Category: France

At the beginning of 2020 I was invited to interview by Belmond. Although I had worked in France, both ashore and afloat, being asked to cook for Belmond was the pinnacle of my career. Belmond is part of the group which owns the Orient Express and Le Manoir aux quat’saisons amongst others. It operates seven barges, five of which reside in Champagne and Burgundy whilst the others are in South eastern France and the canal du Midi. So in early March I drove over to Saint- Jean-de- Losne for a chef test. It was to consist of a selection of canapes, an entrée, main course and dessert to be served at lunch to their executive chef, director and head of recruitment and a few other members of staff.

I have been cooking for years but I suppose this was my MasterChef moment and I was as nervous as a kitten and as excited as Tigger.

I had planned my menu thoroughly but was still tweaking it on the unusually quiet ferry crossing. My car was the only one on the car deck, it was three weeks before England went into lockdown and none of us knew, or had a hope of imagining, what came next. I arrived in Dijon and met a crew member who handed me a credit card and I ran around Grand Frais ticking items off my list. I had a budget but, unless I filled my trolley with caviar, I had no real chance of going above it. My entree was supposed to be a trio of seafood, but I did not like the look of the selection and could not find any oursin, which was one of the main components of the dish. I was beginning to panic and so decided to grab a croissant, sit in the car for five minutes and consider altering the menu. I had spotted some Manx Queen scallops, I had a vague idea about a dish that I hadn’t actually tried out but, had been toying with for years. Now was the time, I thought. I felt the scallops were going to be my lucky charm. I decided on black risotto made with lobster bisque and tiny pink crevettes and finished with the jewel like scollies. I would add a few micro herbs et voila. I had learnt my risotto skills in Venice so I was quite confident about handling the squid ink Vialolone Nano rice. As for Coquille St Jacques they are my favourite food, my death bed dinner, and I treat them with absolute love. I headed to the boat for an afternoon of mise en place.

The menu now looked like this…

Canapes

Roasted carrot, avocado and hommous

Mini toast, jambon, tomato caviar and a quail’s egg

Smoked salmon, cucumber and cream cheese pin wheels

Mustard biscuits, goats’ cheese and beetroot.

I had picked one vegetarian, one gluten free and vegan, one fish and one which was ostensibly a posh mini bacon, egg and tomato on toast. They were gone in seconds and I was delighted with the feedback.

Entre

Black risotto with lobster bisque and crevettes decorated with Manx Queenies

The executive chef loved it!. He could see what I was trying to do, which was use the nuttiness of the Nano rice as a contrast to the softness of the seafood. The black backdrop was perfect for the vibrant pink shrimp and pearlescent scallops. I added a few micro herbs of vibrant green and a dust of parmaggio

Main

Loin of Rabbit stuffed with boudin noir wrapped in pancetta and served with pommes fondant, celeriac puree, heritage carrots and Dijon mustard sauce.

The feedback was great and chef thought that the rabbit was perfect, the mustard sauce could have been a little more punchy on the Dijon, the puree needed a little cream, the potatoes were delicious but the dish could go to a new level with the addition of a fruity note. He suggested a prune soused in Marc de Bourgogne and I thought that was such a clever idea. I will always incorporate it in the future. This dish holds happy memories for me as I first had a take on it at Bully’s French Bistro in Cardiff with my dear friends Lib and Rob. I love how recipes capture feelings of nostalgia and joy, I think that is one of my favourite things about cooking; that it is an aide memoir to love, life and fun.

Dessert

Chocolate Tart, crème d’isigny, raspberry coulis.

What else could it be? I have used this recipe for years. It is Simon Hopkinson’s and, to my mind, if you are serious about chocolate, you will find none better. It is for adults, it uses hardly any sugar; the texture comes from eggs, cream and 70% + chocolate. It has a sweet pastry which is like biscuit and is seriously good. It was so good in fact that the remainder of it disappeared from the fridge over night and the E.C. wanted the recipe. The feedback was that it was the best chocolate tart ever and I agree as do many other chefs. Eat it straight from the fridge or with anything you care to pair it with. People will think you are Cyril Lignac it is that good! (If you don’t know Cyril I will add a picture, because I can!)

I had a marvellous three days in France, it was intense but rewarding. It felt like I had been judged by the best and they had said Yes! Before I left, they told me I had the job, and I was given an incredible seven boat itinerary for the rest of 2020. It was certainly the highlight of my professional career.

Obviously, what came next was a bit of a surprise to us all. I headed back to Wales with a car full of wine thinking that I would return in a month to begin my season in Champagne. It turned out that the wine was very useful for the strange unfolding of the events to come.

 

If you would like to make the Chocolate Tart for yourself this is the recipe.

There are a few hacks below which will mean that your chocolate tart will be equally fit for a Belmond Cruise.

For the Pastry

175g butter

65g Icing sugar

2 egg yolks

225g Plain Flour

Ok this is the tricky part particularly if you have warm hands. Add all the ingredients together making sure it is well combined without over working it as this will make the pastry tough. It will be very sticky so wrap it in cling film and chill it.

When it is cold roll it out between two sheets of clingfilm, this will mean it won’t stick to everything and anything. Line your tart tin and leave a nice overlap as it will shrink. Back in to the fridge to chill. Then line with baking beans and bake at 180 for twenty mins before removing the parchment. Bake for another ten minutes until the pastry is cooked. It should be pale biscuit in colour. When I take it from the oven I like to glaze it with an egg yolk as this acts as a varnish and stops you getting the dreaded soggy bottom, but you don’t need to.

That is the tough bit done so now you can relax…

For the Filling

3 yolks

2 eggs

40g caster sugar

200g Chocolate 70% or higher

Melt the chocolate, sugar and butter in a Bain Marie or a microwave which is easy to do if you just give it bursts of 30 seconds at a time and then stir. When it is all lovely and glossy and melted thoroughly check it is not hot (think babies’ bath or the virgin Mary’s bath which is where the term Bain Marie comes from) Whisk up the eggs and with the oven on 190 add the chocolate mix and eggs together and pour in to the pastry case. Return to the oven for five minutes no longer or else it will lose that lovely shiny look.

Tips

If you do over cook it, you can use a blow torch when chilled to bring that velvety look back.

If you are having trouble with the pastry put your hands in ice water or return to the fridge. Once it’s sticky you are losing the battle so don’t struggle on …just chill.

Eat with clotted cream, pouring cream or icecream. It works well with a fruit coulis but equally you can eat it straight from the fridge. It is not for the fainthearted and if your favourite chocolate is dairy milk it is probably not for you. But if you are a bit of a choccy connoisseur you will have found your own personal Nirvana.

 

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Belmond Afloat in France | Luxury River Cruises

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