Curtis Stone is an internationally-known chef, author, entrepreneur, and TV personality. Hailing from Australia, he now oversees a culinary empire from California. His journeys across diverse cultures and cuisines have shaped his culinary philosophy. His expertise is intricately woven with his extensive travels, blending flavours and techniques from around the world.
Smack dab in the middle of the ocean, Australia is multicultural, and it shows in the food. Chefs in Oz are influenced by the many cultures and ingredients around them. I like to keep my food simple, using seasonal ingredients but experimenting with different flavouring agents and ingredients I find on my travels.
I was in my early 20s when a mate and I took a trip to Europe. We travelled everywhere and when I ran out of money, I found myself in London. I had just read White Heat by Marco Pierre White and I was desperate to work for him. The day I knocked on the door, the chef had just fired someone, so he gave me a chance. I worked with Marco for eight years, doing everything from peeling potatoes to finding myself helming the kitchen at Quo Vadis. My approach to cooking was born from a knock on that English door.
Australia’s national dish is, of course, roast lamb. What’s another favourite national dish you’ve discovered in your travels?
The connection between identity and cuisine is fascinating to me. People take pride in their national cuisines. Pot au feu is a national dish in France, but not something you see made much anymore. It’s something your gran would make. But I love all dishes that have come to symbolize a culture and cuisine, from ramen in Japan, to mole in Oaxaca, and tapas in Spain.
With the devastating fires, Hawaii has been on my mind. We filmed my show Field Trip with Curtis Stone there back in 2019. There is a convergence of cultures on the islands with so many culinary influences — from Japanese to Filipino. The people who live there are stewards of the land and honour the ingredients. We went spearfishing with a guy who is a fireman by day and a champion diver on the side. His brother breeds Berkshire pigs, while promoting sustainability. Their uncle makes award-winning poke. Family is a priority, gathering around food.
In Hong Kong, I was able to get my hands on some dried abalone. Des Voeux Road West is a whole street devoted to dried seafood, known as hoi mei. Sea cucumber, fish maw, and abalone are delicacies and the abalone cost more than truffles.
What advice would you give to at-home chefs who want to broaden their culinary horizons through travel?
Just get off the couch and do it. There is no greater teacher than travel. You don’t have to stay in fancy hotels or dine in Michelin-starred restaurants, you just have to get there. Travel is the best culinary school you can attend.
Your flagship restaurant in Beverly Hills, Maude, focuses on the cuisine from Southern California. What’s something this style of cuisine does better than anywhere else in the world?
The Central Valley of California, just a few hours north, grows most of the fresh produce this country consumes. It’s like having the world’s best and largest backyard garden. Fresh and hyper-seasonal ingredients are what California cuisine is all about. We also get amazing seafood off the coast of Santa Barbara, all the way up to Monterrey Bay. We try not to intervene too much and let the flavours speak for themselves.
First, I ask for recommendations from my chef friends. I was recently filming in Hong Kong and I wanted to take the crew out for Peking duck. I texted [celebrity chef] Andrew Zimmern who sent me a list with everything from high-end restaurants to little noodle shops.
Next, ask the locals. They know all the secret neighbourhood gems tucked away that serve delicious food without the flash.
I’ve been in the South of France this summer with Lindsay and the boys, my mom and stepfather, and my mother-in-law and brother-in-law. We’re then headed to Majorca. Linds and I celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary earlier in the summer and we really wanted a bit of a reunion with our family and to be able to show our boys where it all began for us.
The time came to fly the coop in search of new challenges. I headed to London chasing a dream to work for Marco Pierre White – Britain’s most celebrated chef. His cookbook White Heat was the first I’d ever read. He had this huge reputation for being crazy, working ridiculous hours, and I knew I’d thrive working for him. I offered to work for free just to learn from the absolute pinnacle of chefs! This pivotal decision to seek out Marco paid off. I started working at the Grill Room (Café Royal) on the very same day I met him. This was a place where if you didn’t get fired that day, then you did a good job.
After 12 months, Marco opened a restaurant named Mirabelle. I was made Chef de Partie for 6 months then promoted to Sous Chef there the year we won our first Michelin star. 1 year later, Marco appointed me Head Chef of another of his restaurants in London, Quo Vadis. Here, I was able to explore and incorporate more Italian influences in the food. The following year we were one of the only four Italian restaurants to receive three rosette awards.
When Mother Nature worked out what we should be eating at different times of the year, she did a pretty good job, so listen to her. Food that is in season just tastes better and you really don’t have to do a whole lot to it to make it taste great! It is always less expensive, and chances are it hasn’t been artificially treated or travelled halfway across the world to reach your kitchen.
Since wrapping Take Home Chef, I have been fortunate enough to continue sharing my knowledge and philosophy on a handful of shows, including Top Chef Masters, The Today Show, America’s Next Great Restaurant, The Biggest Loser, Around the World in 80 Plates, MasterChef, and I’m pretty stoked to have also hung out with and chatted on The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, amongst many others.
I was lucky enough to be asked to co-host a show called Surfing the Menu with my mate, Ben O’Donohue – aka Bender. In the show we travelled around Australia and met loads of passionate food producers and cooked their produce. It was the best job in the world – being paid to travel and cook my way around a country that I love.
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Curtis Stone’s Scrumptious Recipes
What is Curtis Stone famous for?
Curtis is well known for his Australian style, fresh, meaty dishes that are served with seasonal dishes. Does Curtis Stone have his own cookware range?
Is Curtis Stone a good chef?
If you want to try some of Curtis Stone’s food for yourself, there are a great many recipes available, from both his award-winning cookbooks, and his many television appearances. He may be a Michelin starred chef, but his recipes are simple to follow and feature honest, hearty fare.
What did Curtis Stone eat on Australia Day?
Just three days after Australia Day, the chef shared his recipe for a cultural favorite — meat pies with a flaky, buttery crust — and a second dish that uses the additional Bolognese sauce for a classic pasta. The Dollar Dinner Challenge shopping list for chef Curtis Stone.
How many Curtis Stone pieces are there?
The Curtis Stone Collection included 80 pieces designed to be within everyone’s budget, and he told The City Lane his inspiration came from the time he spent in cooking in a range of home kitchens for his show. ” I was blown away by how difficult it was to cook at home,” he said. “Cooking at home should be a pleasure, but it’s not all the time.”