Basque Seafood Stew From a Restaurant Staff Meal in Spain
what family meal can teach us about solidarity, regeneration and creativity
As the publication of my next book, Elysian Kitchens approaches publication (available for preorder now!), I’ve been reflecting on the other cookbooks I’ve written, all the way back to the first one, “Come In, We’re Closed”, a book that explored 25 restaurant staff meals in the US and Europe.
The custom of staff meal is part of the zeitgeist now but at the time, it was still a relatively unknown concept except to hardworking restaurant employees who often found and continue to find the day’s only reprieve in the 30 minutes or so they sit down with one another to enjoy their staff meal (also referred to as “family meal,” or simply, “family”).
My love for staff meals stems from their unique ability to embody the essence of culinary camaraderie and creativity that is a restaurant team at its very best. There's something reassuring about the tradition of gathering around a shared table, where the hierarchical lines blur, and everyone, from the executive chef to the servers to the dishwashers to the newest intern, is equal.
Lessons Learned
Staff meals offer a canvas for culinary experimentation, encouraging chefs to think on their feet and craft dishes from whatever is on hand, fostering an environment of sustainability and zero waste. It’s also a time for cooks to showcase their culinary heritage and regional specialties by sharing recipes from home. It can also be a harrowing (perhaps even terrifying!) event for less experienced cooks tasked with preparing the day’s staff meal. But it’s one of the surest ways to sharpen their skills under the pressure of cooking for peers who are sometimes the world’s most celebrated chefs.
It's in these moments, when we're trying out new dishes, learning about one another through touchstone recipes that define us, and mustering creativity to concoct a masterpiece from castoff ingredients, that the true spirit of a kitchen comes to life.
The anticipation of a staff meal provides comfort and reprieve, no matter how challenging the day, offering a moment of solace, a time to regroup, and an opportunity to work out the interpersonal kinks that inevitably arise in a high pressure restaurant environment.
For me, staff meals are not just about nourishing the body but about giving our exhausted minds and spirits time to decompress, strengthening bonds, and sharing our love of food and appreciation for one another through simple, unfussy recipes that define who we are and what we care about. The lessons learned from a restaurant staff meal can easily be incorporated into family meal at home.
To Pay or Not to Pay
My earliest experiences with staff meals were when I was working at Jean-Georges in NYC and Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in England. These experiences, both contrasting and enlightening, were pivotal in my appreciation for staff meals, influencing my perspective on the culinary world and inspiring the creation of "Come In, We're Closed,” a book I co-wrote with Christine Carroll, who also worked as a restaurant cook and shared my affinity for staff meals.
My tenure at Jean-Georges offered a stark introduction to the complexities of staff meals. There, the practice felt more transactional than communal, with meals provided at a cost (I’m hopeful that this practice has changed now and that no one is charged for their staff meal). This approach, unfortunately, meant that many employees, particularly those for whom the expense was burdensome, were excluded from participating. The absence of inclusivity at these meals highlighted a missed opportunity for connection and camaraderie among the staff, an observation that stayed with me.
In stark contrast, my experience at The Fat Duck planted the seed of my love for staff meals. The first one I experienced there after an exhausting day of plucking pigeons, deconstructing grapefruit, and removing snails from their shells, felt so resplendent and wondrous with serving platters piled high with charred eggplants, glistening roasted chicken thighs slathered in a lemony mustard glaze, and a creamy roasted garlic risotto that I asked my sous chef, “Is today a special event?”
He looked at me in the baffled way only an irreverent chef from Liverpool can and replied, “Steady on, it’s just the usual run of things.”
Here, at a restaurant housed in a 16th-century whitewashed building in a quaint Berkshire village a stone’s throw from Windsor Castle, the ritual was celebrated twice daily, gathering the global team around a long communal picnic table outside.
This ritual was not just a break in our (very!) long day but was integral to the fabric of our collective experience, fostering a sense of belonging and unity. The charmed nature of our family meals at The Fat Duck, where everyone, regardless of position, shared the same food, stories and jokes, left an indelible mark on me.
I relished the warmth and inclusivity at each staff meal, where hierarchies dissolved, and the table became a space of solidarity. The creativity sparked by ingredient limitations at our meals was a testament to the cooks' ingenuity, transforming whatever was on the "staff meal shelf" into dishes that nourished both body and spirit. The sense of community, the laughter shared over simple yet extraordinary meals, and the stories and gentle ribbing exchanged across the table are memories that I will always carry with me.
Staff Meal: Countless Airline Miles
My co-writer was about to have a baby during the writing period of “Come In, We’re Closed” which meant that one of my responsibilities was to visit each of the staff meals on my own. My adventure led me to the doors of culinary giants and chefs I had always admired from afar, from the familial gatherings at Michel Bras in the Aubrac region of southern France where the iconic chef’s son, mother and grandchildren joined the staff meal, the inevitable debauchery and extravagant dishes at Martin’s Picard’s Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal, the offal-laced recipes (and essential break for elevenses comprised of seed cake and a tiny glass of madeira) at Fergus Henderson’s St. John in London, Anita Lo’s elegant family meal at Anissa in NYC, Ana Sortun’s colorful dishes at Oleana in Cambridge, Sean Brock’s generous southern feast at McCrady’s in Charleston, and Gunnar Gislason’s Nordic inspired, twilight-drenched meal at Dill in Reykjavik that we enjoyed a few days after a deep blue Icelandic Christmas.
Each meal, whether it was Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc's after-service gatherings where dogs were welcomed to gather beneath the family meal table, Stephane Reynaud’s Villa 9 Trois just outside of Paris where we shared a meal comprised of roasted chicken and sides from the chef’s much adored cookbook Pork & Sons with his gentle beast of a Leonberger named Vida (the photographer for that shoot was surreally Al Franken’s brother Owen Franken), or my joyful return to the staff meal table at The Fat Duck, added layers to my understanding of the significance of staff meals and to the restaurant teams who gathered around the table to enjoy them.
My conversation with Ferran Adrià, whose insights prefaced my book and who wrote his own family meal cookbook, underscored the universality and importance of these gatherings. His forward not only lent gravitas but also bridged my visit to the legendary El Bulli, offering a glimpse into the ethos that guided one of the world's most innovative and groundbreaking kitchens.
Arzak: Family Meal With Actual Relatives
My staff meal visits eventually led me to Juan Mari Arzak’s esteemed restaurant Arzak in Spain’s San Sebastián, where the staff meal transcends mere tradition—it's a vibrant celebration of family and culinary heritage. Under the stewardship of Juan Mari’s daughter Elena Arzak, the staff meal table is a dynamic space where the kitchen's creativity and familial warmth converge.
Here, meals are a testament to the restaurant's ethos, embodying the rich flavors of Basque cuisine while fostering a sense of belonging among the team. Elena, who grew up around the Arzak staff meal table, continues this legacy, ensuring that these gatherings are about more than just eating—they're about nurturing the familial bond that is so integral to Arzak's identity.
Mugaritz: A Culinary Family United
The staff meals at Mugaritz, just down the Basque Country road from Arzak, captured the essence of what I believe these gatherings should embody. Under the guidance of owner and chef Andoni Aduriz, Mugaritz has elevated the staff meal to a revered ritual, an embodiment of the restaurant's spirit of innovation, resilience, and community. The Basque stew (recipe below), a simple yet profound dish shared among the staff, symbolizes this ethos—a testament to the healing power of food and the importance of shared experiences in the face of adversity.
The dedication to staff meals at Mugaritz, particularly in the wake of a devastating fire that could have ended it all, speaks volumes about the role these gatherings play in the life of a restaurant. The communal pot from which the Basque stew is served is not just about nourishment but about unity and the strength derived from coming together.
The Most Important Station
Convincing new chefs that the family meal is as crucial as any main kitchen station presents a unique challenge, a sentiment strongly voiced by Chef Aduriz, especially after the restaurant's recovery from the fire. Every intern embarking on their journey at Mugaritz is acquainted with the pivotal role of the family meal through a detailed guide, emphasizing its significance as: "THE MOST IMPORTANT STATION."
This ethos is brought to life as interns, during their tenure, are immersed in crafting meals from a meticulously curated collection of traditional Basque recipes, ensuring each dish not only nourishes, but also carries the essence of spirit-lifting cooking.
Guided by experienced chefs, these interns navigate through the intricacies of meal preparation, from sourcing ingredients locally to mastering dishes like paella, served every Sunday. This rigorous attention to the staff meal not only underscores its importance but enriches the communal spirit, setting Mugaritz apart and solidifying the staff meal's role as a foundational pillar of the restaurant's culture.
Staff Meal Lessons For Your Own Family Meal Table
Exploring Cultural and Culinary Heritage: Restaurant family meals often feature dishes from various cultures, offering a unique opportunity to explore the culinary heritage of different regions. You can incorporate this into your life by seeking out new recipes, experimenting with unusual ingredients, or mastering a new cooking technique, broadening your culinary horizons and appreciation for global cuisines.
Reducing Food Waste: Staff meals in restaurants exemplify the principle of minimizing waste by utilizing every part of the ingredients on hand. Adopting this ethos in your own kitchen means making conscious choices to use up everything you have, creatively repurposing leftovers, and planning meals that make efficient use of all ingredients, thereby reducing food waste.
Cultivating Creativity: The necessity of preparing meals with whatever is available encourages creativity in the kitchen. This approach can inspire you to think outside the box when cooking at home, challenging you to create meals with whatever ingredients you have on hand, rather than adhering strictly to recipes.
Inclusivity in Cooking: Staff meals provide a chance for everyone, regardless of their skill level, to contribute to the cooking process. This inclusivity can be mirrored at home by encouraging all family members or housemates to participate in meal preparation, fostering a sense of teamwork and skill development.
Fostering Community: Gathering around the table to share a meal is a fundamental aspect of restaurant family meals, strengthening bonds between team members. By prioritizing communal meals in your own life, you create opportunities for connection, conversation, and shared experiences with loved ones.
Anticipation and Motivation: Knowing there's a shared meal to look forward to can be a significant morale booster, especially on challenging days. Incorporating a regular communal meal into your routine can provide a similar sense of anticipation and motivation, offering a moment of reprieve and enjoyment regardless of the day's stresses.
Learning Opportunity: Restaurant family meals often serve as a learning platform for culinary techniques and food knowledge. Embrace this aspect by turning your own meals into learning experiences, whether it's mastering a new cooking method, learning about the nutritional benefits of different foods, or exploring the history behind traditional dishes.
Cooking is a holistic process of planning, preparing, dining and sharing food. I place food at the center of our humanity, as it nourishes not only our physical bodies but also our emotional and spiritual lives. Food is truly a cultural phenomenon that informs our traditions and our relationship with the earth. I genuinely believe that food connects us all.
–Eric Ripert
Basque Seafood Stew
Serves 6
Preparation time: 40 minutes
The essence of Mugaritz, tucked into a hillside in Spain’s Basque Country was tested by fire on February 15, 2010, leaving behind a landscape of devastation that shook the culinary world. "Seven o'clock Monday morning, Andoni (Luis Aduriz, Mugaritz founder) called us: 'Come to Mugaritz. A fire happened here.'" The sous chef at the time Rafa Costa E Silva recalled, the memory still vivid with the shock of loss. "You would just cry," he reflected on the sight that greeted him, a kitchen reduced to ashes. Yet, from across the globe, support poured in, igniting a collective resolve to rebuild not just the structure but the spirit of Mugaritz.
By June 15th, a mere four months post-tragedy, Mugaritz stood reborn, its kitchen transformed into the embodiment of Andoni's dream: a state-of-the-art culinary haven. Amidst this new beginning, the tradition of the staff meal—central to Mugaritz's ethos—remained unaltered. Rafa emphasizes, "No, no, no. It’s the same! The characters change but the feeling? The feeling is definitely the same." This sentiment was epitomized in the first staff meal shared after their reunion: a Basque seafood stew, symbolizing warmth, fellowship, resiliency and unity, served from a communal pot set on a workman’s stool at the center of the kitchen. It was a poignant moment of reconnection, encapsulating the meal's power to bring the Mugaritz family together, as it always had.
The staff meal station, a novel and highly esteemed inclusion at Mugaritz, highlights the importance placed on these gatherings, ensuring each meal is crafted with the same passion and creativity that defines Mugaritz. Despite the adversities faced by the Mugaritz team following the fire, the spirit of family and community continues to thrive. It made the team stronger, made them even more of a family, a testament to the enduring power of coming together over a shared meal.
This recipe calls for store-bought fish stock for simplicity’s sake but if you’d like to make it from scratch, I’ve provided a recipe in the paid section of this post. Feel free to mix up the seafood like you would in an Italian cioppino. If you’d like to pack more vegetable love into your stew, suggestions include fennel, celery, leeks, corn, spinach, and kale. You could also add chickpeas for a bit more protein. The serving suggestion calls for the stew to be spooned into bowls before serving but in true Mugaritz staff meal style, you could also set a bubbling pot of stew at the center of your family meal table and have guests ladle it into their own bowls for more of a sense of communal eating.
For the stew:
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 large red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup roasted red pepper, drained and coarsely chopped (or if you have a grill or gas stove top, roast it yourself)
1 green chile pepper such as Anaheim or Hatch, thinly sliced
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 whole small guindilla chili pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped (optional or may substitute your favorite small hot chili pepper)
2 teaspoons Pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika)
4 small russet potatoes, cut in 1/4-inch slices (peeling optional)
1 cup tomato purée
6 cups fish stock
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium zucchini, quartered and thinly sliced (optional)
1 pounds boneless, skinless white fish such as cod, haddock, halibut, tilapia or sole at least 1 inch thick and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound shrimp (see notes)
To serve:
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley for serving
Sour cream for serving, if desired
Crusty bread
Rinse out and dry the stockpot. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat and when hot, add the peppers and onion. Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and pimentón and sauté until aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add the potatoes and tomato purée and cook until the liquid is slightly reduced, stirring to prevent scorching, about 5 minutes. Add all of the stock, the tomatoes and zucchini, cover the pot, lower the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Season the fish and shrimp pieces generously with salt and pepper. Heat a large sauté pan until smoking. Add the remaining oil, then immediately sear the fish and shrimp pieces quickly on all sides to achieve a light brown crust, about 3 minutes total cooking time. (Err on the side of underdone, since it will continue to cook in the next step.) Transfer the fish and shrimp to the simmering stew, stir gently to incorporate and gently simmer for 5 more minutes.
Serve straightaway by spooning the soup into warm bowls and garnishing with parsley and sour cream, if desired. Serve with crusty bread for dipping and soaking.
The stew will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes: If you want to skip the shrimp, increase the volume of fish to 1 1/2 pounds
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