An interview with the Molecular Chef

Ettore Bocchia, known as the molecular chef, will be preparing the buffet for the inauguration ceremony. He tells the Bulletin about the science and philosophy behind his gastronomic creations.

The LHC, the largest scientific instrument in the world, will open a new era in scientific knowledge. What does science have in common with the menu you have prepared for the inauguration of the LHC?

Ettore Bocchia: Our starting points are physics concepts; we worked on conventional food with innovative techniques and procedures. For example, the first course of our menu is prepared by coagulating eggs with alcohol at 90 degrees Celsius. This transforms the egg into a sort of curdled cream. This experiment was originally performed in laboratories, but it had never been made edible before. We made an edible version simply by washing the curdled egg with cold water. It sounds like the egg of Columbus, but it took us five days of attempts before we were successful.

Another procedure is the jellying of starch by cooking vegetables at just 65 degrees, allowing them to keep their raw taste. We also cool foods with liquid nitrogen, we fry with glucose, and we make wafers without flour, so no gluten, just starch. We use soy lecithin to create a warm mayonnaise, made without eggs or oil. All these are totally innovative concepts. Add to this the creativity and imagination of a chef and you step into new horizons in the construction of structure and texture of food.

What‘s the greatest benefit you get from all this R&D in cooking techniques?

Ettore Bocchia: The main benefit is the cultural enrichment of the chef, enhancing his cultural background. Essentially you gain more awareness of procedures in the kitchen which also benefit traditional dishes. You get a better mastery of the art of cooking. Obviously the main objective is always to enhance the quality of the finished product and get the best possible taste of your food. But we can also apply this knowledge to prepare perfect tasting dishes for people with food allergies.

More information on Ettore Bocchia is available here.