The cook from Girona who makes an entire scientific expedition to Antarctica happy
Clara Canyigueral works at the CSIC base in Livingston and is in charge of preparing dishes every day, made with a lot of imagination and resourceful techniques.
GironaIs it possible to eat a creamy rice dish with artichokes, squid, and bacon among whales and glaciers, more than 1,000 km from civilization? Well, yes. And that's what the young chef from Girona, Clara Canyigueral, is doing. For the second year in a row, she has embarked as a cook on a scientific expedition to... Antarctica with the mission of preparing meals every day for some forty CSIC professionals.
From January to April, throughout the winter, they are based on Livingston Island, within the Antarctic Circle, more than 1,000 km from the tip of Argentine Patagonia and more than 12,000 km southwest of Catalonia. It was precisely this base that was promoted the Catalan biologist Josefina Castellvíwho died this week at the age of 90. At this scientific camp, alongside Hannah Cubik, the other cook on the expedition, Canyigueral, without the option of having fresh produce on demand, works tirelessly to prepare quality dishes in a remote but spectacular natural environment. Her task is not only to feed the team, but above all to offer well-prepared meals that will bring joy to the expedition members. The reason is that, after so many months in isolation, working in extreme natural conditions, a hot meal prepared with skill and dedication takes on a vital emotional component that helps them cope.
"On the other side of the world, making a stew at Christmas or preparing traditional dishes is like bringing cooking to the heart. Fried eggs have a magic I haven't seen anywhere else I've worked," explains Clara Canyigueral, who also makes sure to prepare special desserts for each crew member's birthday. None of these dishes would compare to having to subsist on energy bars, dehydrated meals, and powdered soups. That's why, on the CSIC expedition, the presence of cooks is almost as important as that of doctors, mechanics, or ship's captains.
Fresh produce arrives once a month
Now, as you might expect, serving a quality menu in Antarctica isn't easy. The reason is that fresh produce (fruit, vegetables, eggs, and milk) only arrives three times per season from Argentina, approximately once a month. And you don't know exactly what it will be or in what condition it will arrive. That's why it's so important to be flexible and adapt recipes and apply techniques to extend the shelf life of food: "Let's do pure resourceful cooking"For example, many broths made with vegetable peels, and also a lot of imagination, mixing flavors and ingredients, with results that surprise everyone," Canyigueral points out.
When fruit spoils, for example, they make compotes, vacuum-seal them, and freeze them. Then, the meat and fish are brought frozen from Barcelona, as is the staple food. in situ.
These past few days, for example, they've prepared a bean purée with slow-cooked, honey-marinated ribeye, and as a starter, salads of confit cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, avocado and lemon cream, olives, and capers. And, using the freshest produce, a watermelon gazpacho with fennel, celery, and cheese, made with a spiced bread crisp using leftover breakfast toast. In the evenings, soups and broths predominate, and every Thursday they make rice for lunch. Sometimes they also have to vacuum-seal dishes in individual portions because the scientists go away for weeks at a time to camps with igloos and only have a small stove to heat their food.
"I see whales from the kitchen window"
The glacial landscape is breathtaking, with enormous icebergs, sightings of whales and penguins, and starry skies untouched by pollution. But, of course, the conditions aren't easy either. The cold isn't extreme, as the temperature hovers around 0 degrees Celsius 24 hours a day—and it's actually quite warm in front of the stoves—but you have to cope with the solitude for many long days. That's why she and Hanna take turns, and from time to time they can join the scientists' excursions to get some fresh air and not be stuck in the kitchen all the time. "It's an incredible experience; I see whales from the kitchen window, but there are also difficult moments when you're alone with yourself, and it's a real learning experience," says the chef from Girona.
The life of a private chef
The rest of the year, Canyigueral works as a private chef, offering personalized, small-group gastronomic experiences prepared to order. She embarked on this path just two years ago, after a long career working in restaurants of diverse styles and categories, such as the Sharing from CadaquésSince then, she's been incredibly busy. The career change coincided perfectly with the offer to travel to Antarctica. It wasn't premeditated: through word of mouth in the industry, her name reached the expedition leader, Joan Riba, who made her the offer, and she didn't hesitate for a day to say yes. "I became self-employed, and right then they offered me this; it was a perfect fit. It was a gift," she recalls.