How to peak food culture
A chef who loves to eat, travel and explore, Gary Mehigan spoke to Team Viva about the culinary adventures during his new show
The ever-smiling Australian celebrity chef and TV host Gary Mehigan was recently in town to shoot for his new show Masters of Taste with Gary Mehigan. He is charged up to set foot in the bustling culinary scene the country has to offer.
When asked if the viewers will see the famed chef exploring Indian cuisine like never before in the show. He answered, “Anything that tastes great works for me. I discovered numerous indigenous ingredients and techniques which I hadn’t seen before in India, such as fresh chickpeas, which were a revelation to me, but I was equally impressed with what chef Kelvin Chung is doing at Bastian which was great to witness.”
The chef is known to use local and seasonal ingredients in order to add a modern twist to classic recipes, he informed us that he will be seen playing with certain traditional Indian spices. “I love Indian spices, and usually take back a lot to Australia during each of my visits. Not all of them get through customs, but they have allowed me quite a few over the years. I feel that the spices from India are just on another level to what we get in Australia.”
He would be visiting some upmarket restaurants and bars in the country and will also be creating culinary finds with Indian chefs as his guides. Mehigan revealed, “I am learning a lot from the chefs during my stint here, it’s like an exchange of thoughts. I will also get a chance to cook with them which is really good. There will be some celebrity guests on the show.” Mehigan became a household name in India, owing to the cookery show Masterchef Australia, where he was seen with Matt Preston and George Calombaris.
“I am keen to learn and discover what different chefs are doing in this country, and be inspired to keep evolving my recipe repertoire,” he added.
Mehigan will be seen recreating restaurant style dishes in the comfort of one’s home. If one asks him what is lacking in the dishes that are made at home, in terms of ingredients or the style itself, he promptly replied, “The first impression of a dish is crucial especially in a restaurant, and there is nothing more rewarding than putting forth an impressive plating of fare in front of the customers. So, I do share my tips on how to plate to take the dishes a notch above. I always suggest that the homecook should put one new ingredient in their shopping basket each week, to mix up their weekly dinner menu, as I think we all get stuck with our routine.”
His television career began in 2009 with Masterchef’s season 1 and hasn’t stopped ever since. He went on to star in various shows including Good Chef, Bad Chef, and Boy’s Weekend, Good Food and Wine Show.
Mehigan began a new TV series titled Far Flung with Gary Mehigan in July 2015, where he travelled to various countries in Asia such as India, Vietnam, Laos, Hong Kong and South Korea to learn their local cooking techniques and unique recipes, which he used as a source of inspiration for the recipe he demonstrated at the end of each episode. There are reasons which keep bringing him back to India. He said, “The people, vibrant colour of the cuisine — appetising flavours and the diversity of food, the taste changes every few miles. I can’t wait to travel to north and down south to discover more, as I have travelled to some of the places, but mainly to the big cities.”
He gave us some pearls of wisdom regarding his perspective about the platforms that highlight the culinary diversity of the world and the effort that goes in it. “If one looks at a show like Masterchef Australia, I think it has had a huge influence on not only the homecooks in Australia but across the world, including India. I have observed that people are experimenting with new ingredients and techniques at home, and it has encouraged a young generation of children to love food. Not just eating but cooking aspect of it as well. I am really proud of the legacy created through the show, and hope that my other shows inspire them in similar way.”
On a personal note, he talks about his journey from the time that he realised that he had the culinary skills for creating innovative plates. Said he, “I think I have the best job in the world and have worked quite hard to get where I am. But, I am still on a quest for learning and would like to believe that the journey has plenty of legs still in it.”
(The show will premiere on February 26 at 9 pm on Fox Life)