Refined little glasses
Today a symbol of modern cuisine, “verrines” invite themselves to cocktail parties, delicatessens and star-rated tables. Are these little glasses the future of gastronomy ?
They signal a delicate appetizer or sometimes a dessert, and their fans are growing in number from one day to the next. So where did they come from ? They turned up quite by accident, back in 1999, in the restaurant of a certain Laurent Tarridec, long the chef at Leï Mouscardins in Saint-Tropez and now officiating at the Bastide des Cabris in Grimaud. “I had decided to serve whole truffles and to keep them separate, I put them in little Le Parfait pots. After preparing the Swiss chard broth that was to accompany them, I decided to leave each truffle in its jar and add the rest of the recipe. The idea met with some success, so I went on to use the same procedure for my “brandade” (cod with garlic, oil and cream).” From then on, other chefs followed suit, some claiming it as their “invention”. Tarridec has already moved on to something new, serving his recipes in sardine tins or cheese boxes. For Stephan Demichelis, chef at the Auberge Les Templiers in Vence ; “These little glasses bring back memories of tastes associated with our childhood. They have all the charm of homeliness, tradition, pots of jam…”. In his restaurant, “verrines” contain only savoury delicacies, fish soup in jelly or cod “brandade” in a gourmet pot. Keisuke Matsushima, of the restaurant of the same name, proposes them both sweet and savory, using them for main courses and desserts. “With “verrines”, cooking tends more towards purity, luminosity : one gives priority to quality rather than quantity. The supreme purpose being to leave a taste in the mouth that one would like to enjoy all over again.” As witnessed by his aubergine caviar, marinaded sardine and “aïoli” (white fish with garlic mayonnaise) or yoghourt mousse, bilberry fruit salad and jam. Those with a sweet tooth know Jean-Luc Pelé for his macaroons… and his “verrines”. This pastry-chef based in Cannes talks about : “Transparency and work on the composition. Furthermore, these little pots can contain a very smooth cake texture and, as one is no longer obliged to take the consistency of the container into account, everything’s possible. For example, I will use less sugar and lighter textures, opt for a rather acid fruit syrup such as raspberry or lemon.” Among his most original creations, acclaimed by a knowledgeable clientèle, one finds raspberry millefeuilles, “a very smooth, light cream with a little flaky pastry”, as pleasing to the eye as to the palate. All these chefs and pastry-chefs naturally give preference to seasonal produce. Then come inspiration, creativity and talent. In fact, the “verrine” can very quickly become a miniature work of art that tempts the eye before the taste-buds.
Carnet
Jean-Luc Pelé, 36 rue Meynadier, Cannes (04 93 38 06 10). Keisuke Matsushima, 22 rue de France, Nice (04 93 82 26 06). La Bastide des Cabris, quartier Brusquet, Grimaud (04 94 97 25 28). Auberge Les Templiers, 39 avenue Maréchal Joffre, Vence (04 93 58 06 05).
By Cécile Olivéro
