Our interview with Marco Smerilli, a polar chef of the French-Italian “Concordia” Station in Antarctica, that offers a glimpse into life at one of the most remote research stations on Earth, being the third permanent, all-year station in Antarctica besides the Russian “Vostok” Station and the American “Amundsen–Scott South Pole” Station. Tasked with feeding a team of scientists in temperatures plunging to -80°C and lower, Marco combines resourcefulness and passion to create meals that nourish both body and spirit.
The Fashiongton Post: Where in your life did the idea of becoming a cook at a polar station come from? Was it a childhood dream or the life just gradually led you to this choice?
Marco Smerilli: To be honest, I didn’t have an idea to become a polar chef and it wasn’t my dream, but I found this job trough one of my friend chef who asked me he if I would be interested to have a chance to do this fabulous experience… and I accepted it!
F.P.: What role does pasta play in your daily meals, and how do you keep it interesting for the crew?
M.S.: Pasta, of course, is very important to me, because, as you know, I’m an Italian, however it doesn’t mean I make pasta every single day. I cooked many variations of pasta at the station from time to time, and on weekends – when everyone had more free time – I invited the other team members to join me in making a fresh pasta like ravioli, lasagna, cannelloni or tagliatelle, and the sauce. It was like a cooking class and at the same time we had lots of fun!
F.P.: Are there specific regional Italian dishes you liked to prepare that reminded the crew of home?
M.S.: Yes, sure, I cooked many regional dishes because our team came from different regions of Italy, as well as various other dishes for the French part of the team, thanks to the grandma’s recipes.
F.P.: Any Italian desserts, like tiramisu or panna cotta, that you regularly prepare at the station?
M.S.: Definitely! I cooked different cakes, Tiramisu , Zuppa Inglese, Panna Cotta, Crème Caramel, chocolate and apple cakes, as well as croissants, Pain au chocolate, and internationally known desserts, such as muffins or cheesecakes.
F.P.: How do you incorporate wine into cooking, given Italy’s strong culinary ties to viticulture? Which wines are available at the station?
M.S.: There are different types of wine at the station – red, white or sparkling wine, some from France, and also a little bit of champagne. We didn’t drink much, I mean, I decided not to put wine on the table for the everyday lunch and dinner, but served some during the weekend, when people were having some time to relax. Same rule about the food: from Monday to Friday I cooked more simple dishes, and on the weekends I cooked some special dishes and in a larger variety of choices.
F.P.: Have you ever experimented with making traditional Italian cheeses, like ricotta or mozzarella, at the station?
M.S.: I didn’t have such a chance to try because we, actually, had a frozen mozzarella and ricotta.
F.P.: What’s the most creative use of Antarctic ingredients in an Italian dish that you’ve attempted?
M.S.: That’s a nice question, and it made me smile, recollecting in my memory one winter day, when the fresh food has already been gone, such as tomato or salad leaves. I was making a caprese plate that day. I still had mozzarella, but I didn’t have the tomato, so… I found a tomato juice in our supplies, and added it to agar-agar, which is some kind of a jelly-like substance. I cooked jelly circles, to put on top of the mozzarella, and at the end I added dry basil, because the fresh one has obviously been gone already several months before.
F.P.: Are there any traditional Italian soups, like minestrone or ribollita, that you make frequently?
M.S.: Oh yes, the soups were something that I cooked very often – Minestrone, Ribollita, Onion soup, Vellutate, veggie cream soups – the guys really enjoyed them in the cold.
F.P.: Knowing that “Concordia” station is just 560 km away from the Russian “Vostok” station, do you practice visiting each other over there?
M.S.: No, it’s impossible to even try visiting each other, just maybe a video call, and not often. 600 km far in the middle of the ice would not be a good idea, even if going on a truck: in winter, the temperature was below 80°C, so you couldn’t go around by the truck, the fuel would simply become frozen, and because of the same reason, no one would be able to pick you up with an airplane at that time, it’s simply impossible.
F.P.: What was the lowest temperature you ever experienced at the “Concordia” station? Is it a myth that the colder the temperature is – the easier to tolerate it?
M.S.: I remember, one day we arrived when it felt like -90-95°C with windchill, and honestly it’s hard to explain the level of the cold… for my experience -20-50°C is one kind of cold, and -60-80°C is another feeling, and -80-100°C is like another one, but not that different, so, in my case I would say no, I mean when it’s cold you feel it like it’s cold. If you go out at -30-40°C you can stay outside for 45 minutes or no longer than one hour, and at -60-80°C after 15-20 minutes you are in need to find a warm place.
F.P.: Any story about the dish preparation that went horribly wrong?
M.S.: It was during one weekend: I was cooking salty cakes in the oven, for the dinner, and there was a party, so with all that music and talks I completely forgot about the oven, ahah, and everything was “black” (burnt) at the time when I remembered! Everyone was hungry, and they had to wait for me to make another dish then, which was a fast dish and not that nice, but the guys laughed at the end and we still enjoyed the time spent together!
F.P.: Traditionally, your piece of advice to The Fashiongton Post readers?
M.S.: If you ever get an opportunity to go and have that experience in the ice – enjoy it, but at the same time respect it, because ice is as serious as water or fire, and it doesn’t forgive mistakes.
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