Five minutes with Gisela Fernandez Moles

1. What’s your first memory of food?
When I was a little girl the whole family used to go for Christmas at my grandma’s house. I remember it was one of the best moments of the year – I enjoyed all the dishes that she prepared for us; Galician empanada or stuffed turkey with prunes and mushrooms and an amazing gravy. But the protagonist of the night, apart from my grandma, was the starter, a warm soup called Carn d’olla, which translates into meat from the pot. It’s a very traditional Christmas dish from my hometown, Barcelona.

2. What’s the first recipe you learned to cook?
One dish that I used to cook at least once per week was penne pasta with ragú. Every time I would add something different to make it better.

3. What’s the recipe you can’t live without?
A good seafood fideuá with a bit of aioli sauce. We cook it in a paella pan, but instead of rice we use short noodles. Very tasty.

4. What’s the one ingredient you’d take on a desert island with you?
Probably rice. It has infinite ways to cook it – from savoury to sweet, from vegetables to fish… It goes with everything.

5. What’s the meal you’d miss the most?
For me, dinner is the best meal of the day. It’s when you’re most relaxed and ready to enjoy a good dish.

6. You can have a one-off dinner party on your island… Who would you invite?
First of all, my boyfriend, of course. Plus my family and closest friends. I would also like to invite the Foo Fighters because they’re just so cool.

7. Which cookbook would you take with you, to the desert island?
One of my favourites is Nopi: The Cookbook. I love its simple but flavoursome recipes. And it’s very healthy, too.