Timing, as they say, is everything. It’s an exciting moment to be a chef in Uruguay, says Martin Erkekdjian, Executive Chef at the tranquil, elegant Four Seasons Resort Carmelo, Uruguay, just across the Río de la Plata from Argentina’s Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires.
Like a more laidback Tuscany, with gentle rolling hills, flocks of sheep, vineyards and lemon trees, Uruguay is a small, tidy, pastel-hued country of immigrants. The cuisine is rustic, rooted in Italian, Spanish and Swiss-German technique, fused with generations of South American influence. There are traditions: dishes based on the homegrown, top-calibre meat, weekly home asados (barbecues, outdoors over wood coals), empanadas (filled savory half-moon-shaped pastries) and locro, a hearty stew of squash, hominy and meat, usually goat.
But a new generation of chefs is trying to take these classic recipes and turn them on their side. The goal: to elevate the Uruguayan country kitchen to the haute level.
“We are just starting to explore new choices,” says the affable chef, an Argentine native with boyish charm. “And we’re seeking more sophisticated, innovative interpretations for our culture. Yes, we are rooted in Europe, but years of history and tradition separate us. We want to keep that unique essence, but enhance and build on it.”
For his part, Chef Erkekdjian is focusing on educating his suppliers on what top-notch products look, smell, feel and taste like: quality, presentation and visual appeal. “We’re not magicians!” he quips. He also likes to dabble in swapping appetizers with mains, and vice-versa.
Case in point: Four Seasons Resort Carmelo’s roasted whole baby pig, a typical family dish in Uruguay, reimagined for the resort’s Pura Restaurant. Here, Chef Erkekdjian modernizes it, dabbling with flavour and texture contrasts to create excitement. Tangy grapefruit plays foil to the salty pork. The browned skin seals in moistness and creates a crispy-soft mouthful. An almond-parsley vinaigrette spiked with sherry and cayenne sets off the sweet-and-creamy carmelized carrot purée. And of course the dish is picture perfect. Makes you wonder what’s next. Get this exclusive recipe!
“It’s a very exciting time for us,” the chef says. –Michelle Pentz Glave
Read more about Carmelo in Four Seasons Magazine. For more global grilling recipes, see what our other Four Seasons chefs cooked up in our grilling feature.
Cooking photos courtesy of James Glave.
Originally from Argentina, Martin Erkekdjian is Executive Chef at Four Seasons Resort Carmelo, Uruguay. Though just 31 years old, he has extensive hotel experience with stints at Bariloche’s El Casco Art Hotel, Esplendor El Calafate and the Faena Hotel in Buenos Aires. Chef Erkekdjian has also worked at Sucre in Buenos Aires; Tragabuches in Ronda, Spain; and in New York, Aquavit, David Bouley NYC and Perse; and Charlie Trotters in Chicago. For the resort’s Pura Restaurant, the chef uses local flavours, focusing on quality raw ingredients and enhancing with the best cooking techniques. Chef Erkekdjian recently introduced a new summer menu at the resort’s Rio Bar, a seafood tapas venue overlooking the vineyards with spectacular views of the Rio de la Plata.
The post Going Whole Hog: Grilling Pork Traditional Uruguayan-Style with a Twist appeared first on Taste by Four Seasons.