Q&A with Sidney Schutte
Sidney Schutte is the executive chef of Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam and two-Michelin-starred restaurant Librije’s Zusje in Amsterdam. Named Chef of the Year 2017 by Gault Millau Netherlands.
Which food trend should we put an immediate end to?
I find this a very difficult question to answer; people should mainly do what they themselves feel like doing. What does concern me is the growing popularity of fast food, which causes a huge flattening of flavors.
When you serve someone a beautiful hare leg, something with a pronounced and complex flavor, people find it intimidating. That is a new word in restaurants anyway: people finding things ‘intimidating’.
Most memorable dining experience?
There are actually two. At Per Se in New York, Thomas Keller’s restaurant, I ate one of his most iconic dishes, oyster and pearls. It is a classic and simple dish, but when I ate it I almost went through the roof.
The other was at Ultraviolet in Shanghai, Paul Pairet’s restaurant. The overall experience there is truly incredible. Fragrance comes out of the walls and you sit in a 3D space; not only is the food fantastic, but so is the entire experience. You are genuinely taken on a journey for 3.5 hours.
Favorite drink?
Gin fizz, and it is important that it is not too sweet. I am also a real fan of a beautiful old Japanese whiskey.
Indispensable kitchen gadget?
The Green Egg. It is immediately a large and expensive gadget, but I really use it every day. Most people immediately think you have to barbecue a large piece of meat on it, but it is simply a little charcoal oven. You can also cook fish at a low temperature.
It does require a lot of attention; you cannot just walk away for four hours as you can with an oven. By adding oxygen, you can increase the heat, and when you remove the oxygen, the heat drops again. This allows you to control the cooking process beautifully, and that is exactly what I like about it. If a little fat also drips from the product, you get a very light smoke, which is incredibly delicious.
This is the dish I want to eat before I die
What would you never eat again?
Licorice. I really eat everything, but I simply cannot eat licorice. When I eat it, I only want to do one thing, and that is spit it out.
Which country is your favorite when it comes to food?
Spain. The country is hospitable and not extreme in terms of prices. These days, you pay a fortune for a good meal in cities like Paris or London, while in Spain the price is still perfectly normal. The cuisine is modern, but with great respect for traditional Spanish cuisine. The food is not only modern but also incredibly delicious.
What should everyone try at least once?
Hairy crab at Man Wah in Hong Kong. You get an entire crab in front of you that you still have to take apart completely, and the meat and roe are so delicious. The dish has every flavor you can imagine, and above all, a great deal of umami. This is the dish I want to eat before I die.
What is the best product from the supermarket?
Actually, I hate supermarkets. Fortunately, there is Marqt now, where the products are somewhat better, but preferably I go to the Asian grocery store. The vegetables and herbs there are all fresh that day, and you can see it immediately.
At the supermarket, herbs all have a shelf life of three weeks, but their flavor is so weak. If I buy coriander, I simply want to taste coriander. At the Asian grocery store, they tie all the bunches themselves; it is simply fresh, and you can taste it.
What is still on your food wish list?
I would really love to eat at Geranium in Copenhagen. I have been trying to make a reservation for a while now, but I never manage to get a spot.
Which cookbook should everyone have on their shelf?
The books by Stephane Reynaud. I have three of his books at home and I think they are all incredible. Whatever kind of dish it is, all the recipes are simple and clearly explained in a traditional way. Very simple classic French. If you really want to eat delicious food at home, these absolutely belong in your collection.
What do you like to make at home when you want a quick and delicious meal?
When I want to eat quickly and well, I always make the standard pasta arrabbiata, and then I make it a little spicier than usual. Every once in a while, I make a large quantity and freeze it.
Which dish do you have no self-control around?
At Spicy Crab Under the Bridge in Hong Kong. Not only is their spicy crab amazing, but so are their braised razor clams and stir-fried clams. When I lived in Hong Kong, this was more or less my cafeteria; they opened at 6 a.m., so I often went there to eat after work.
