Q&A with Hugo Kennis
When he’s not driving from festival to festival in a van with his besties, he’s whipping up the most delicious meals on Wat eten we vandaag. 24Kitchen chef Hugo Kennis is a star in his own vegetable garden—and which product does he consider sex on a plate?
Which food trend should we put an immediate end to?
Superfoods. I think the word itself is stupid, because what exactly is a superfood? It has become a trend without people having done proper research. A goji berry is nice and healthy, but broccoli is just as healthy. The amount of chia seeds you have to eat before they’re actually much healthier than other foods is ridiculous; besides, they’re really not tasty.
Most memorable food experience?
I’ve eaten at all kinds of Michelin-starred restaurants, but for me, the ultimate food is still hare pepper stew made by my grandmother. My grandfather was a hunter; he shot the hares himself and buried them in the garden to let them hang, as they do in Brabant. The hares are then marinated in vinegar for a day, before being fried and stewed with cloves, gingerbread and bay leaves. The meat becomes incredibly tender, and the smell of game and sweetness in my grandmother’s house is truly wonderful.
Favorite drink?
A good glass of white wine.
Indispensable kitchen gadget?
A fucking good chef’s knife. Lots of people have all kinds of complicated gadgets, but it all starts with a good knife—that’s really the only thing you need. I also think you absolutely shouldn’t skimp on it. Spend €200 once and you’ll have a knife for life.
I like them even better than oysters and lobster; they’re soft yet firm at the same time, and sweet with a natural vanilla aroma.
What would you never eat again?
Dried jellyfish. For De Worsten van Babel, we did a toko loco episode in which we prepared all kinds of things from the Asian grocery store without knowing what they were. The jellyfish was umami misery; it tasted like cat pee and was simply incredibly disgusting.
Which country is your favorite when it comes to food?
France. I was classically trained; culinary school was simply French, so it’s partly my field of study too. But I’ve traveled all over the world for food, and I always come back to France. They’re the kings of sauces, and I think classic dishes such as canard de l’orange are absolutely delicious.
What should everyone try at least once?
Maybe not very exotic, but I think scallops are truly sex on a plate. Some people don’t want to eat them because they don’t like shellfish or fish, but they’re barely fish at all. I like them even better than oysters and lobster; they’re soft yet firm at the same time, and sweet with a natural vanilla aroma.
What’s the best supermarket product?
Ginger ale, for making gin and ginger ale.
What’s still on your food wish list?
Eating at Faviken. I really like his theories and way of cooking. He grows his own vegetables and uses all kinds of different ways to preserve them. When he’s working on this, the restaurant is closed, and it opens precisely when there’s a huge blanket of snow. Almost all the vegetables you eat there are then pickled.
I’m also very busy with my own vegetable garden at the moment, and besides eating things fresh, I’m trying to preserve some for later. Cherry tomatoes grow like weeds, for example; if you have a hundred a week, you really don’t want to eat them all fresh. I’ve now pickled some in a brine with, among other things, tarragon and rosemary. I’ve only just started figuring out which vegetables I can preserve.
Which cookbook should everyone have on their shelf?
I think Ottolenghi’s books are excellent. Jerusalem is a great book, for example, but just make sure you have one of his books. His way of cooking is very good for the more advanced home cook.
And Escoffier for classic French cuisine—he really is the founder of French cooking.
What do you like to make at home when you want to eat quickly and well?
I actually always cook, even when I’m very tired. When I’m feeling lazy, I mainly don’t feel like cleaning the kitchen, so I often make a sheet-pan meal. I put fennel, carrot, parsnip, onion, garlic and lamb sausages on it, sometimes with potatoes as well. Whole sprigs of thyme and rosemary, a generous amount of oil, and into the oven. Then I collapse on the sofa with a glass of wine, and half an hour later I’m enjoying a wonderful meal.
Which dish do you have no self-control around?
Yes, scallops again. I’ve never made myself sick eating them; I never get tired of them. I could genuinely eat them in the morning, afternoon and evening. I’ve also had lobster dinners, and after eleven courses I’m ready to call it a day. But I could eat scallops endlessly.
Image: Rudy Helewegen
