Wilmar Ramírez took a plane seven years ago, leaving his native Medellín behind to improve his knowledge in the best kitchens in Spain. After learning from Francis Paniego, the chef decided to embark on a solo adventure in Navarrete by taking … the reins of Figón del Duque where it offers a Basque-Rioja gastronomic offer with Latin flairs.
– Where does your love for the kitchen come from?
– I owe everything to the women who have passed through my life, starting with my grandmother. She was a country lady who made everything by hand, even cane sugar. She has greatly influenced the type of cook I am today, but if I had to highlight something about her, it is the memory I have of her when she was threshing corn. For this reason, many of my dishes contain this ingredient, even the bread we make daily at Figón is made from corn to represent my origins. I also owe a lot to my mother and my nana, my caregiver when I was little. Through them I began to gain a certain taste for cooking.
– What were your first experiences as a cook?
– I started cooking since I was a child. At the age of twelve I already knew how to make my own eggs Benedict. The truth is that I didn’t have tastes typical of my age either, so I quickly realized that the world of hospitality was my thing. I moved to the United States when I was 16 to improve my English and started working as a bartender. From there I went to the kitchen of a hotel chain but it was not until I was 21 when I decided to train in gastronomy. Another of my great vocations has been in the world of indigenous food research. That’s why I moved to Mexico and traveled through the Colombian, Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon.
– When did you arrive in Spain?
– I arrived in Spain seven years ago looking to make a name for myself in the country and learn more from Michelin Star chefs. My idea was to return to Colombia but Spanish cuisine caught me. I was lucky enough to go through the kitchens of Marqués del Riscal, under the menu of Francis Paniego, although I knew that if I wanted to have recognition I had to open my own restaurant. And that’s how I got to Figón del Duque. Navarrete found me. They told me about a beautiful space that needed a change of direction.
– How would you define your cuisine?
– I would define it as Basque-Rioja cuisine with hints of Latin America. My cuisine is basic, I like to treat the product with respect and make the flavors real. I’m not much of a fan of foam or frills. I try to choose very good producers for it and if they can be in the area, even better. I’m using Tolosa beef at the moment. I also give a lot of importance to local wine references. For this I count on the work of local winemakers such as Elena Corzana, among many others.
– What element or product cannot be missing from it?
– The fire. Especially when burning the shoot or the oak. Figón del Duque’s letter is almost 100% over the coals. And even the buds go through the fire. Some dishes, of course, cannot be roasted but we try to ensure that almost all of them have this smoky touch, such as croquettes.
– On the other hand, which one do you never use in your recipes?
– I avoid all products that are processed. I know that I could earn much more money this way, but for me the quality of the dish that I am going to serve to my clients is crucial, so I cannot deceive them with products with a lower guarantee. An example of this is bread. I make cornbread daily and we bake them before each service. For me these details make the difference.
– What references do you drink from?
– My greatest reference is Etxeberri. I like product cuisine, that things taste like what they should taste and in that Etxeberri is the king.
– How are you in Navarrete?
– It is a town that has enormous potential. We have a town like Fuenmayor right next door, which is a national benchmark in the gastronomic world. In Navarrete it is costing us a little more. What’s more, a large part of my clientele is not from the town, so I encourage the people of Navarre to contribute to the development of the town’s businesses because we can reach the level of Fuenmayor.
