FOOD + DRINK in THE KITCHEN WITH
JACOB SARSAM
FORMER NORTH KENT COLLEGE STUDENT AND HEAD CHEF AT THE BAS ROTHERA RESEARCH STATION ON THE ANTARCTICA PENINSULA .
Tell us about your culinary journey so far . I started as a chef in 2016 after finishing sixth form . I trained at North Kent College for three years while starting out my career , primarily under Keith Campbell who was a prime source of direction and support when I was starting out . I ’ ve mainly worked in large catering operations such as private schools , weddings and large events like the Cheltenham Festival . Before BAS , I was working in the kitchen of an independent girls ’ school in North Kent .
I was interested in working for BAS after Covid . After such a long period of isolation and not being able to work , I decided it was time to chase something extraordinary . I figured that people in Antarctica must need feeding and set my heart on becoming a BAS chef . My first season was the summer season of 2022 / 23 and I was asked to return as head chef for the 18-month season of 2023 / 25 . It ’ s been one of the best experiences of my life and it ’ s made me want to seek out more extraordinary places to live and work . I love working in snowy , cold areas and once my deployment here is done I ’ d love to try working in Canada or Alaska .
Tell us about your day-to-day life working at the station . Rothera can support a max number of 168 people and they all need feeding . The kitchen offers three hot meals Monday to Saturday and two on Sundays . The early chef comes in first thing in the morning to make a hot breakfast , which usually consists of soups , fresh bread rolls and a variety of hot fillings such as sausages , bacon or veggie burgers . Once that ’ s clear we get ready to serve lunch just two hours later . We try diligently to give the people at Rothera a varied and tasty menu , as there really isn ’ t anywhere to eat for hundreds of miles ! On Saturday nights we like to spice things up with themed meals , which plays an important role in maintaining the morale of the station , especially during the hectic summer seasons .
Outside of the kitchen there ’ s more to do . We have to box up food packages to fly out into the field to support research parties . There ’ s also a lot of logistical challenges . We store almost all of our frozen food in large shipping containers and getting all of the stock moved into the kitchen freezers can be quite a challenge , but it ’ s exhilarating .
It ’ s not all work and no play though . Sometimes we get selected to go out with the pilots on trips into the field . I ’ ve been lucky enough to have gone out four times during my time with BAS . Flying in a Twin Otter over the pristine Antarctic landscape is something I never thought I ’ d do as a chef . It ’ s made for some exceptional memories . There are also opportunities to go out skiing and boating .
What is your signature / favourite dish ? I love curries . My all time favourite dish is katsu curry . Japanese food is probably my favourite cuisine there is . I love it with chicken or pork - as spicy as it comes !
Tell us about the recipe we ’ re showcasing . Staying true to my love of curries , my dish is a chickpea curry that I love making . Working in Antarctica you have to be ready to make do with what you ’ ve got , so you can ’ t always rely on the presence of good seasonal produce . This dish is a favourite to make for vegetarians .
What ingredient could you not live without ? Garlic , without a doubt . It ’ s the best thing there is . Of course , in Antarctica , you can go for long periods of time without anything fresh - especially in winter . You ’ ll end up using tinned and frozen things a lot when the fresh goods run out , but I like to think of it as a challenge . For a long time in winter we didn ’ t even have onions !
Which chef , past or present , would you love to work in the kitchen with ? Matty Matheson . You can find him on Instagram . I absolutely love the guy ’ s energy . I think he ’ d be a riot to cook with . If I ’ m not working I ’ m usually watching his cooking videos . I ’ ve been following his career for years now and his style of cooking is a tremendous source of inspiration for me .
When you are back visiting the county , where ’ s your go-to place to eat in Kent ? I really love Sultan Sofrasi in Gravesend . Me and my friends used to love going there when we were younger and when I ’ m between deployments it ’ s still my go-to spot . Amazing Turkish cuisine and excellent service .
What is your guilty pleasure ? I ’ m very lucky to be working with some very talented chefs at Rothera and I love the food they produce . That said , sometimes I just love to sit in my bed and eat junk food while watching TV .
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