PALATE
THE CHEF’S TABLE
I Jax Hamilton, Food Editor jaxhamilton.co.nz
n October 2010, I found myself one of the top 18 competitors in MasterChef NZ, Series 2. I was standing in front of those kitchen benches and fearsome judges, and our first studio challenge sat beneath a ‘mystery box’ that set my knees shaking. Once revealed, I was surprised to discover that we all had exactly the same ingredients. At that moment, deep in competitive land, my mind began to ping, and recipes floated into my vision, like Remy, the rat in Ratatouille. For me, this marked the birth of creative identity and the importance of authenticity with food. Why? Because I’ve been cooking Jamaican food my whole life. I knew its personality and recognised very quickly that no one would be able to replicate my dish because it would come from a place of spirit, love, and culture – my DNA. I won that challenge and went on to win many more. Although I did get to the final, I didn’t win but became runner up in one
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of the most sensational finals in global MasterChef history. Ahh, them’s the days! What I took away from my experience was that if you keep it simple, authentic, and infused with passion, those virtues will appear on the plate every time. The origin of the chef’s table derives from an old practice of chef’s delighting their loved ones in the kitchen as they worked. Subsequent to my experience, I was invited overseas to dine at the chef’s table of Gordon Ramsey, Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea. Then dinner by Heston Blumenthal at Mandarin Oriental and Jamie Oliver at Fifteen, and homegrown Simon Gault at Euro. With the Michelin Guide, the chef’s table has evolved into a bespoke and exclusive dining experience. However, in my opinion, the genesis of the dish is always the same. It is an idea born of romance, infused with a blend of local, seasonal ingredients: passion, culture, pride, and a magical sprinkle of DNA.
