Alain Ducasse: Honest Opinion The Michelin-Starred Chef Dishes Out Choice Tips

Alain Ducasse: Honest Opinion

0 comments

Alain Ducasse: Honest Opinion

Alain Ducasse: Honest Opinion

MY RATING

RATE THIS STORY
MY RATING
EDIT RATING

RATE THIS STORY

COMMUNITY RATING

Food & Travel

Alain Ducasse: Honest Opinion

The Michelin-Starred Chef Dishes Out Choice Tips

French chef Alain Ducasse is one of the food world’s most dazzling success stories. His vast culinary empire lays claim to three-Michelin-starred restaurants, but it's his humble beginnings growing up in a family of farmers in the South West of France that provide the key to his cuisine’s appeal: a blend of extreme sophistication and local, “honest” basics. NOWNESS met up with Monsieur Ducasse at his tasting of The Dorchester’s Winter Menu, to discuss cooking for Brits, dim sum in Hong Kong and cheap comforts in France.

How did the dishes in the tasting measure up?

The spicy scampi ravioli was a success. The Jerusalem artichokes with bacon were perfect, in my opinion. On the other hand, the roe deer was a little too firm, and might have needed a bit of a boost. It should be cooked more quickly, without burning the pepper, which can be tricky. 

How do you adapt your recipes to an English palate?

When you cook for the Brits, you have to give them intense tastes. The influence of Indian cuisine is considerable; it has affected their taste buds. Today, they want seasonings with an attitude. You need bold flavors, which are also decipherable. It has to be clear, honest. 

What do you look for in a perfect dish?

It has to be delicious! It should be perfectly cooked and seasoned. When eating it, one should feel an immediate palatable pleasure––not unnecessary complications, just pure, instant delight. 

Are you able to eat simple foods despite being surrounded with such sophistication all day?

You know, gastronomy is neither simple nor sophisticated; it’s either good or not. A restaurant should try to be the best of its genre, [and do it] with sincerity, quality and in harmony with its environment.

Can you name a particularly memorable gastronomic experience?

When I was in Hong Kong, I had an incredible dim sum meal in a simple canteen.

How have eating habits evolved in France since you first started cooking?

Fast foods are increasingly popular because of the lack of decent snacks. If cafés valued the young generation as an important customer and offered affordable options, there would be less people at McDonald’s. Bistros should offer cheap, quality sandwiches––because €10 is an awful lot of money when you’re a student.

What is the one ingredient you could never live without?

There are two: olive oil and fleur de sel (hand-harvested French sea salt). I use olive oil to cook and season, although you should be careful not to heat it too much. 

Do you have a recession budget meal tip? 

Eat vegetables. Buy a couple of leeks from your local farmers’ market. Make sure you clean them well and slice them; then, steam cook them and sprinkle olive oil and sea salt, and voila!


RELATED TOPICS

MORE TO LOVE

Expressions in Blue

Acclaimed ceramic artist Felicity Aylieff brings a major solo exhibition of monumental ceramics to Kew. Expressions in Blue encompasses a selection of pottery works, including incredible 5 meter tall vases, all hand-thrown and hand-painted with cobalt oxides in a modern take on the qīng-huā style. Alongside the 'new Ming’ vases will be a selection of colourful Fencai enamelled vessels, hand painted with stylised designs, inspired by the botanical illustrations Aylieff researched in the Shirley Sherwood Collection. Until 23 March 2025.

Nuri Bilge Ceylan: Inner Landscapes

Amsterdam’s Eye Filmmuseum presents the first Dutch exhibition devoted to the work of acclaimed Turkish filmmaker and photographer Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Curated together for Inner Landscapes, the museum situates his prize-winning films alongside his lesser-known landscape photographs for the very first time. Revealing Ceylan’s singular photographic eye and sense of composition, the exhibition also explores the deeply compassionate way he explores universal themes from a Turkish perspective, masterfully delving into the complexities of the human condition. 18 January - 1 June 2025

Wayne McGregor’s Deepstaria

Enter the void with cutting-edge technology and Sir Wayne McGregor’s experimental movement at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London. From deep sea to deep space,  McGregor’s choreography reflects on our profound relationship with the void and our own mortality for Deepstaria – a meditative new production, performed by Company Wayne McGregor. In a highly sensory, pure dance and acoustic experience, McGregor visions an environment that disturbs traditional hierarchies of perception, incorporating Vantablack Vision® technology to create the unfathomable darkness of the mysterious zones that ignite our imagination and desire to explore. 27 February - 2 March 2025.

Alain Ducasse: Honest Opinion