Chef Biography
Jorge Pacheco was born 1949 in Santiago, Chile and at the age of 9, moved to Puerto Montt, a southern town in Chile, where he felt the attraction of the sea and its products. From this early age, as a fisherman familiar with fishes and shell fishes, he was encouraged to get involved in the world of kitchens.
In 1972 at the age of 23, he opened his first seafood restaurant in Santiago. In 1975 he opened AQUI ESTA COCO. Ten years later he added a “cave” to taste wine and cheeses.
In 1998, Great Chefs Television flew into Santiago during a student uprising, and had to sneak out the back hotel entrance to get to Coco’s restaurant, in time to tape him for their Great Chefs of the World television series. Chef Jorge prepared four seafood dishes and the shows aired for 10 years on the Discovery Channel.
On July 2, 2008 a fire destroyed the entire structure, but the family rebuilt and in 2010, Aqui Esta Coco reopened as the first sustainable restaurant in Chile, a pioneer in its field. Today, one of his two daughters, Francisca, has taken over as the creative chef of Chilean cooking at Aqui Esta Coco. Meanwhile, Coco continues to accumulate awards and travels the world representing the gastronomic strength of Chile.
Recipes
Shellfish Stew
Serving: 4 Print Shellfish Stew By Great Chefs October 15, 2015 Every country with access to the sea has a dish that brings together its finest local shellfish. This is Coco’s, a melange of Chilean clams, shrimp, and even eel steak cooked with tomatoes, garlic, onion, and a touch of hot pepper and oregano. Hot […]
King Crab Cake
Serving: 4 Print King Crab Cake By Great Chefs October 9, 2015 Warm king crab is tossed with seasonings and Parmesan cheese and stuffed back into its shell, to be dished out at the table. This dish emphasizes the flavor of this rich seafood and makes the most of the king crab, but it could […]
Seafood Cocktail
Serving: 4 Print Seafood Cocktail By Great Chefs October 9, 2015 Chef Coco Pacheco uses a bright cocktail sauce to accent local Chilean seafood, shellfish which are unusual in some parts of the world like a giant sea urchin and barnacles. Substitute the best local shellfish you can find, and you’ll create a wonderful dish. […]
Cancato (Grilled Sausage and Fish)
Serving: 6 Print Cancato (Grilled Sausage and Fish) By Great Chefs October 6, 2015 This delicious traditional Chilean dish sandwiches sausage, tomatoes, cheese, and seasonings inside fish fillets. The fillets are sewn together with big stitches so that the stuffing is held inside as they cook in a hinged wire fish grill or basket over […]