The Way I Cook with Mr. Oddur Thorisson

Feb

As it is Valentine’s Day, we think this is the perfect time to use your cooking skills,with a little help from Mr. Oddur Thorisson,and our friends at Mr. Porter.While photographer and dog breeder Mr Oddur Thorisson was born in Iceland he’s made his home in France, where he lives with his wife, Ms Mimi Thorisson, and their children. Mr Thorisson’s main engagement with food is as the lucky recipient of his wife’s culinary industry, something she records on her inspiring blog, mimithorisson.com, and for which he does the stunning photography. Having lived in Paris the couple has now made their home in Médoc, the region immediately northwest of Bordeaux.

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In food terms Médoc is blessed by bountiful seafood from the Atlantic, as well as superb meat and poultry from the countryside, and the latter has clearly had an influence on Mr Thorisson. His favourite restaurant is St. John in Clerkenwell, London, and of its head chef he simply says, “Fergus Henderson is amazing.” Although his original culinary passion was for Italian food, Mr Thorisson now prefers his local cuisine. “I’ve really grown into the French way of cooking. The range of ingredients available in France is unparalleled in the world.” The dish Mr Thorisson cooks for MR PORTER reflects his passion for French food. “I wanted to do something classic and typically French. However, although everybody’s had Béarnaise sauce, not that many people have made it at home, and if you ask them they probably think it’s made with milk or cream, but it’s actually just made of butter and eggs. It’s very simple and anybody can do it.” Asked about his best-ever meals, he says, “Other than the countless meals that my wife has made, I would say the best are some of the meals we’ve had in Ravello in Italy. When I have the perfect pasta dish on holiday with my family, and when the mood is right, I couldn’t ask for more.” As a photographer Mr Thorisson finishes with a plea for presentation: “I’m always thinking about how the food looks laid out in the market, and the same rule applies to dishes when you’re cooking – everything tastes better when it looks good!”