Chef David Amoros makes magic with the enduring support of his Josper grill-slash-oven.
If photographers have their cameras, chefs have their kitchen appliances—the instruments that enable the craft, brought to perfection through the hard-earned skills of the chefs wielding them.
For El Born’s chef David Amoros, that prized appliance is the Josper that stands in one of the corners of the kitchen. In its default state, it’s quiet, but it’s ready to roar with a blazing heat onto any food that goes through its doors. This oven-grill hybrid brings together the best of both worlds with its closed-door setup that retains heat at the top, as well as its use of charcoal, making it an optimal choice for applications such as braising, smoking, and grilling.
For just one night, the Catalan chef brought a few of his Josper signatures to Grill Meister at Makati’s Garden Towers for a special dinner, demonstrating how he utilizes the prized appliance to produce the smoky starters, crave-worthy veggie plates, and the juiciest roasts with beautifully charred outsides.
Amoros has been working with his Josper for four years now, and appreciates the distinctive flavor it gives—an overarching taste profile that’s as smoky as it is clean, allowing the taste of the meat or vegetables to shine through. El Born, in fact, flaunts a whole section of items cooked in their Josper, powered by coconut charcoal from Davao. It takes months of training to use it exactly right, he explains, as it entails careful monitoring of the temperature and timing to ensure whatever he’s cooking is done at exactly the right level of doneness, in sync with the rest of the dishes being ordered.
Related story: A new wave of culinary stars: Every restaurant recognized by Michelin Guide 2027
Related story: Gallery by Chele welcomes a La Rioja legend into its wine cabinet
With the aid of the Josper, fresh, high-quality ingredients get to shine even with the simplest of preparations, as seen (and tasted) in the Escalavida al Josper con Pan de Payés con Tomate, Aceite de Oliva. Featured were onions, red peppers, and eggplant given a quick roasting in the Josper, which renders them velvety soft and sweet. Joined by equally silky anchovies and lashings of extra-virgin olive oil over crusty bread, this was a trip to the Mediterranean seas as embodied in a tartine.
The Pulpo ala Brasa con Parmentier de Patata, Romesco y Aioli and Pescado del Dia a la Brasa Acompanado de Verduras Asadas were both superb illustrations of the Josper’s ability to bring out the best of seafood. The former featured octopus, lightly blistered on the outside yet tender inside; the latter starred a whole butterflied lapu-lapu, its skin just a touch charred and its flesh succulent as can be. Plates of Josper-cooked vegetables and potatoes were served on the table, as smoky sidekicks to the pulpo and the fish.
Especially magnificent was the Pluma Ibérica “Joselito” al Josper con Parmentier de Calabaza Ahumado—a handsome fillet of Joselito Iberian pork simply seasoned and grilled, then served with a smoked pumpkin parmentier. Thanks to the Josper’s dual nature as an oven and grill, the resulting slab had the best of both worlds: charred marks on its exterior and a juicy interior that’s the right kind of medium-rare. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the Iberian pork delivered a rich, practically beefy taste profile, brought to perfection by the sweet pumpkin parmentier.
The Josper’s ability to conduct convective heat also makes it a fantastic tool for dishes that entail braising or simmering—like the Arroz de Ceps, Panceta y Secreto “Joselito” dish that had us guests swooning from the aroma alone. The enduring heat from the Josper coaxed out the earthiness of the ceps mushrooms, smokiness of the Joselito pancetta, creaminess of the rice, and sweet herbaceousness of the rosemary, and the result was a party in a pan (which made for an even bigger party in the mouth).
Even desserts were knockout hits. There was Tatin de Manzana al Josper, essentially David’s take on a French tarte tatin with golden, glistening orbs of caramelized apples over a buttery bed of pastry. The seasonal Tarta de Queso “Payoyo” also made a comeback just for the night—and a dreamy ending it delivered with its classic combo of a lush cheesecake with Payoyo cheese (made with goat and sheep milk) and quince jelly.
Needless to say, chef David and the Josper are an unstoppable force—one can only dream about what else the Catalan chef can come up with, with his beloved oven-grill in his hands.
Related story: This artist turns designer clothes into food you can actually eat
Related story: A feast over charcoal
Related story: ‘Dine in the Dark’ helps you see what you’ve been missing
