Fire: Chef Francis Mallmann
"I changed my cooking language when I was 40 into fire," explains Francis Mallmann in the documentary.
The world-famous Argentinian chef, who became a household name after appearing on Netflix's Chef's Table, is known for his Patagonian-style open-fire cooking. As he says himself, Mallmann didn't start off as a fire chef, but rather cooking French cuisine at some of the top restaurants in the world and winning plenty of awards doing it. At 40 he left that world to explore traditional Argentinean cooking- from the hot-rock-lined curanto pits of the Indigenous Mapuche, to the metal-grates-over-hot-coals campfire cooking of the gauchos.
As a whisky born in the kiln, using a tradition of its native home of Scotland, the natural fit with Laphroaig is obvious. Watching as Mallmann learns the process of making an Islay whisky, through his unique fire-chef eyes, is to relearn everything you understood about Laphroaig.
"I don't believe in harmony, I like to have clashes in my mouth when I eat – it's like having angels in demons inside. There's a contrast," says Mallmann – pairing Laphroaig with his cuisine.
"For me, cooking is all about bringing people together in a memorable experience. There is something special about sharing a great meal with friends," said Francis Mallman. "Like Laphroaig, I find inspiration and passion by going beyond the status quo and finding ways to be inventive through my cooking techniques. I am delighted to partner with Laphroaig, and I'm looking forward to taking people on an adventure of flavour through our collaboration."
