FINLAND

Throughout his career, Finnish chef Mikko Laukkanen has prepared Nordic cuisine for ambassadors, politicians and royalty across the world, receiving numerous accolades for his masterful creations.

Creating a simple dish can be complicated and vice versa; your thoughts?

There is undeniable elegance in simplicity. Nordic cuisine is a return to the basics through nature. Everything is in season, nothing contains processed sugars, fats or ingredients you can't find naturally occurring. We strive to use organic produce and preserve the environment along the way, by using fully green products, no single use plastics and recycling everything imaginable.

Who has been your greatest influence and what remains your biggest challenge?

My aunt, who has a restaurant in Stockholm, has had the greatest influence on me and the challenge is getting the right ingredients to make food the way we do back home.

What differentiates what you do from other chefs?

I happen to use lots of smoke to cook anything from mushrooms and vegetables to fish and meats.

What does true creative expression involve?

Mastering a recipe is one thing, but allowing yourself out of that comfort zone will see you thinking differently about how to try integrating dissimilar items into a single dish to eventually arrive at something unique.

Every kitchen is run according to a certain hierarchy; what is yours?

Some chefs prefer not to get involved until the dish is ready for that final touch before being served. I, however, prefer to be part of the entire process irrespective how big or small.