Chef Alvaro Garrido at the Stagionello Academy: the maturation of fish between gastronomic culture and research

Chef Alvaro Garrido at the Stagionello Academy: the maturation of fish between gastronomic culture and research.
In recent years, the world of gastronomy has begun to look at fish with new eyes. Techniques traditionally linked to meat processing, such as maturation or controlled maturation, are also finding space in seafood cuisine, opening up possibilities for research and experimentation that until recently were difficult to imagine. It is precisely in this context that the work of the Stagionello Academy was born, a place of training and discussion where chefs, technicians and professionals in the sector meet to deepen the techniques of care, maturation, maturation and transformation of fish. Here theory meets practice, but above all tradition dialogues with science. Among the guests of the last course dedicated to the “dry curing” of fish was the Michelin Star chef Alvaro Garrido, protagonist of contemporary Basque cuisine and founder of the Mina restaurant in Bilbao.

A cuisine that comes from the sea

Alvaro Garrido‘s path  is deeply rooted in the gastronomic culture of the Basque Country, a territory in which the sea is not only a resource, but an identity element capable of profoundly influencing the way of cooking, eating and thinking about cooking. “I started in my restaurant twenty years ago. My philosophy is very much linked to the environment of my country, the Basque Country, and to the sea. We are very fortunate because we have excellent farmers and fishermen. For a chef to work in the Basque Country is very easy. With this style of cooking and this way of working, I remember that more or less ten years ago I met Alessandro Cuomo and saw these machines born. I have always loved butchery, and the first thing that caught my attention was the processing of fish as if it were butcher’s shop. At the time it was not a common thing, while today, thanks to Stagionello and the new generation of chefs, you can see fish butchery all over the world». Over the years, the Mina restaurant has been transformed into a gastronomic laboratory in which the raw material is observed, studied and interpreted with respect and curiosity. In this context, the encounter with the patented Stagionello technologies dedicated to aerobic maturation at managed pH, has opened a new phase of culinary research, capable of combining tradition, technique and contemporary vision.

Fish as an evolving material

In Garrido’s work, fish is not simply an ingredient to be cooked, but a “living material”, capable of transforming over time and expressing different characteristics depending on how it is processed and accompanied in its evolutionary process. «In my career I have always tried to study different styles of food. With this machine we can see how maturation changes the flavor and taste of the fish and for me it is very interesting.” For a chef accustomed to working with an extremely delicate raw material such as fish, the possibility of observing and controlling its evolution over time represents a tool of knowledge even before culinary technique. Maturation thus becomes a process of sensory exploration, in which the texture of the meat, the aromatic intensity and the complexity of the taste progressively change.

Lo Stagionello Fish Curing Device

The patented (EP2769276B1) Stagionello Fish Curing Device fits into this gastronomic research scenario. It is not a simple refrigerator or even a refrigerator modified or adapted for gastronomic uses, but a completely new and unique technology, designed specifically for the management of fish processing. The system was created with the aim of overcoming the limits of traditional conservation, creating a controlled environment in which the natural maturation processes can take place in a stable, safe and repeatable way. Through the management of fundamental parameters such as temperature, humidity, ventilation and pH of the food, the device allows the fish to be accompanied along a path of evolution that enhances its sensory and nutritional characteristics. The result is a work environment that allows you to deal with ripening, maturation and fish transformation processes with a level of safety and precision that was previously unattainable, making it possible to replicate processes that in the past depended exclusively on the empirical experience of a few professionals.

When science enters the kitchen

The scientific dimension represents one of the most fascinating aspects of this new gastronomic frontier. It is not a question of making cooking colder or more technical, but of understanding with greater awareness what happens to food during its transformation. “Control is fundamental. You can see a fish after 20 days in the machine: it changes the texture, the taste, the scent, but it becomes perfect. From a culinary point of view, it is a new path. I always say that we don’t know what the future will bring, but now we have a new way of working. It is very curious, because a new charcuterie can be made: the traditional charcuterie of meat can be translated into fish. But the new fish delicatessen is something completely new, and from my point of view it is very interesting».

For Garrido, the creative potential of this approach is enormous and still largely unexplored: “For example, you can create a mortadella using different parts of seasonal fish. You can make a mortadella in winter with winter fish and then change it in summer with other fish. It is very positive both for health and for nutrition.”

The value of forgotten fish

Another central theme in the chef’s work concerns the enhancement of the species less used by the market. Direct contact with fishermen and the fish market played a decisive role in the formation of his gastronomic sensibility. “My restaurant is now in the city center, in a larger space, but for twenty years I was close to the old fish market in the city. Every morning I went to the market to the small fishermen and bought the fish of the day. Now, for example, in the Basque Country we are starting with the sardine… anchovies. I think they are among the best fish in the world. They have so many possibilities and they are also very cheap.” This perspective opens up interesting scenarios not only for signature cuisine, but also for a more sustainable and accessible daily gastronomy. Species considered “poor” can in fact prove to be extraordinarily versatile when observed with a technical and creative gaze.

Passion, curiosity and the future of cooking

At the base of every gastronomic journey, however, there is always a fundamental element: passion. “I started 30 years ago. The most important thing is to have passion. You have to learn for life. It’s a hard life, it’s not easy. But passion is fundamental. And you have to know other cultures and other styles of cuisine. For example, I was here three or four days and I remember a restaurant that prepared a red mullet with olives and peppers. I loved it. It’s simple, but at the same time very complex. For you here it is normal, because you live here. But for someone who comes from the north it is a discovery. When I return to my restaurant I will probably try to reinterpret that idea with mullet.” In the chef’s words, a principle that runs through all great contemporary cuisine clearly emerges: the ability to observe, learn and reinterpret. Even a simple dish can become a source of inspiration if it is looked at with curiosity and respect for the territory from which it is born.

And it is precisely this spirit of research that today brings chefs from all over the world to meet at the Stagionello Academy, a space where experience, technique and innovation meet to explore new gastronomic possibilities. Here, fish is no longer just an ingredient of the seafaring tradition, but a living material in continuous evolution, capable of opening up completely new paths in contemporary cuisine. For catering professionals, who wish to learn more about these technologies and understand their concrete applications in their work context, Stagionello provides dedicated technical and specialist consultancy courses. Through the analysis of operational needs, raw materials used and production objectives, it is possible to evaluate how to integrate fish dry curing processes within your business.

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