Catalonia’s avant garde chefs have made a name for themselves with their revolutionary techniques and molecular gastronomy, yet they are fond of saying they are merely paying homage to the simple dishes served at their grandmother’s table.

Maybe so, but now the grannies have been given a chance to show off the real thing under a Catalan government initiative called Gastrosàvies.

A double play on the Catalan words for wise and grandmother, Gastrosàvies provides a platform for more than 100 women of a certain age to share videos cooking traditional dishes “with a view to preserving and communicating traditional Catalan cuisine for future generations”.

No spherification and liquid nitrogen for these chefs – just some basic ingredients, a sharp knife and a couple of pots and pans.

The project has collected more than 300 recipes from all over Catalonia, and videos of home cooks preparing 12 of them have been posted on the Gastrosàvies website, with more to follow.