Too Many Chefs

Last week we were excited to welcome Per Bengtsson of PM & Vänner in Växjö and his special guest, chef Lennox Hastie of Spain’s illustrious Etxebarri restaurant, a gourmet destination famed for its unique cooking technique. As it was the chef’s first visit to Sweden, it was only fitting that his first meal should be prepared by Titti, this year’s White Guide ‘Rising Star’ winner.

The Anglo-Australian chef worked in some of the UK’s best kitchens, including Raymond Blanc’s two-star Michelin star restaurant Le Manoir au Quat’Saisons in Oxford and Mayfair’s Le Gavroche before heading to France and finally Spain, where he settled in the Basque hills to join head chef and proprietor of Asador Etxebarri, Victor Arguinzoniz. Since opening in 1989, Etxebarri has attracted gourmets from across the globe to the small Basque village of Axpe, eager to taste the finest local produce, prepared on a wood grill. Etxebarri’s success as one of the world’s top restaurants lies in its unique cooking technique. As a former lumberjack Chef Arguinzoniz uses different woods to create different flavours. The burning embers of each species infuses the food with a particular taste.

Titti prepared fabulous mullet, followed by delicious cuvette of veal for the chefs while Lennox and Igi discussed Spain, bringing back memories of Igi’s childhood holidays in his father’s hometown of Galicia. We certainly hope this won’t be Lennox Hastie’s last visit to Sweden… somehow I suspect it won’t be.