José Carlos grew up at his parents' restaurant, the Café de Paris, in Malaga, and has cooked there since 1997.
 
After studying at at a cookery school in Malaga, he worked with a series of Spanish and French maestros such as Martin Berasategui ("because of his philosophy"), Michel Bras ("for the way he  can express himself through food") and Juan Roca ("his system of work is so interesting"). Yet he says he was also lucky that he had helped his parents in the kitchen as a teenager before his training; "That way you know what you need to learn," he laughs.


Ever since he took over the family restaurant, his cooking has reflected his Andalusian roots, with everyday local products and dishes - like sardines, gazpachos, chickpeas and artichokes – given the same respect as the luscious local prawns and langoustines, that most of the area’s restaurants hold in much higher esteem.


Three of his early gazpachos exemplify his philosophy: gelled red gazpacho, cut into cubes and served as an aperitivo, white almond ajo blanco, served with a small scoop of red wine granita, and a melon soup, lightly enriched with mayonnaise. "I like to use simple, cheap ingredients, in dishes which run through flavours from sweet to bitter and acid."


Fish holds a special place within his repertoire too, as do the local cooking techniques that come with them, especially fritura, the crispily olive oil-fried baby fish for which Malaga is famed. This year, José Carlos has been serving a fritura of Mediterranean langoustines with emulsified lettuce; "There is nothing in it except the lettuce. The idea is something very light, very dietetic, with the delicacy of the prawns."


Success came slowly but surely. In 2002, the restaurant earned its first Michelin star and last year, a new Café de Paris opened just down the road in Fuengirola. "For me that was the biggest compliment – clients asking us to open a second kitchen."


Despite long working days, he refuses to feel pressured. He claims, as an influence, "everything that works against stress: yoga and zen, for example, or doing things with the right eye for detail, like leaving the restaurant perfect at night with the spoons polished and the bottles of olive oil full. I don’t want sophistication and protocol."

He says he still finds some time for personal pleasures like motorbiking and swimming, but recognizes that he has chosen a dedicated profession; "If our generation of chefs have one thing in common, it is really that we’ve accepted a way of life. It’s work, work, work. But there’s a real camaraderie, the same feeling there is between motorbikers. You’d always stop by the side of the road to help your buddy."


Favourite ingredients:

"I’m very drawn to sweetness from fruit and spices rather than sugar - for example, quince, apple or sweet potato. There is a lot of cinnamon in our dishes too. And I work with three types of olive oil. You do not need any more than that."

Recommended recipe:

Marinated sardine & pumpkin jam coca with pistachos & almond gazpacho sorbet
"This coca, something like a Spanish Mediterranean pizza, is inspired by the grilled sardines we eat on the beach here in Malaga. I like it because it is based on simple, cheap ingredients. Nearly all the other elements can also be found in popular cooking here. We serve it with various sorbets – this one, or a beer sorbet, or another one made with prickly pear flesh and no added sugar."