Leon: Ingredients and Recipes

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I always tell my team that they have to be one step ahead. Not in a hypocritical way or acting badly towards the rest of the team, but you have to be active, attentive and alert. If you want that job, do it in the right way; be honest, but get there. I've always worked like that, trying to be a little bit ahead,” she explains.

verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ At Casa Tupac, León and Martínez seek to create a different model for their restaurants’ 80-strong combined team. “For me, it’s important that people come to work happy, that they feel that they work in a place where they don’t only learn, but can also make their voices heard, where they are respected and where they can build a family,” she says. Put 80ml of water into a small pan and bring to the boil. Stir in the quinoa and boil fast for five minutes, then turn the heat down and simmer for five minutes more. Turn the heat off, fluff with a fork, and leave until cooled. In a large saucepan, cook the onion and carrot over a medium to low heat in the oil for 15-20 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally. Season with salt. Blitz the chilli, ginger and garlic to a paste in a food processor. Stir the paste into the onions once they have begun to soften, along with the spices (including the onion seeds). After another five minutes, season with salt, add the sweet potato chunks and the almonds and mix well so that everything is well coated.

Melt the butter on full power in a microwave for 1 minute (this can also be done in a small pan on the hob) and separately melt the dark chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water on the stove. Stir the chocolate well, ensure it is completely melted, and be careful not to burn it.

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We play with colours a lot, and at the same time our style is simple, there are no more than four ingredients in each of our dishes,” she says. “But it’s also very well thought out. You won’t only eat well, there is also the idea that you will learn and take something away with you. It's a very friendly experience and that was something essential – I wanted it to be a restaurant where you don't feel nervous.” I've reached a point where I know how to handle myself in life and I know how to react to different situations. My priorities are here in Peru with the restaurants we have at Casa Tupac; not only Kjolle, but also Central and Mil. And of course, my family comes first and will always come first: Cristóbal and Virgilio.” What I am most proud of is the group of people that we have managed to form at Casa Tupac, including myself,” she says. “Together, we managed to create something unique, something special, and also something that makes sense. At Leon we give the veggies who eat with us quite a lot of TLC, and this curry took a long time to get spot on before it went on the menu: it's all about the balance of spices, sweetness and making sure you time the veg right so it doesn't all fall apart. The Gobi refers to the cauliflower. It's the addition of ground almonds that provides the wonderful consistency. To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and gently fry the crushed garlic. Tip in the chopped tomatoes and harissa and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until the sauce has reduced. Put in the meatballs and continue to simmer for a further 20 minutes with a lid on until the sauce looks about right.

Over her 10-year tenure at Central, León had a chance to realise that although she had high ambitions, the success she sought had to be on her own terms. “I don't want to have a rhythm of life where I have to travel four or five times a month,” she states. “That doesn't mean that I'm not clear about what I want to achieve with Kjolle or the other projects we have. I have my limits, but I’m very clear about how far I want to go, what I want to do and how I want to divide my time.” It would be easy to say that I just want an easy life and to be happy, but that would be a lie. Life is not easy, there will always be trials and disappointments, so you can’t just tell yourself ‘I want to be happy with my family’,” she replies.There is Mariana, who has been in charge of the restaurants’ administration for nearly eight years. There are Alan and Diego, two other long-standing members of the team who look after the restaurants’ hospitality and drinks menus respectively.