For me, it's fundamentally important.

It's just as crucial as keeping face

because Latin, history, geography-- no disrespect,

but if you're not going to teach that for the rest of your life,

it doesn't come into play.

Cooking does, three times a day, seven days a week,

for the rest of your life to eat.

So we don't cook three meals a day,

but there's one meal across that day that

needs to be absolutely you on a plate,

done properly, healthily cooked, and sets you up,

because you are what you eat.

So we can never underestimate the importance of food

because that's the fuel, and especially in sport.

This is my little nicoise-- a specialized nicoise,

and it's the kind of thing that I pick myself up

after cycling 200K.

A beautiful piece of tuna.

Brush that first with a little bit of mustard.

Stops it from drying out.

Now, sesame Just beautifully roll that down.

I always think about foods everywhere I go.

So when I'm training, I'm never very far away from food.

I had that extraordinary moment at the start of Kona

two years ago where I was paddling out

sort of half past five in the morning waiting

for that amazing cannon to go off.

To get rid of the nerves, I just started thinking about recipes

and dishes and how do I get through this 2.8K swim.

The garnish-- it's very, very simple.

We got potatoes.

Let's start with a little teaspoon of olive oil.

We'll get these potatoes nice and crispy.

Cut it in half, and put that side down.

So, in my bowl, got some really nice shallot rings.

Olive nicoise, some black olives, some green beans.

And then in there, I'm just going to open up

some of these little anchovies.

A little touch of vinaigrette.

This is classic vinaigrette made with lots of lemon juice.

And then we'll just mix that up nicely with some fresh parsley.

Your tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, fresh lemon juice

in-- that lifts everything.

You work 14, 15 hours a day to perfect an absolutely stunning

dish.

It disappears in 2 and 1/2 minutes.

And that's why I said it loses you.

You get on that journey and nothing

else matters except what you put on the plate.

Because you start off with these raw ingredients and you

go through that journey.

60 minutes later, you got this bit of magic.

Also, it's an incredible passion.

It's a huge canvas.

Just take your salad leaves.

I want to use the little hearts.

Just open them up gently without sort of ripping them.

Get down to the heart, and cut the hearts into fourths.

Potatoes-- nice and crispy.

And then from there, as they start to cool down,

just put a little touch of vinaigrette over there

and hit them with your parsley.

Food was my calling, I think, because that was the way

I could sort of disappear.

Disappear, travel, learn, and get

really excited about something.

And my first dream was to go to France.

To understand why were they the sort of foundation of cooking.

Why did they start it?

How did they start it?

And I disappeared.

I became French.

Within 18 months, I was fluent in the language.

I was holding my own in a foreign kitchen,

and I was seriously cooking my ass off.

Now, for the dressing.

Very, very simple.

Touch of the vinaigrette, and then some fresh lemon juice.

That gives a nice lightness, vibrancy to the dish as well.

Just lightly dress them.

My first set of knives was bought by a charity

because my parents couldn't afford

to send me to cooking school, and this knife wallet

was a "Swimbo."

It was with bright, yellow handles.

And trust me, they couldn't cut butter,

but they looked the part.

My mom had a tear in her eye because she was

upset she couldn't afford it.

My first set of whites and my first set of knives.

I still got them.

Finally, the tuna.

Get the pan nice and hot.

Put a teaspoon of oil in there.

Tuna into the pan.

90 seconds each side.

Out.

And literally squeeze some fresh lemon juice on there.

When you slice it, let the knife do the work.

Fingers on top and just slice through nice and carefully.

On.

Three nice slices.

Foods your journey, and there's something quite

amazing about the way you cook.

Of giving pleasure.

My dream, when I started out as a chef,

was to discover every ingredient and never

be intimidated and not know what to do with it.

That level of perfection.

I think I'm about 97% of the way there.

There must be about 3% or 4% of the ingredients

that I still haven't discovered yet,

and that's the exciting thing about food.

That is what I call my specialized tuna nicoise.

Fucking delicious.