Will Malta shine in fine dining?

RACHEL ZAMMIT CUTAJAR SPEAKS TO MICHELIN-STAR CHEF PAOLO BARRALE, WHO WAS IN MALTA COLLABORATING WITH PALAZZO PARISIO’S EXECUTIVE CHEF, CIRO SALATIELLO FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY, ABOUT THE PROSPECTS OF A MALTESE CHEF BECOMING A MICHELIN STAR.

Over the years the bar of the restaurant scene in Malta has been everincreasing. A more cosmopolitan crowd has seen more specialised restaurants from all over the world mushrooming all over the island – from dumplings to crêpes, tacos to bao buns. However, fine dining in Malta is lacking. Yet to see a single Michelin-starred restaurant, diners still have to go overseas to get a taste of true fine dining. Every now and then, a Michelin-starred chef visits Malta to collaborate with a local restaurant, upping the game in local kitchens and giving local diners a chance to sink their teeth into something a little worthier, as has done Michelin-starred chef Paolo Barrale.

So, what inspired you to take up cooking?

Working in food has been a natural progression for me. My parents worked in food retail while I was growing up, running a small artisan pasta shop. I worked here when I was young – more as a form of amusement than to make money – making all types of specialty pasta, from panzerotti to ravioli, tortellini, tagliatelle and more. This gave me a solid foundation, working with my hands, which I would eventually develop into a highly skilled craft.

And what made you decide to take it further?

I come from Cefalu, Sicily and during the summer seasons I got a job working in the kitchens of Club Med. Until I was 22 or 23 I spent my time juggling jobs at Club Med in Cefalu and Sestriere, working in the family store and attending the hotelier school. Although I loved helping my parents with the shop, I wasn’t interested to take it over so when the time came for them to retire I felt like this was my chance to get out and see the world and develop my skills as a chef.

Paolo Barrale

How did you get your lucky break?

When I was in my early 20s the attitude towards food was changing. People were starting to get excited about food and individual chefs, like Gualtiero Marchesi, were starting to be celebrated. I wanted to work with the masters of the industry, so I started sending out my CV to top chefs around the world. I was particularly interested in working with Germanborn chef Heinz Beck who had moved to Italy just a few years before. I sent my CV over to him a number of times but got no reply, so I thought I needed to do something more assertive. I decided to deliver my CV to him by hand, so I went off to Rome and presented myself to the receptionist of the Cavalieri Hilton, telling her that I had an appointment with the chef. To my amazement, the restaurant manager came out to greet me and took me to meet the chef himself! We had an interview over a glass of champagne in the most opulent restaurant I had ever seen – there was fine art on the walls and plenty of gold and precious items all over the restaurant. We talked about what I wanted to do and why I was so interested in joining his brigade and then I was shown out. Around three months later I got a call back and was offered a job, so I worked at La Pergola from 1998 to 2001.

How did you get your Michelin star?

During my time under the tutelage of Heinz Beck, I was called to do some consultancy work at Fuedi di San Gregorio, the winery in the middle of the Campanian Apennines created by the renowned Japanese architect Hikaru Mori. I started work as the sous chef of their restaurant Marennà with Executive Chef Donato Episcopo, where I spent the last 15 years. After the first year, Donato decided to move on and I was asked to take over the kitchen. This was a great opportunity for me, even if it was a little bit daunting. I took the challenge and in three years we were awarded a Michelin star, a ranking we held onto for 10 years. I left Marennà last October as I felt that it was time to move on.

What are you up to now?

At the moment, I divide my time working as a consultant, organising food events for charity and developing my own skills. The culinary art is forever changing, and it is really important for a chef to keep learning to remain current. For this reason, I spend around 20 days per month working as a consultant and the remaining 10 days using my network to find work in two or three Michelin-starred kitchens across the world to help develop my skills further. Over the last year I’ve been to France, Spain, Singapore, Hong Kong, Palma de Mallorca and now Malta.

Have you ever been to Malta before this trip?

I was here around 10 years ago. I have a good working relationship with Palazzo Parisio. I met Justine Pergola, the Baroness’ daughter, while she was doing an internship at La Pergola. She wanted to introduce me to her mother and come and visit her place in Malta, so I came for a visit. Since then I have helped them find the right staff to run the kitchen. I recommended a pastry chef who is still working at the palace today. I also recommended their executive chef, Ciro Salatiello, originally as banqueting manager and now he has taken over the kitchen as Executive Chef. Using the contacts, you create over your working life is a very important aspect of any professional, but in the culinary sector it is vital.

What do you think about the food scene in Malta?

There are some good ingredients available from the sea in Malta and this is what chefs should be focusing on. There is, however, still a lot of British influence in the way that you eat. You still eat a lot of beef, pork, lamb, veal. I feel like the biggest problem is that you don’t really have very typically Maltese cuisine. Although you have a few typical Maltese dishes, there are very similar dishes in other cuisines. Local cuisine is a variation of Sicilian, British or Tunisian cuisine. Although you add your own flair to it, it is still borrowed from other cultures.

“Local (Malta’s) cuisine is a variation of Sicilian, British and Tunisian cuisine. Although you add your own flair to it, it is still borrowed from other cultures”

And why is Malta lacking Michelin stars?

Michelin is not really interested in this small area of the world right now, but I think that will change. New hotels are opening and there are different kinds of guests that are coming to Malta – ones with more disposable income and more sophisticated palates. When there are tourists that demand more gourmet food, more restaurants will open to cater for them. Then the more you start to cater for them, the more they will be attracted to Malta, which will in turn attract the interest of the Michelin Guide. The same thing has happened in Russia, Budapest and Hungary. I believe that in two or three years’ time, there will be a Michelin star in Malta.

What is your advice to chefs trying to up their game?

The global trend is for creative chefs to combine ancient flavours with more modern and expensive ingredients. For example, a dish that combines caviar with burrata would be a great dish to serve in Puglia. You get the traditionally-sourced burrata combined with an exotic ingredient for something special. Over here perhaps you can serve swordfish with fennel, orange and caviar. The secret is in the combination of local and exotic ingredients. However, creativity isn’t the only way to get a Michelin star. Creative cuisine is one way to win stars, but you can also do it in with more classical cuisine. This is how Bombana, in Macau earned its Michelin star, serving traditionally Italian cuisine. What is important is that the ingredients are superior and that flavours are balanced.

What advice would you give to young aspiring chefs?

Travel the world. Cook wherever you can. Find the best kitchens and develop your skills. After that, you need to return home and adapt what you have learnt to the local scenario. Copying the things you’ve learnt is not enough. You need to create new flavours with local ingredients.

How do you spend your free time?

When I’m not cooking, I like to eat. I like to spend time around the table with good food and good wine. The best ways to learn about a place is to eat with the locals. Spending time around the table expands primarily your belly, but also your understanding of the culture of a place.

Your favourite food?

Although I spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing gourmet food, this is not the kind of food you can eat every day. I prefer simple comfort food. You can’t eat nouvelle cuisine every day but pasta alla norma… you can eat that every day. The simple flavours of tomatoes, basil, aubergine and ricotta salata, that brings a smile to your guests faces every single time. I love to cook fresh pasta, risotto, breads, sweets. You can reach the minds of people through their bellies.

Any plans for the future?

And will we see you back in Malta soon? The evening in Malta was successful, so we are now discussing a repeat visit at the end of the season in September or October. This time I’d like to incorporate some local ingredients and give them a Michelin-star twist.

THE ORIGINS OF THE MICHELIN STAR

The Michelin star is the most coveted prize among chefs all over the world. Gordon Ramsay is said to have cried when his New York restaurant, The London, was stripped of its prestigious two stars in 2015. “It’s a very emotional thing for any chef,” he said. “It’s like losing a girlfriend.”

So, how did a tyre company come to produce the bible of all dining guides? In 1889, brothers Andre and Edourd Michelin, founded the Michelin tyre company. They were looking for ways in which to encourage the then limited motorists in France to take more road trips and thus require more tyres. The first guide book was published in 1900 and contained a wealth of information which included where to find the best meals and accommodation on their trips.

As business grew so did the popularity of the guide and by 1926 Michelin decided to send an anonymous team of inspectors to rate the restaurants on a three-category basis, which is still in place today. In 1933 the rating system included two and three stars. When a restaurant is awarded one Michelin Star, it is a sign that the chef has succeeded at the highest level. Two Stars and the restaurant is likely to be populated by the glitterati. Three Stars and the restaurant is often booked out for months in advance and populated by the glitterati.