Q&A with Jacob Jan Boerma
In The Chef’s Line, home cooks take on the chefs of a renowned restaurant. Together with top chefs Margot Janse and Dennis Huwaë, Jacob Jan Boerma is on the judging panel. He tastes the dishes blind and then determines whether a dish was made by the chef or the home cook. He can’t yet say whether he has ever been mistaken. You’ll have to watch it yourself on 24Kitchen.
Do amateur cooks beat the chefs?
I can say that it was very exciting. Each week focused on a different cuisine, from French to Indonesian. We chose traditional dishes. That makes it exciting too. A bouillabaisse can be prepared fantastically by someone who grew up in southern France. If I then had to taste it blind, I would really think, fucking hell… who is the chef?
A whole turkey on the Big Green Egg? Why not?!
Why is this program a good fit for you?
The program has a positive approach. The home cooks who take part often have a special motivation as well. Cooking is also partly about emotion. During the filming, a bond develops between the cooks. That’s when special stories emerge. I think that’s wonderful.
Filming is over; what was the most memorable Chef’s Line moment?
During ‘Indonesian week’, one contestant brought homemade ketjap manis. She had made it herself! Very surprising. I was given a bottle to take home. But I need to ask Grandma if she would like to make some more.
Indispensable kitchen gadget for home cooks with chef ambitions?
A Microplane. With such a fine grater, you can give a dish an extra dimension of flavor. For example, by adding finely grated carrot to a salad. Parmesan, lime zest or radish for a spicy note. Actually, you should have a few different sizes.
Most memorable dining experience?
That was in Tokyo, at a Japanese chef’s restaurant. I ended up there by accident and was the only non-Japanese person. The Japanese chef cooked everything with Wagyu beef. Eight preparations of the highest quality. It was so local that it was difficult to find. And very expensive.
Best supermarket product?
I don’t go to the supermarket often enough to say anything about that. I do see a trend of more and more chefs appearing in supermarkets with their products. A new vegetarian product of mine will also be on supermarket shelves in mid-June. Products by chefs can really add great value for home cooks in a supermarket. Especially now that cooking is so hot.
Finally: does The Chef’s Line have the potential to become the next Heel Holland Bakt?
I think the strength of Heel Holland Bakt lies in the fact that people can see themselves in it. There is a competitive element, and people receive recognition at their own level. People feel that they could do it themselves. This program has that too. Another fun aspect is that all the home cooks’ recipes are published online at the end of the program, so amateur cooks can recreate them at home.
