, a bad meal, or whatever genre is a bad meal. But one bad meal, or maybe even half a dozen, do not make the genre terrible. Fusion food has actually been with us since traders started moving food — Italians wouldn't have tomatoes and polenta (from the Americas), basil or aubergines (from India) if it weren't for transport and traders. In a way, Italian cuisine is one of the great fusion cuisines, although if you look closely enough, all the world's great cuisines are the result of fusion. All fusion food is the combination and assimilation of ingredients from one cuisine to another.
Your restaurant dishes show a diverse range of ingredients — everything from labneh and curry leaves to panko and capers. Which ingredients are exciting you right now?
At the moment my favourite would have to be freshly made coconut milk, as I've just been in Fiji, cooking. And I would have to say that the real deal is so much lovelier than the canned stuff — but somewhat less practical for many.
I also ate so many paw paws (papayas) that I'm in danger of becoming one.
How are you using them and how would you recommend we use them at home?
Coconut milk (and cream) is great in soups and stews to replace dairy milk and cream. It's terrific in rice pudding and dressings, and when used to marinate fish, with some lime juice and chilli added. Paw paws are lovely tossed with sweet chilli sauce, shredded coriander and spring onions, lime zest and juice, and used as a salad or a salsa with most fish and grilled chicken.
Where do you discover new ingredients?
I travel a lot and have a very open and inquisitive mind for most things. I love to see what food is being served on the streets and, also, but less often, in top restaurants. I don't enjoy overly formal restaurants, as I believe food and dining should be enjoyable, fun — and very tasty.
Markets are always a great place to see what's local and in season, and the very basic Nadi (pronounced Nandi) market in Fiji was a revelation — the amount of familiar and unfamiliar ingredients was wonderful, from gorgeous thin aubergine and dalo (taro) through to kai (clam-like shellfish), sea cucumbers and a variety of leaves such as rosella and ota.
Your restaurant dishes are complex. Can we interpret your style for home cooking?
People come to my restaurants to experience food and dishes they'd possibly have trouble reproducing themselves at home. My cookbooks are geared up for home cooks, with varying levels of skills.
My new book, Everyday, is a simpler approach to home cooking, with fewer ingredients and less philosophy. I've written seven books now, and contributed to many more, and people find my books stimulating and full of recipes that work, once you've done the shopping.
And I LOVE shopping for food — it's all part of the experience.
