{"id":555,"date":"2021-10-04T13:18:53","date_gmt":"2021-10-04T13:18:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/davidhiggs.co.za\/?p=555"},"modified":"2021-10-04T13:19:44","modified_gmt":"2021-10-04T13:19:44","slug":"interview-2013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/davidhiggs.co.za\/?p=555","title":{"rendered":"Interview 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tInterview 2013\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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An Interview with David Higgs, by Michael Olivier \u2013 June 2013<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I have known David Higgs for about 30 years, I met him the first time he and his then mentor Bill Stafford showed me how to work with foie gras.  It has been a special thing watching him on his career path to the heights of success.  Now Executive Chef at The Saxon, I thought it was time to find out more about the real David Higgs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where did you train as a chef?<\/strong>
I began my career as a chef in 1990 at The Tulbagh, a 3-star Protea hotel in Cape Town.  After a year of cooking breakfasts, I soon realised I had found my calling and I joined Bill Stafford at  Peers restaurant, situated on the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town. The restaurant was part of a group called Cuisine International including Peers, Choices, Piers Edge and Selections Bakery. During that time Peers and Choices were rated under the top 10 restaurants in the country. In 1991 I then enrolled at the Cape Town Technikon for the 3 year Diploma in Professional Cookery while still working at Peers and Choices and receiving in-service training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who or what is your culinary inspiration?<\/strong>
I have been very fortunate to have met, and worked with, some incredible people over the years. Bill Stafford is so talented and gave me a good grounding and showed me the classics, whilst Herman Coetzee taught me to take chances, grab opportunities and believe in myself. Jean Engelbrecht instilled in me attention to detail, to not settle for anything less than perfect and a go big or go home philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s your Favourite Dish on your menu now?<\/strong>
Risotto of warthog and green chilli with quince\u2026 love it\u2026 we also finish it with bone marrow\u2026 cause we can J<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s one piece of equipment you couldn\u2019t live without?<\/strong>
I love my thermo mix. It blends and heats at the same time. It also has an angled blade which whips\u2026 gives a light finish to purees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who are your favourite food writers?<\/strong>
Food writers as in journos\u2026. Frank Bruni is good to follow\u2026 not really to big on reading to be honest\u2026. also enjoy Brian McCune\u2026 Kitchen Sink I think its called\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is your ideal neighbourhood eatery?<\/strong>
Great friendly waiting staff, who know me and my likes and dislikes.. hot tasty food well cooked and seasoned, I will eat anything<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s your favourite national or regional cuisine?<\/strong>
Love the way the Spanish live and eat..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What would be the ten food items you would take with you to a desert island?<\/strong>
Mangoes, lamb anything, epoisses, Balvinnie Tun 1401 single malt, eggs, tomatoes, butter, honey, mosbolletjies and skittles\u2026 lots of skittles<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always in your fridge at home?<\/strong>
Pickles, cheese, mayonnaise, crackers, Champagne, wines, beers and a good selection of single malts\u2026 which are mostly finished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is your morning routine?<\/strong>
Go straight to work, do not pass go do not collect 200 just get to work asap\u2026 then I place my orders or else the rest of the day is a mess.  Bowl of hot porridge and rooibos and maybe settle into scrambled eggs and fresh tomato just before breakfast service finishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Routine after lunch or dinner service?<\/strong>
Lunch carries on till dinner in Jozi\u2026 so when I get home, after flying home in my baby, I generally tuck into a single malt\u2026 celebrate the days happenings or drown my sorrows\u2026 seems to work for me???<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m currently drinking?<\/strong>
Always enjoy Pinot and craft beers but I, as you probably noticed, have a slight or more than slight leaning to single malts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Restaurant Peeve?<\/strong>
Don\u2019t give me a menu or  wine list without telling me what\u2019s not available!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talent you would like to have?<\/strong>
I would kill to do a rally\u2026 no actually not any rally\u2026 the Dakar\u2026 I will still. after I rob the closest bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bees in your Bonnet?<\/strong>
Opinions on open forums\u2026 guess we talk about that for hours<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Restaurant Memento?<\/strong>
No mementos but I always keep a look out for interesting ways to present menus, butters, breads etc\u2026 love the creative minds and thinking behind restaurants, always wonder to myself\u2026 why did they do that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who is your Music Man?<\/strong>
Dave Matthews Band\u2026. AND THEY ARE COMING SOON\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is your Desert-Island Disc?<\/strong>
As above and some Trevor Noah for laughs\u2026 and love the way Nataniel tells a story\u2026 love it<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bedside Book?<\/strong>
errrr, reading not really my strength\u2026I do have a copy of Branson\u2019s, Screw Business as Usual\u2026 just that line inspires me every day<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fictional Character you identify with?<\/strong>
Chazz Reinolds in Wedding Crashers\u2026 yes he is fictional\u2026 no, kidding\u2026tintin\u2026 full of adventure saving the world\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One guest for dinner \u2013 who would that be?<\/strong>
Billy Connolly<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guilty Pleasures\/Secret Vice?<\/strong>
I\u2019m a complete petrol head\u2026 it\u2019s a huge vice trust me<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What should we be cooking for dinner tonight?<\/strong>
How about slowly roasting a good leg of venison\u2026 such great accompanyments this time of year, great pears, jerusalem artichokes, celeriac etc.. win win really.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the original here.<\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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news<\/b><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Roasted cherry tomatoes develop a lovely Mediterranean flavour when you roast them. This is beautiful for dressings, sauces or add it straight to the pasta.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t

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Shin is such a lovely meat \u2013 it\u2019s nice and gelatinous and sweet in flavour. Together with the bitter stout it makes for a great combination.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t

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Everyone pan fries a steak in their own way, and this is mine. Use it or don\u2019t use it. But have fun with it.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An Interview with David Higgs, by Michael Olivier \u2013 June 2013 I have known David Higgs for about 30 years, I met him the first time he and his then mentor Bill Stafford showed me how to work with foie gras.  It has been a special thing watching him on his career path to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":560,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/davidhiggs.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/555"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/davidhiggs.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/davidhiggs.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davidhiggs.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davidhiggs.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=555"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/davidhiggs.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/555\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":561,"href":"https:\/\/davidhiggs.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/555\/revisions\/561"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davidhiggs.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/davidhiggs.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davidhiggs.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davidhiggs.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}