Flavors Unknown

How to Use Local and Nontraditional Mexican Ingredients, with Fermin Núñez

Chef Fermin Núñez from Suerte

In today’s episode, I talk to chef Fermin Núñez, an Austin-based chef who was recently named one of the Best New Chefs of 2021 by Food & Wine. His restaurant Suerte (meaning good luck in Spanish) celebrates the traditional art of made-from-scratch masa, the culinary backbone of his restaurant concept.
You’ll hear about his longtime obsession with masa, what inspired him to become a chef, and how the food his team are dreaming up at Suerte both respects and helps shape tradition. He explains why Mexican cuisine is still in the discovery phase, and how the diversity and abundance of ingredients across Mexico allows for countless interpretations of familiar dishes.

What you'll learn with chef Fermin Núñez

What it felt like to be named as one of the best new chefs of 2021 (2:49)
The inspiration behind Suerte (5:46)
How masa is made (7:20)
Why Mexican cooking breaks the usual rules of cooking (8:20)
How each variety of corn performs differently when you cook it (9:25)
Pairing your tortillas based on the type of corn and fillings (11:44)
What it takes to produce restaurant-portions of masa (13:17)
How Fermin Núñez learned the art of making masa (14:39)
The mystery and excitement that defines Mexican cuisine (16:23)
Why Mexican cooking is largely undocumented (17:23)
The cultural influence and variety that shapes Mexican food (17:53)
Countless ways to make salsa (19:12)
Why Fermin Núñez became a chef (20:09)
What he’s learned from chef Rick Lopez (22:00)
Why a great chef has a well-stocked pantry (23:40)
The importance of collaboration (25:24)
How ingredients lead the direction of the menu (27:08)
Chef Fermin Núñez most recent food fetish (28:57)
Food memories that awaken with the smell of fresh masa (31:20)
Where to eat in Austin (31:55)
Cookbooks to add to your collection (33:03)
Series of rapid-fire questions.
Link to the podcast episode on Apple Podcast

Links to other episodes in Austin

Panel Discussion with chefs Andre Natera, Rick Lopez, and Edgar Rico from Austin

Conversation with Pastry Chef Philip Speer from Comedor in Austin

Leadership with Chef Andre Natera – What Every Senior Executive Can Learn From Top Chefs

Conversation with 3 Chefs in Austin (Chef Andre Natera, Chef Kevin Fink, and Chef Fiore Tedesco) – Vol 1

Conversation with 3 Chefs in Austin (Chef Andre Natera, Chef Kevin Fink, and Chef Fiore Tedesco) – Vol 2

Interview with Chef Andre Natera – The Culinary Yoda

Chef Fiore Tedesco – L'Oca D'Oro

Chef Michael Fojtasek – Olamaie

Links to most downloaded episodes (click on any picture to listen to the episode)

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The beauty about Mexican cooking is in the way that you have to go against the grain with everything that you've learned. 

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You create something great by teaching somebody and then letting them do it over and over again. Because you don't get worse at doing something every day. 

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Everybody has a different technique on how to do things. My method is different than what someone showed me in the past and whoever I show that to, they'll probably make some tweaks and changes. I think that's part of keeping the tradition alive in a very funny way.

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We don't know everything about Mexican food. And I think that is part of the beauty of it

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I think one of the things that makes great chefs is their pantry. It is more than what people have in their fridge. It's also what they have in their head to stock up on and go to places when they are trying to think of what they want to add to a dish.

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