Chef of the Week: Santo Pate, Head Chef at Chotto Matte in Marylebone
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
It’s been a 5 year long journey so far here at Chotto Matte!
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
I was 7 years old the first time my uncle Luigi handed me a knife and a bunch of parsley to chop at his restaurant in Italy. I still remember the octopus cooking in the kitchen, I couldn’t see inside the pot without jumping on a chair, but I remember the lemon and garlic scent so vividly till this day. I’m still as fascinated about the culinary world as I was back then.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
The freedom it gives you. You can basically choose to be in any part of the world, it also gives you the chance to meet new people, explore different countries and cultures, while diving deep inside their roots and understanding their traditions. I have visited so many different countries myself because I was a working nomad for a couple of years, it was such an amazing experience!
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Chillies, citruses and fresh herbs. My experience has taught me that once you have these three simple ingredients you can give a twist to basically anything, from a pasta dish to a sushi roll and beyond!
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
That’s an easy one: Knives. You can’t do any good job without a good sharp chef knife. There is different equipment that makes everything a bit more fun and entertaining but I truly believe that the quintessential kitchen tool is, and will always be, the knife.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Small businesses that use local producers – which I still find so fascinating.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
I think TV shows are probably not the best representation of a day-to-day kitchen operation and team effort. Too often they are formatted as a “solo” show, demonstrating the skills of a single individual preparing a single dish, this is very far from any reality a young individual would face when jumping into the industry, as the kitchen works all together as a team to achieve a lot.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
The end of summer is my favourite time of the year. I have a big garden where I grow fresh produce here in London- and as I am a lover of preserved foods- this is when I use all the garden’s overproduced goodies to preserve and give them all a good place in my pantry- ready just in time for the winter months ahead!
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Chotto’s Truffle Prawns – I worked alongside Jordan, Chotto’s Executive Chef, to develop this recipe. Essentially the recipe features a mixture of prawn, mushrooms and truffle which have been shaped and cooked to resemble the look and feel of real truffles!
How do you come up with new dishes?
A lot of my inspiration comes from seasonal ingredients and sustainability which is what we work with a lot here at Chotto.
Who was your greatest influence?
Chotto’s Executive Chef Jordan has given me a lot of what I was missing from my chef skills and background. I moved from being a good Italian chef to a goal-oriented successful Head Chef working alongside him for the past 5 years.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
Chef Heros De Agostinis from INEO restaurant in Rome deserves a big mention for his incredible skills, knowledge and background. He’s just amazing and he’s been extremely motivational for me. Chef Stecca, from Stecca Cucina, an Italian chef who has given me a very deep insight of the London culinary scene and introduced me to the industry- he also showed me what having real taste means. Daniel Humm in New York for his resilience and believing in his concept by transforming Eleven Madison Park into a plant-based success.
What is your favourite cookbook?
My mom’s handwritten cookbook – of course it is not available to buy – but it contains a world full of memories and wonderful, authentic Italian flavours.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
I would name two:
- Gordon Ramsay with the new Lucky Cat set to open soon.
- Chef Francesco Mazzei who is coming to London at the Corinthia in the summer – very excited for this!
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Alley Cats is my favourite new opening with their second opening in Chelsea this year – great New York- style pizza – and this is coming from an Italian Chef!
