Portrait of Daniel Ochoa
i. Biography
At Montia in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Daniel Ochoa’s cooking is built around restraint, attention and the conditions of the place itself. His specialty is wild cuisine: work that reads the season and the terrain closely, then turns that material into dishes with precision and a clear sense of landscape. The result is cooking that stays close to field and forest without losing technical control.
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Where They Are Now
At Montia, the Chef de Cuisine title sits with a style that favors measured execution over display. Daniel Ochoa’s current work is identified with wild cuisine, a mode that depends on what the surroundings make available and on how carefully those ingredients are handled. The food is shaped to feel grounded and exact, with texture and depth coming from the ingredients themselves rather than from ornament.
Signature
Callos stew, Rye Dessert, Chickpea in Green with Summer Truffle and Chenopodium, and Lamb, Chard and Green Herbs define the range of Daniel Ochoa’s kitchen. Callos stew points to a line of cooking that can carry richness and comfort without losing discipline. Rye Dessert suggests a quieter register, where grain-led flavors hold the frame. Chickpea in Green with Summer Truffle and Chenopodium brings green character together with forest-floor detail, while Lamb, Chard and Green Herbs is built on clean alignment between meat, leaf and herb. Taken together, the dishes show a chef working with control, clarity and a firm hold on place.
FAQ
Asked of Daniel
What is Daniel Ochoa known for?
Wild cuisine.
The Sunday email
Read about chefs like Daniel Ochoa in the Sunday email.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
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