Spanish chef thinks 'nose to tail' for special dinner

A blackpepper consomme [Photo provided to China Daily]

"You blend the black olives to paste," he says patiently, talking to a circle of reporters but seemingly with one eye on the sauce and the other on his stuffing. "Then you dry it in the oven to reduce it to powder form."

After mixing the stuffing with his guest chef, Cunningham steps up to the kitchen's next workstation to prep the pig. It looks small and innocent - more like a sleeping pet than, well, lunch, but the farm-raised chef approaches with hands that are gentle but all business. He spreads open the pre-sliced cavity, packs in the stuffing with practiced hands, and then quickly stitches the carcass closed with kitchen twine.

All the while the two chefs are kidding each other, like competitive brothers with their toques down. What looks like an immense amount of work as they prepare a chorizo "lollipop" appetizer, the consomme and sausage, an Iberico ham carpaccio with that now-fragrant chimichurri and the photogenic pig seem like all in a day's fun to the merry masters of this kitchen.

The finale for the dinner has evolved with two names: During the test run, it's a pavlova, an Australian specialty of Cunningham's, with a Spanish twist of whiskey cream and citrus sorbet. On the final menu, it's rechristened pastel ruso from the Basque country, topped with mandarin sorbet, whiskey and candied zest reduction, cream fresh orange and pink grapefruit. The picture looks identical, which is good news, because this reporter has been eager to go back for a second helping.