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N A C R E I S S U E
The Art of Sailing
80m Dragon Col umbus Yachts brand of Palum bo Superyachts
• n° 2 0 • 2 0 1 9
NACRE ISSUE - n° 20 - 201 9 - € 10
[ GOURMAND ] ANTONIA KLUGMANN
THE KITCHEN IS
my happy place
An intimate portrait of the Michelin-starred chef in which she explains what sparked and nurtured her all-consuming passion for cooking by Marta Bernasconi - photo Francesco Orini
I
t is easy to think that all great chefs were born virtually in the kitchen. But this was far from the case for Trieste-native Antonia
Klugmann, the creative force behind L’Argine a Vencò, her beautiful restaurant nestling in the lush surrounds of the Province of Gorzia.
A place she has retreated to concentrate solely on her own work after her stint as a Masterchef Italia judge. “Looking back, I suppose that there were clues in my childhood – I used to make tasting menus for my mother out of play dough! But it was only when I was 21 I began to think about the possibility of becoming a professional cook. I was studying law in Milan, my parents were divorcing and I had broken up with my then-boyfriend. When I started to really reflect on it, I realised that my happiest times were in the kitchen and that I wanted a job that would let me express my creativity”. Klugmann uses cooking as a way of interpreting the local area and the reality of life there. Place and history are sources of constant inspiration. And that is how it has been for all the restaurants she has worked in: from her first near Udine to Venice and now Vencò. Her very personal approach to food resulted in her developing a style all of her own. “When I began my career, working in restaurants wasn’t as fashionable as it is now. I started out late compared to many of my colleagues and my training was interrupted by a nasty car accident too. So I didn’t really have a mentor as such. But I instantly fell in love with some of the chefs I read about in cooking magazines and they showed me that cooking could be complex, interesting and marvellous. They include Ferran Adrià, Pascal Barbot and René Redzepi. Then lots of Italian chefs like Gualtiero Marchesi, Fulvio Pierangelini, Massimo Bottura, Niko Romito and Piergiorgio Parini”. L’Argine a Vencò is a magical place nestling in lush green nature. The location was chosen very deliberately. “The beauty we are surrounded by is a constant source of inspiration. Growing and harvesting produce teaches us how much work and the kind of resources it takes to produce the
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Taste rather than trendy aesthetics is the guiding light in Antonia Klugmann’s creative process. That said, presentation and settings remain important elements and must be consistent with the kind of cuisine being served
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[ GOURMAND ]
Surrounded by stunning nature, l’Argine a Vencò is a seductively attractive place and Antonia Klugmann’s cuisine is an interpretation of the area and life there
“It is important that there is a sense of consistency between the aesthetic of the service and the cuisine a restaurant offers. So we were very meticulous about the design of our dining room”
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ingredients we use. That means we have a growing awareness
Presentation and table settings, however, do play a role: “I think
that our raw materials are finite and that growing methods have
it is important that there is a sense of consistency between the
a very definite effect on our health”. What we ask Klugmann
aesthetic of the service and the cuisine a restaurant offers. That
to name a dish that epitomises her, she declares it is always
is why we were very meticulous about the design of our dining
either that last one she has created or the one that she has yet
room, the acoustics, the lighting, the table settings. We strive for
to invent. Today, she is thinking in terms of “Rice with milk,
simplicity in the kitchen but that doesn’t mean that there is no
liquorice and aubergine” or “Eel, apple cider and spinach”.
research. Quite the opposite”. As a Trieste native, she also has
Dishes that can be inspired by anything creative: “By a song,
a strong relationship with the water, the sea, boats and onboard
a book, a conversation, an exhibition, a film. I often start off
cooking. “Yes, I love sailing boats. I’ve even cooked aboard.
cooking in my head, gradually perfecting the combinations I’ve
I think the ideal thing is to prepare something in advance so
thought about. By the time I actually make the dish, it’s almost
you won’t get stuck if the weather goes against you. So I think
finished”. In a world increasingly dominated by appearances,
something like meat or vegetable polpette or an omelette served
Klugmann also adds that she never starts out with the look of a
with a mixed salad”. Organisation, taste and elegance: good
dish. Flavour is always the guiding light in her creative process.
advice indeed from Chef Klugmann.