British chef Marco Pierre White: Nobody uses, or understands spices like the Indian cooks

Even though British chef Marco Pierre White commands celebrity status and has been called "the first celebrity chef" in the past, for all his achievements over the last three decades, he doesn't really like to be called a ‘celebrity chef'. Being brutally honest, as he is always known to be, the chef, who has trained the likes of Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay, among others, says it is simply because he believes that the real celebrity chefs are in our homes - your home and my home. He shares, "The great-grandmother, grandmother, mother and daughter all cooking together is the greatest show on earth."

The English restaurateur and television personality, who was recently in India, for a masterclass at the Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai in Mumbai in association with World On A Plate, showcased his expertise through his insights and innovative techniques to create two dishes --- Risotto a la Milanese and iconic Lamb Wellington. However, instead of focusing on the complexities of cooking, he focused on the basics. It is only because White has always believed "cooking is a philosophy and not a recipe unless it is a pastry, and then it is chemistry" because he says once you learn the principles, cooking any cuisine becomes easier.

For the uninitiated, White is the first British chef to ever get three Michelin stars in 1995 at the age of 33, and with that also became the youngest ever chef to receive three Michelin stars before Italian chef Massimiliano Alajmo earned the distinction in 2002, when he was 28 years old.

In a mesmerising chat, mid-day.com spoke to the British chef, to know what he likes about Mumbai and India at large. At the same time, he also dwells on why he doesn't like to call himself a ‘celebrity chef'. White, who has also previously appeared on television shows such as Hell's Kitchen and MasterChef Australia, also talks about the time he returned his Michelin stars, and the role of a chef in the modern world today.

Edited excerpts:

How has your Indian experience been this time around? When was the last time you were here?
The last time I visited India was in 2019. I like India. I like India a lot, actually. I like the emotional extremes. India has one of the great cuisines of the world. It doesn't have the recognition it deserves on the world stage, but I think it is slowly getting there. And no one in my opinion uses spices or has an understanding of spices, like the Indian cooks.

Which is your favourite Indian city and why? What do you like the most about Mumbai's food?
Mumbai is lovely. When you drive through or walk through the streets, it is just extraordinary. I can say this when I come to Mumbai or to India. I can't say this about any other country in the world. But I've never poorly eaten in India. I've always eaten deliciously well, which tells you a lot about India. And that is why it is one of my favourite countries in the world. Because when you go to a country and the food is not great, you don't want to go back there. Food is very important.

How have you seen the idea of "celebrity chefs" evolve over the decades?
I am not a celebrity chef. Let's be brutally honest. Most chefs on TV have never won awards. They're not there for their cooking. They're there for their ability to present their looks. The great-grandmother, the grandmother, the mother, and the daughter all cooking together is the most incredible show on earth.

I say this is the greatest show because every chef needs to understand three things and great chefs have three things in common. Firstly, they accept, and respect that Mother Nature is the true artist, and they are the cook. Secondly, everything they do becomes an extension of themselves and comes from within them. It is the way they work, the way they dress --- it is like watching a pianist play a piano. The way they move around the kitchen is like watching a ballerina. And thirdly, and most importantly, they give you great insights into the world that they were born into, which is the world that inspired them. Because remember, you don't have to have Michelin stars to be a great cook, what you need is emotion.

In the past, you returned your Michelin stars and chose to reinvent yourself. Do you believe getting recognition of different types today may often limit chefs from challenging themselves in the kitchen?
Those Michelin stars were firstly stepping stones to where I wanted to go but I had to win them to give me the confidence to be myself, and to believe in myself as they were the stepping stones. The truth is they have no value to me today. Where is the value in something? An award which is given to you by people who have less knowledge. And, I never wanted to live a lie, where I pretend to cook when I don't cook.

I believe when you charge those prices, you should be in the kitchen because if I go to a three Michelin star restaurant or one with two stars, and the name of the person is above the door, and they're filming somewhere else in the world, why am I paying that money? I came from a world where the chef's position was behind the stove. As I say, a chef is allowed to stray from the stove, but he has to stay close to the flame. So, if I still have three stars, I can't be sitting here today, could I? It is because I have to be in my restaurant where I have got three stars. A lot of chefs have Michelin stars. They have a certain amount of technical ability but what they don't have, is the magic. What they feed you doesn't have a massive emotional impact on you, and when you eat, you should be emotionally impacted.