Interview: Chef José Pizarro talks Spanish food, sherry and surviving

We know how devastating Coronavirus has been for everyone, and it’s been especially hard for those working in the hospitality industry. However, as ever, in this brilliant and inventive sector, many have adapted, innovated and come up with new ways of getting their food out to local neighbourhoods, communities and in a lot of cases, nationwide. We’ve seen an explosion of meal delivery kits, from burgers and pizzas through to steaks and Michelin star tasting menus. One such chef who has switched his business to at-home cooking is José Pizarro.

José Pizarro is basically responsible for bringing proper Spanish food to the UK. He grew up on a farm in Extremadura in Spain, nearly became a dental technician (!) before finding his true calling as a chef and then moving to London in 2000. He hasn’t looked back since, becoming head chef at Eyre Brothers, co-founding Brindisa, and then opening José Tapas Bar in 2011. That was followed by Pizarro, José Pizarro Broadgate, and more recently, a gastropub in Surrey. You may have seen José on one of his many TV appearances, or read one of his six recipe books.

José’s Finish at Home boxes have been a huge success, filled with quality Spanish dishes that take around 10 minutes to ‘finish at home’ – with no kitchen skills required. You get three tasty tapas, two main courses and, naturally… dessert.

Despite the success of Finish at Home, things are finally starting to open up again in the UK, and from Monday 17 May, we'll finally be allowed back indoors to eat! The re-opening coincides with José Tapas Bar in Bermondsey Street celebrating 10 years, so there will be top dishes from the last decade available for customers to enjoy at Pizarro, JP Broadgate and José Pizarro at the Swan Inn Esher. We're talking the likes of squid ink croquetas, classic tortilla, padrón peppers, jamón Ibérico, succulent pan con tomate, patatas bravas, and gambas al ajillo.

José Pizarro Basque Finish at Home menu

José Pizarro Basque Finish at Home menu

I had a chat with José on the phone while he was out and about in London, walking his two dogs, about how he's adapted over the past year, the incredible diversity of Spanish food, and how we should all be drinking more sherry.

How has the last year been with all the chaos and stress of the pandemic?

How can I say it… it’s been interesting. But we have to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and look for that light. We closed the restaurant last March, we were selling everything we had in the restaurant to help the community. And I was open again in three weeks, up and running the Finish at Home supper. On one day, the restaurant was shut, and then two to three weeks later, the restaurant was switching production to the new way. It’s been tough but we’ve been creative, and I think we’ve found a good way of getting our food to people.

That's very quick! Was there a lot of development work involved?

I moved very quickly. I love to be at home with my husband Peter, we love each other, but I needed to do something to get myself out of the house and bring a few people out of furlough, and work together. We did it very well. We just needed to create new things – and people love it. We have also had lots of respect from our neighbours because we were helping the community and housing association, and it was just lovely. You have to see some positivity.

We have plans to carry it on when lockdown is over. We are looking to create even more which is going to be really, really interesting. We need to keep doing different things in order to survive. At the moment we are ok, you know, it’s not ok how we are, but it’s much better than doing nothing. You can do one of two things: stay at home and cry, or go out and try to do your best.

José Pizarro Finish at Home

José Pizarro Finish at Home

It's amazing to see how people have adapted. And you've had rave reviews...

Jay Rayner was great. It’s been great. We were very busy, but now we’re especially busy. The power of Jay. We were a bit worried about what he was going to write, but he liked it!

When we started in March/April, we said we have to recreate the Spanish flavours. The quality we’re doing in the restaurant, we need to make it easy for people at home, but with the same quality.

I think you can almost do everything… Spanish cuisine doesn’t work particularly well for takeaway, but it does travel well for Finish at Home. Takeaway it’s hard to get the croquetas crispy and hot, and the patatas bravas… but for us, even the gambas [prawns] with chilli and garlic did really well in Finish at Home. What we do as well is very simple… it’s just great quality, which is perhaps why it works so well to finish at home. Our hake in salsa verde with a white sauce is lovely. It takes eight minutes in simmering water. It’s nothing, no work. Easy.

When and where did you learn to cook?

I grew up in a little village in Spain. My mum, my family, my parents were farmers, and my mum was working all day with my dad. But I was not allowed to be in the kitchen. She was an amazing home cook, but she didn’t have the time to explain everything to me. I learnt a little bit from my grandmother, who passed away when I was very young, but what I learned was the quality of ingredients.

I never, ever, ever, ever thought I would be a chef. I studied to be a dental technician… when I finished, I was waiting for a job, and I started on a course. All the things I saw, all the flavours, the aromas, everything inside of me came together, without really being able to cook before. And I just couldn’t go back to looking inside people’s mouths at their teeth. I love being in a restaurant.

José Pizarro and his parents

José Pizarro and his parents

You grew up on a farm. Did that give you an early appreciation of food?

Totally. The government should spend more money in teaching people where food comes from. I grew up with pigs. They were my friends for the whole year, but I knew they would be my food the year after. Growing up, I learnt what it took to grow a tomato, and that the milk is coming from the cow, those things… they stay in your memory forever. But now, people don’t pick tomatoes or pick up a warm egg… it’s not the same. People don’t appreciate food as much: you just go to the supermarket and it’s there. People do need to understand how complicated it is, and especially understand what good quality is. You respect food more if you know where it comes from.

Do you think your cooking style has changed over the years?

It’s changed quite a lot. I started at an asador [rotisserie spit] in Spain and then I went to a Michelin star restaurant outside Madrid, doing more nouvelle cuisine. But when I arrived in London I was doing the same thing in a Spanish restaurant. But I saw, 20 or so years ago, that people didn’t understand Spanish cuisine, or even know about Spanish cuisine. If you’ve never had proper Spanish food, there’s no way you’d begin to understand Michelin starred food. I thought people need to understand the base first. They need to understand the olive oil we have, the jamón ibérico, our habits, and our culture in the food. It’s definitely changed over the past 22 years.

What I would say is that my food is the heart of Spain. It’s all about showing people how amazing our culture is. It’s simplicity, it’s flavour, it’s just happy. In my restaurants, all I want is to make people happy. When they come into my restaurant, I feel like they’re in my house, in my kitchen, and I will say it’s all about making people happy. Hopefully they learn too and when they leave, they leave feeling like they know more.

The only man who could pull off this look...!

The only man who could pull off this look...!

What ingredients does Spain produce better than anywhere else in the world?

Jamón Ibérico. The time it takes to make it is almost six years. It’s about how people look after the animal and how they grow and what they eat. When you put that slice of jamón on your tongue and the oil’s coming through and it just melts in your mouth. It’s unique. When I arrived in the UK, jamón Ibérico was not as well known. And when people saw me slicing the ham they were saying, ‘it’s Parma ham’. There’s nothing wrong with Parma ham, but it’s a completely different product. But when you explain the story and the background of how it’s produced, and then they put that slice in their mouth, it’s like ‘wow’. But you need to teach people and educate people.

Our pimentón, our paprika, is the best in the world. Definitely. Spanish paprika is absolutely stunning. We also have amazing vinegars. When my customers try some of the sherry vinegars, it’s absolutely stunning.

The most amazing thing though is the diversity we have. Spain is like 17 countries in one. The diversity is astronomic. From the north to the south, from the Basque country to Galicia, it’s totally different. The culture is different, the history is different. In the north it’s cold and rainy, and the people are perhaps a little more reserved. If you go to the south, it’s really hot, people are more open, and that is reflected in the food.

Finish at Home

Finish at Home

If people wanted to learn more about Spanish cuisine, what would you suggest?

I would say, try our gazpacho. It’s got the tomatoes grown in the sun, it’s got olive oil, vinegar. If people try gazpacho, they will understand the quality of Spanish food. Of course there’s rice dishes as well, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be paella. We also have amazing fish. People can get quite scared about cooking fish, but it’s so simple. Follow a good recipe and it’s going to make you so happy.

Do you have a signature dish?

I would say more than a signature dish, I’ve got a signature ingredient, and that’s Ibérico pork meat. When I first cooked Ibérico pork medium-rare in this country 20 years ago and everyone said, ‘you’re crazy, you can’t cook pork medium-rare blah blah blah’. It was a very simple recipe with tenderloin, marinated, with potatoes, and when people try that, they fall in love. After that I’ve cooked so many different dishes with Ibérico, so I would say that’s my signature.

How would you suggest people get more into sherry?

When I opened José ten years ago, I had a selection of sherries on the menu. And I had people telling me, ‘people don’t drink sherry’. But as I said before, you need to educate people. When you try a sherry that’s been in your cabinet for years and it’s warm and it’s old, it’s never going to be good, but if you try a proper sherry, a simple Fino, you will fully love it. It’s dry, it’s crisp, it’s full of aroma, and it’s amazing! And cooking with sherry can be difficult, but it gives you something extra. For example, I use Fino instead of white wine, then Oloroso, Amontillado or Palo Cortado I use instead of red wine.

In José, I would say 20% of our wine sales are sherry. We need to give it to our clientele to try. If you encourage people to try, then things start to change. It's getting there with sherry, but there's still people who say, ‘my granny likes it, it’s old fashioned’.

José Pizarro

José Pizarro

What kitchen gadgets could you not live without?

My pestle and mortar, and my knives. I’m getting more addicted to my knives, but a pestle and mortar is unique. It’s something between you and what you are making. You feel something when you’re using a pestle and mortar.

What’s your favourite quick and easy meal?

I love salad, and I think you can do so many things with it. When I get home from work, if I haven’t eaten in the restaurant, I’ll always have a salad and make something nice. Or a nice omelette. I’m happy to do that anytime. I love potato omelette, it doesn’t get better than that, but another one I love, that my mother always made me, was tuna omelette. I just adore that, I love it, love it, love it.

Do you have a favourite takeaway?

I do like a kebab. Definitely fish and chips, they are really, really good. Sometimes you just need fish and chips, or a burger, and there’s nothing wrong with that. As long as you know where it’s coming from. It’s good to know where the cod comes from, or that the meat is good meat.

What’s your favourite drink?

I love so many different types. I’m out walking my dogs now, but when I get home I’m going to have a Negroni. I love Negronis. But at the same time I’m happy to have a glass of Fino with a nice plate of jamón, happy to have a nice Oloroso with some chorizo. I love my whisky, I love my brandy. The only thing I hate is whisky and coke, because I got so drunk on it when I was younger. I can’t even think about that. But apart from that, I like everything. Tequila, I’m not sure it’s good for me, but a nice gin and tonic, that’s good. It’s such a difficult question.