Chef Discovers the Secret Behind Sergio Herman’s Fries
Imagine: you’re a chef. And a fan of top chef Sergio Herman. When you see that you can meet the chef if you share your very best recipe for loaded fries with him, what would you do? Exactly—and that’s how chef Jeroen Prins got to sit down at Frites Atelier and meet his idol, Sergio. ‘He simply thinks about the profession in the same way I do.’
Some people say it’s better not to meet your idols. Because when they stand in front of you in real life, they turn out to be completely different from what you expected or even downright unpleasant. Fortunately, Jeroen Prins didn’t have that experience. Last month, he came face to face with his hero, top chef Sergio Herman, and he’s still completely thrilled about it. ‘
A nice guy, whom I’ve been following for years. I’ve sometimes thought that I’d like to be the next Sergio, but now that I have a son, my ambitions have been put on the back burner. Just watch the documentary Fucking Perfect to see what you have to sacrifice for a career at that level. But he still inspires me. I read his books and follow what he does. When I hear him talk about food and his work, I notice that he simply thinks the same way I do. And when I got the chance to meet him, I didn’t hesitate.’
Fries with Japanese flavors
The great chef announced a competition: who could come up with the tastiest fries? Jeroen already had that dish on the menu at the restaurant where he works, restaurant Noni in Rotterdam. ‘My entry was fries with togarashi spices, okonomiyaki sauce, furikake and wafer-thin slices of dried tuna. All Japanese flavors, but translated for our menu.’ As it happens, Sergio is also a huge fan of Japanese food. Jeroen’s recipe was a hit, he won the competition and was invited to come and taste the new menu at Frites Atelier.
Admiration
‘I hadn’t expected him to be there himself,’ Jeroen says. ‘That man is incredibly busy; he certainly has other things to do. But he showed up in the kitchen, came to our table to explain all the dishes and arranged a dessert from Le Pristine for us, because Frites Atelier normally doesn’t serve desserts.’ So afterwards, Jeroen went into the kitchen to thank the chef. ‘I told him how much I admire him, and he was pleased to hear that. He signed a cookbook and we chatted for a while. Amazing.’
Rendang as inspiration
And what about Jeroen’s recipe for the Japanese fries—is it now on the menu at Frites Atelier? ‘I don’t think so; he puts his own spin on everything anyway.’ And it works both ways, because Sergio also inspired Jeroen to create new dishes. ‘I tasted his Classic Spiced Indonesian Stew, and it’s the best rendang I’ve ever eaten. I’m now trying to recreate it at our restaurant too. It was much spicier than rendang usually is, and that was exactly what made it so delicious. No, that’s not copying or imitating—that’s inspiration. A tribute, you could say.’
Also read:
- This is the secret behind Sergio’s shrimp croquettes
- How to make Anthony Bourdain’s legendary french fries
- One ice cube is crystal clear, the other isn’t. How is that possible?
Photos: Jeroen Prins
