In The Kitchen At El Chiringuito

Words: Abby Lowe
Images: La Skimal & Hrvoje Slebur.

El Chiringuito Cala Gracioneta is the quintessential Ibiza restaurant. It’s got the picturesque view, the faultless food and the friendliest of staff. It’s the kind of place you go knowing you’re about to lose a few hours of your life, but you’re happy to surrender them because you know you’re about to embark on a blissful afternoon to remember. The menu is laden with culinary creations to make your tastebuds explode and that’s all down to head chef, Maria del Carmen Huertas and her team, who tirelessly turn out dishes that stun and amaze. We spoke to Maria about the inspiration behind her food, what it is that makes El Chiringuito so special and the rules of her strictly run kitchen.

How did your love affair with food start?
It started from an early age; I used to get on chairs in the kitchen to reach the ingredients to cook.

And how did you become a chef?
I worked and studied very hard, I’ve been brave and never been afraid of taking risks.

What’s the main inspiration for the current menu at El Chiringuito?
The beach. I wanted to make creative cooking and for that, I mixed last year’s cooking with fresh ideas.

What are your personal favourites on the menu?
Lubina in papillot on a banana leaf, with potatoes soaked in coconut milk.

What makes El Chiringuito so special?
Mainly because of the passion we put into it, and the fact that we’ve been trusted to handle Javier’s ‘la joya’ – literally, his jewel.

What would you say is your speciality?
– Boletus mushroom risotto
– Prawn parpadelle with zucchini

Do you see cooking as an art form?
Of course, it is a total art. Mood shapes the dishes, and my food is made to be enjoyed.

If you could work with any chef, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
I would choose Sergi Arola because nobody likes him – I think he has himself to thank for reaching as high as he has. And he has a very dry sense of humour.

What chef would you most liken your style to?
Martín Berasategui, because I really like how he has taken traditional cuisine and transformed them into modern concepts.

What’s the one ingredient you could never work without?
Virgin Olive Oil.

What are the rules of your kitchen?
– Never gives anyone something to eat that you would not eat.
– Everything has to be tasted before it’s delivered to the customer.
– Cleanliness.

What’s your first memory of Ibiza?
The first memories I have of Ibiza are pretty bad, because things weren’t going so well for me. But little by little things have got better.

How do you spend your days off?
– Keep up to date with cooking trends and browsing culinary books.
– Reading.
– Going to the beach.

If you could cook for any three people in the world, who would they be and why?
– For someone in the third world.
– For the homeless on Christmas day.
– Children in orphanage.
Because in this life, you shouldn’t wear medals – you should earn them!

What’s your proudest achievement?
To have reached the point I am at now, alone. I have paid for my own studies and carried out unpaid apprenticeships in order to learn.

Reservations
t: + 34 971 348 338
e: christophe@chiringuitoibiza.com