Monica Galetti: MasterChef, Michel Roux Jr. & My New Book

Gathering is your most personal book yet. Why did you feel now was the right time?

Why not? I'd been working on the idea for the book for some time, but as the recipes began to take shape, inspired by my travels and experiences, I found myself reflecting on where they had come from. In the end, the book became far more personal than I had originally intended.

With that in mind, which recipe was the most emotional to write? 

It was more of a reflective process overall, as opposed to emotional. When I was writing it, I was thinking back to a lot of family experiences with food – weekends where we’d pick watercress together or when we’d go fishing, casting off the rocks and just staying there all day. I’d be the one who’d have to swim out to get the fish from the nets. To this day, I still love fishing because of it.

What’s one Polynesian dish or ingredient that the world is missing out on?

Koko Samoa. It’s 100 per cent bitter chocolate, and most families make it. You pick the fresh koko nibs, let them ferment in the sun and then roast them before smashing them to make a really strong chocolate drink. It’s an ingredient I used in the restaurant (Mere) and still use in my cooking demonstrations today.

Looking back to your early career at Le Gavroche, what’s the biggest lesson you took from working with Michel Roux Jr?

I learnt so much, particularly with regards to respecting the ingredients and the seasons you cook with. Equally as important, I also learnt the value of curiosity about other cultures and foods. It reinforced the value of taking time to speak with other chefs to understand where they came from. It was amazing to see that inquisitiveness flourish in a high-end kitchen. 

Would you describe it as a respectful environment?

All high-end kitchens are intense, especially when it comes to service. There's a place for laughing and giving each other a tough time, but you need to know when to put on a serious face and focus on what needs doing. It's about who's at the helm, how it's run and the chefs all understanding the protocols and how things go.

You were Le Gavroche’s first female senior sous. What would you tell a female chef starting in fine dining?

Not just female chefs, but anyone: when you put on the chef’s jacket, you’re all equal. You can’t go into a situation like that thinking you’re lesser because you’re a woman. Just listen, soak up everything like a sponge and leave any negativity behind.

I also think it’s really important to take your time. A lot of young chefs tend to jump from one exciting thing to the next. I’d say really take your time in these places, travel, see the world, taste the world.

On MasterChef: The Professionals, you’re renowned for your tough skills test. If you had to take one yourself today, would you pass?

Of course! This was my 18th year on the show and I wouldn’t put myself up for something that I wasn’t prepared for. I expect the chefs to have done their homework and also be prepared. And you can see that – we’re so giddy when they get something right. When they don’t do well, we get upset because they are professionals representing our industry.

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Have you ever felt you’ve got it wrong with any of the former contestants?

What happens on one day doesn’t define who you are as a chef – that’s what we like to tell them off camera. There’ve been chefs who have been so strong throughout the competition and then on the day happen to mess something up.

Are there any specific contestants that you look at and are pleasantly surprised by?

So many careers have taken off from the show. Look at Adam Handling, for example. He came so close to winning, but now he’s flying. He’s got a Michelin star and more than one restaurant now. He’s very successful.

You’ve just wrapped filming. How was it having just you and Marcus as the judges?

It’s more time for the two of us to give each other a hard time on set. It’s been very normal, but it’s also been nice that it’s just our opinions. Because of that, we’re more connected, and now we don’t even need to speak to understand what the other is thinking. It’s been a joy working with him for so long.

Have any chefs this season caught your attention?

We’re always surprised by how amazing the chefs are each year, but there’s something very special about this series. They're doing things that have never been done before in the competition. A lot of different cultures really sang through in the cuisines this year.

Mere closed in 2024. Would you ever be tempted to open another restaurant in London?

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. We were, fortunately, bought out, but it’s a much tougher time for the industry. Everyone’s vying for a small talent pool, plus the cost of running a small business can be a small battle.

You've also designed Singapore Airlines’ first-class and suites in-flight dining experience. What was the biggest challenge in changing people's expectations around plane food?

I’ve had many bad plane meals – I think a lot of us have – and that was my biggest concern about partnering with Singapore Airlines. I had to be convinced to do it. I’ve always flown with the airline to and from New Zealand and Samoa, so I was a big fan of what they offered. Before anything happened, I needed to see how the food was produced, what the ingredients were and understand what it is like to serve food in the air. I had to learn to adjust my cooking – I even did a service in the air to understand how it all worked. It was tough. I have so much more respect for the process now.

I had to learn how to adapt my cooking. For example, I brine the beef and fish to stop them drying out when they're reheated onboard. Aviation regulations require food to be cooked at 190°C for 20 minutes, so it's no surprise plane meals can end up mullered. By brining and blast-chilling the ingredients beforehand, the dishes are just perfectly cooked after reheating.

Which three London restaurants do you recommend people visit?

I don’t want to answer – people will take my booking! My friend Nieves [Barragán Mohacho] has opened her second restaurant, Legado, in Shoreditch, which is super cool. Fallow is also great. And for seafood, it’s an oldie but a goodie. J Sheekey.

Monica Galetti's new cookbook, Gathering,  is available now. Get your copy here.