With a 25-year career working in gastronomy, the chef Juan Braceli Argentina has traveled far and wide. You have had the opportunity to learn about and savor the products that each region of our country has to offer. But clearly whenever an event comes up in Patagonia, this cook is always willing to come back.
And it is that Juan Braceli is one of the guests at this new edition of the I eat what will be done next March 25 and 26 in the province of Neuquén. “I know Neuquén and I go quite often. I have also participated in Yo Como on other occasions. I have great friends within Patagonian gastronomy such as Ezequiel González, with whom we formed together at the time, Mauricio Couly, Juan Solorza. There are many great chefs and cooks who are there and it is great to visit them again,” said the chef.
“Luckily, I have traveled throughout the last 15 years through all the provinces, but there are always some by affinity, friends that I prioritize and many times they do not give you the time. So when the opportunity to participate in Yo Como was given, I got over the idea, in fact I am going to travel with my partner who is from Neuquén,” said Braceli.
One of the proposals that he liked the most, he said, “was to divide the province into regions or subregions, if the term can be used, because it is clear that gastronomy is varied depending on the different places. It is a way of getting deeper into what one is, as a place represented by its gastronomy, its idiosyncrasies and its gastronomic culture”.
“I have had the opportunity to tour and make notes with breeders in Chos Malal, I have been to wineries and the subject of Patagonian production is very varied. In addition, being able to show it that way, I think it will be enriching for all those who participate in this Yo Como”, she adds.
“Patagonia is a place that has emblematic products, what the land provides, what customs provide and I have had the opportunity to consume and cook throughout my career in gastronomy and of course in the first trips one discovers the quantity of products that are more local than after they have had a whole journey, those that can, those that are non-perishable”.
A clear example is the merken, comments the chef, “which has been incorporated into each dish to which I want to give that Patagonian touch, it adds a lot, that is something we have learned over the years and it has spread and stood out within what is Argentine gastronomy. When I talk about merken I can also talk about other products, perhaps the best known as lamb, but also the Chos Malal goats that have had their designation of origin. We are talking about highly representative products that speak of an idiosyncrasy, of a place that speaks of its people, it is not only a high-quality product but also everything it represents”, says Braceli.
The proposal in Yo Como 2023
Regarding the presentation in Yo Como, at the time of this interview, Juan did not know what protein he was going to use to make his dish. What he did assure is that his masterclass will be on Saturday the 25th. “My dish is still being prepared, they haven’t told me which region I’m going to represent, I don’t know what protein I’m going to use. It can be lamb, goat, trout… As for the class, the idea is to share a fun moment that is entertaining, didactic and interactive. Getting the energy you see on the live show, as well as cooking things that can be replicated at home, other than complex dishes. At least that is my role as a communicator and cook. It is important to me to disseminate and give the possibility so that, precisely, those products or cooking techniques can be used in homes, which, in the end, is what ends up constituting the gastronomic culture of a region, a province or a country” he mused.
A perfect plan. A weekend full of cooking and the chance to visit old friends. “It will be an active rest, I love to go and do something well complete. Represent local gastronomy in the class that touches me. As for the projects for the rest of the year, they all have to do with disseminating Argentine gastronomy in different formats (networks, TV) and they are being confirmed. It is going to be a very intense year. We will continue to do cool things, ”he concluded.
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