Taken from Rene Redzepi's interview with John McKenna, and foraging walk with Alys Fowler at the Kerrygold Ballymaloe Lit Fest, 2014.
On Ireland...
The Irish are their own people in a kitchen. They really stand out.
On sweet cicely…
Blend with broth or candy the seed heads.
On being a cook…
I was never meant to be a cook. I came from a Muslim household where women cook.
On burdock…
Eat the roots and shoots – battered.
On family…
I come from a family of farmers.
It’s not for him, and that’s fine. [Speaking about his father’s opinion of the restaurant]
On fennel…
Crush with late berries and olive oil. Perfect with wild blackberries.
On foraging…
There was no word for foraging when I grew up, it was just what you did.
I became a craftsman.
On primroses…
Make a pie of flowers.
On running a restaurant…
I always knew if I wanted to progress, I had to make money. We’ve never lost money.
If you were alone celebrating that [becoming #1 restaurant] it would be so worthless.
I would like to try something the complete opposite – as cheap as possible, for as many as possible [on opening another restaurant].
On wild garlic…
The leaves don’t store well, but the flavoured oil from the leaves will taste good.
On restaurant politics…
France, and Paris, is still the capital of food.
After El Bulli, everything became more about sharing.
Let’s make it clear, the world’s best restaurant doesn’t exist.
On ground elder…
Use the stem, finely chopped.
On life…
You should create you own rules.
Food is the last analog experience.
The gastronomic value is the same for any ingredient.
On sweet woodruff…
Use with beetroot.
The unripe strawberry…
It’s an issue of being desperate.
Take an ingredient, unripe and give it the same value as a ripe one. That’s when discovery can happen.
On nettles…
Use the seeds as a spice condiment.
On lunch…
Lunch is better.
Sally McKenna
Photographs www.joleencronin.com
