Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in Volume 5 of B.H. Magazine. To get your copy (and access to future issues), subscribe here.
I caught my first fish when I was four years old. We were floating down a lake in a boat, and my twin sister Alice and I each had a fishing rod out on either side with a fly on the end. We both caught a fish and wanted to enjoy our trophies that evening.
My dad isn’t known for his cooking, but he was in the army, so he can make a good fire. He burnt some sausages and seared the trout – surf and turf. I’ve never forgotten any detail of that day. It embodied what I like about food: the hunter-gatherer side of things. It also proves that an ordinary, unfussy meal can still contain wonders.
More often than not, the simplest way is also the best way – at least when it comes to food. I’m drawn to unassuming dishes, things you can make at home on a daily basis.
How food makes us feel, I’ve learned, is as much about the memories a dish sparks, or the people we enjoy it with, as it is about the taste. I love the creativity of cooking, the flexibility, not to mention the instant gratification you get when mixing a few humble ingredients and ending up with something amazing.
The key to success in the kitchen is just to enjoy it. Don’t overcomplicate a meal. Don’t overstretch yourself or try to be too impressive. If it’s asparagus season, just cook some nice asparagus with butter and throw it on the table. The best dishes are those where you do as little as possible to the ingredients you’re serving and let them sing.
If you’ve enjoyed Thomas Straker's recipes for chicken schnitzel and crushed potatoes, consider a few more of our favourite stories – direct from the pages of B.H. Magazine:
- The True Cost Of Luxury: Confessions Of A Restaurant Critic
- Tipo 00’s Executive Chef Reveals Pappardelle With Braised Wagyu & Confit Chilli Recipe
- The Italian Connection: Why The Sgroppino al Popolari Is Summer’s Best Cocktail
- How To Cook A Restaurant-Quality Steak, According To Lennox Hastie
- The Art Of Making In Tasmania
