Origins of Monica Galetti

It’s not just a passion for French cuisine that’s shaped Monica’s culinary life; Samoan chop suey, Marmite, an Australian Chinatown and her dad’s veggie patch have all done their bit, too

Sunday meals

Growing up on the Islands, produce was as fresh as it gets. Food time was about family; you would never eat alone. Sunday was the main day that we were all together – after church – to eat anything from roast chicken to pork served with my dad’s vegetables. He grew them in our garden and that’s something he brought with him when we moved away from Samoa. Tomatoes, courgettes, pumpkins, potatoes… You name it, Dad grew it.

Chop suey

There’s a huge Asian influence in Samoan cooking, and a massive Chinese culture that’s sort of infused itself into our food over the years. We have our own take on dishes like steamed pork buns, or chop suey with lots of soy sauce and garlic – it’s a mix of the two cultures, so I’ve always had a love for Asian cuisine.

The Roux brothers

I’ve always wanted to pursue cooking professionally, and the Roux brothers were the culinary heroes that I looked up to back then. I always wanted to work with them – that was why I headed up that way – but I’ve also admired the greats, from Escoffier to Raymond; those who set the path for everyone else.

Melbourne's food scene

When I first started travelling – over 20 years ago now – I spent quite a bit of time in Melbourne and Sydney, getting to know the restaurant scene. Going to Melbourne’s Chinatown for the first time was just amazing, and it was incredible to see that the ingredients, though so close to New Zealand, were so different – especially Australian seafood.

Marmite

I fell in love with Marmite when I lived in New Zealand. I still like it so much now that I often include it in dishes at the restaurant – we used to serve tortelli pasta with wild mushrooms, confit chicken and Marmite emulsion. It was a hit.

Le Gavroche

Finally getting to travel across Europe – from France to Italy through bits of Spain – I was excited to learn and try new things. I decided I wanted to work in the UK for a year, and sent my CV to five or ten different restaurants, from the Waterside to Raymond Blanc and Le Gavroche. Le Gavroche was the first to reply, and so that was the job I happened to accept, all those many moons ago. Getting involved in MasterChef came through Le Gavroche, too. Mine was originally only meant to be a 15-minute stint, and it just developed from there.

France

I go to France a lot; it’s where my husband’s family are from. In terms of my cooking, I’ve taken away the classical techniques from training in a French kitchen and adapted that to my favourite flavours – flavours from both the UK and Europe, as well as from Samoa and a bit of New Zealand.

Coconuts

The food I grew up with was very different to the training I’ve had. French cookery and the Pacific Island palate are nothing alike, and it’s very difficult to source the ingredients from back home. That said, coconut will always feature on my menu. A very common dish from Samoa is a coconut brioche, which I make with rum. At the moment, we’re serving a coconut ganache at Mere, with a peanut and caramel tart and fresh coconut shavings. I’ve used coconut in a lobster dish, too, and even created a sauce with it for a pasta starter.

Inspiration

Since opening Mere in London four years ago, I’ve been focused on developing what I want to be making with my team. What inspires me now is a combination of my experience, my travels, ingredients that I love and the changing seasons, and putting all that into the style that I’m all about now. We’re still buzzing after reopening.