The program Más de Uno, Gourmet of Radio Lanzarote - Onda Cero spoke with the Brazilian chef Joao Faraco and owner of the restaurant Coentro in Puerto del Calero during the celebration of Madrid Fusión, the gastronomic fair of the Spanish capital
- How have you seen Madrid Fusión this year?
We've been coming for a few years now and, as always, the product from Lanzarote is spectacular. People, in general, are quite amazed by the proposals and among the chefs we are, as always, united where the protagonist is always the local product. This year, as always, we are focusing on cereals and legumes, but without ever forgetting the sea, which is the main source of protein. All of this washed down with our volcanic Malvasia, which is always spectacular.
- You have conducted different workshops and prepared the institutional lunch for Saborea. What have you prepared?
Indeed. Apart from the workshop on prawns with shrimp from La Santa and Vinarós, which is a very interesting proposal where we find two destinations with seafood products. We make a comparison, people try and we give details about the catch and how to cook those seafoods. Both sea destinations work with products such as crustaceans with shrimp and prawns from Lanzarote and they with prawns.The food from Saborea España is always special and, despite making something for such important people who are accustomed to eating products from everywhere, they had a very good acceptance of the black hake I prepared. I made a very mild vegetable broth and, taking advantage of the rains in Lanzarote and the plants that grow near the sea, we enhanced the dish
- You are also responsible for organizing the Saborea Lanzarote stand. Do you see that each year the chefs are more concerned with organizing their dishes for this event?
When it comes to a fair, it is most likely that we will not be able to represent one hundred percent of what would be the setup and execution of a dish from a tasting menu as we would in our restaurant. However, it is true that more and more people with more experience are understanding that in the end we do not have to come to Madrid Fusión to show things we are not doing, but rather to highlight the product we have.
It is not about having more products, but about having a different perspective on each product because what we take away from Madrid Fusión each year is learning to look at the usual products with a new perspective and outlook and, from there, offer the customer something different. Madrid Fusión is what crowns all of this and makes the chefs from Lanzarote more united and more concerned about the final result and what people will perceive of Lanzarote
- How do you see the new generations in this world?
The new generations are sometimes a bit more complicated, but one must also understand that they live in a different turn of the world than ours. Despite this, the interest is seen, they come to ask and they are together. Each time we are incorporating people who have a minimum of idea, of course, because we cannot present just anything at Madrid Fusión. We see that we are slow with the issue of new staff incorporations, but those people who are willing come with interest and little by little they are gaining knowledge and training.
- What would you say to a cook or an owner who has their restaurant in Lanzarote and would like to be on your team?
First, believe in the local product because it is what drives us and makes us move in this field. There is no seven-headed monster, what we need is people who identify with the product and who have knowledge, although it is not essential because we can acquire it. That affection for the product of Lanzarote is important, and also wanting to show their ideas and concerns or their projects that they are carrying out in their restaurants
It is important to understand that the doors are open to everyone and, as we have said, the largest gastronomic showcase in the world is in Madrid and we are very lucky to have been coming for years to show our grain of sand of what we are contributing on the island.
