16-01-2014

Bottura strikes again

Our catch up with Adam Handling, the young scot dazzled by the illustrious colleague from Modena

To the left, Adam Handling, chef at the Caxton Gri

To the left, Adam Handling, chef at the Caxton Grill in the St Ermin's Hotel (London), while cooking in Massimo Bottura's (centre) restaurant with Yoji Tokuyoshi (right). The Osteria Francescana's chef hosted the three finalists of the BBC programme Masterchef: The Professionals; he then got them to recreate his own 6 course menu. A huge media success

A touch of Bottura in a corner of London? It can happen. Despite the growing number of TV cookery shows has somehow tainted, at least for some purists, some professional chefs’ credibility, often some of these shows highlight some real talent. Such is the case for one of the finalists of the most recent Masterchef the Professionals UK. When the final episode aired I was ready to celebrate. I was just waiting for Michel Roux Jr, two Michelin stars and judge of the programme, to confirm what had seemed obvious since the beginning.

Instead, I swore at the screen and switched off not event bothering to watch the final moments. It was a surprise in fact for many viewers that young Adam Handling was not crowned the winner. His creative cooking, consistent throughout and very detailed in style and presentation had produced some incredible dishes. Scottish, 25 years old, he is head chef at the Caxton Grill, restaurant of the St Ermin’s hotel. A modern venue, with attractive décor and a view over the courtyard of the historic building, hidden behind Scotland Yard in the centre of London.

Adam Handling

Adam Handling

The fact he didn’t win didn’t matter to us: we had already booked a table days before. It is here that we caught up with him after a meal that certainly met our expectations. Amongst the dishes we tried, we found the cod cheeks, pork belly, crispy skin and burnt lemon (created during one of the show’s challenges) truly special. We first ask him how his life has changed after Masterchef. He tells us the attention he has received is incredible: not only from the public who stops him in the street like a celebrity but also from the media and publishers.

Despite the busy last few weeks, his enthusiasm is infections and he’s clearly a chef that loves his job. If his dishes had impressed the judges since the very first challenge (when he prepared a squash pannacotta which looked spectacular), it was the ensuing experience with one of the world’s greatest chefs that had a major effect on his professional development.

Caxton Grill in Caxton street, London, +44.800.6521498

Caxton Grill in Caxton street, London, +44.800.6521498

The three finalists in fact, got to spend a few days with Massimo Bottura, first preparing dishes from his tasting menu for a group of highly selected diners, and then having to come up with a dish of their own that reflected their experience at Osteria Francescana. For Adam, classically trained and meticulous in his approach to cooking, it was a tough start. “I cannot imagine a worse scenario” he laments at the beginning of the episode, for fear of failing the challenge.

Yet, it seems that he was the contestant that more than others absorbed Massimo’s passion and the brilliant essence of his dishes. His dessert Angry Chocolate, result of the stress that Massimo’s style gave him, delighted not only the Italian chef but also the public who constantly asks him to add it to the menu. Adam tells us that, after the first unsettling moments, the experience was amazing and that has changed the way he approaches the creation of new dishes: the creative process appears in a new light. And what a bright light it is.


Dal Mondo

Reviews, recommendations and trends from the four corners of the planet, signed by all the authors of Identità Golose

by

Federica Carr

A British citizen from Naples, obsessive scuba diver, digital marketing manager Monday to Friday, foodie at any given time

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