Tradition and modernity
Renowned throughout the world, French cuisine is based on strong traditions that creative chefs respect but sometimes jostle, with delicacy. Proof of the pudding…
Terrine of semi-cooked “foie gras” with port, lobster “bisque” with flap mushrooms, shell-fish soup, “bouillabaisse”, rock fish soup, lobster “à l’armoricaine”... Or then again, beef stew, calf’s head with “sauce gribiche”, bone with marrow poached in broth, beef tenderloin Rossini, salted pork with lentils, dumplings of pike with golden crayfish sauce, sea-bass cooked in a crust of salt... And finally a hot soufflé with Grand Marnier, Peach Melba... A list that bears witness to France’s culinary richness that no professional worthy of the name would ever deny. “We haven’t invented anything,” modestly says Kevin Altier, the young chef at L’Olivier, the restaurant at La Bastide de Saint-Tropez. “We more or less follow masters like Escoffier or Bocuse. But of course, everyone adds his own personal touch to timeless classics.” Jean-Denis Rieubland of La Rotonde talks about “a more contemporary approach, adapting to evolution in the world of gastronomy”. Jacques Chibois at La Bastide Saint-Antoine refers to the terrine of semi-cooked “foie gras” with port that he worked on “to give it a more subtle fragrance with a notion of freshness which diminishes the strong taste of “foie gras”, allowing for more elegance and finesse in the cooking stage”. Chef Emmanuel Ruz, owner of Lou Fassum, remains a great adept of the “pot au feu de foie gras”. “In the past, its preparation allowed you to finish off everything : today, of course, I use the basic recipe, but in its lighter version !”… For in 2009, the hunt for calories and the gastronomically incorrect is well under way. “Cooking is like fashion, an eternal new start. We adapt and reinterpret the bases of yesteryear with the new technology and life-style of our society. Contemporary gastronomic architecture is built on this ancestral heritage that we call the classics of French cuisine.” Christian Sinicropi of La Palme d’Or in Cannes sums up the general attitude. Everywhere now, from Monaco to Saint-Tropez, we enjoy traditional local dishes in 21st century style. Joël Garault of Le Vistamar notes that international guests are fascinated by tastes and look for old cultural references. “Of course the trend is for organic and light, but why not tasty and authentic ?”… It’s a definite back-to-basics, to quality and the expertise that the chefs of the Côte d’Azur pride themselves on having. They all work with its farmers, fishermen, breeders, bakers... “Despite their exaggerations and fantasies, trends that emerge every ten years or so see that cooking evolves. But real cuisine, studied, controlled and with its own philosophy, will always have its place in the future.” Thank-you, Maître Chibois !
Carnet
La Bastide de Saint-Tropez, route des Carles, Saint-Tropez (04 94 55 82 55). Carte Menu : startig at 55 €. La Bastide Saint-Antoine, 48 avenue Henri-Dunant, Grasse (04 93 70 94 94). Starting at 60 €. La Palme d’Or, 73 La Croisette, Cannes (04 92 98 74 14). Starting at 60 €. La Rotonde, 37 Promenade des Anglais, Nice (04 93 16 64 00). Starting at 35 €. Le Vistamar, Hôtel Hermitage, Square Beaumarchais, Monaco (00 377 98 06 98 98). Starting at 60 €. Lou Fassum, 381 route de Plascassier, Plascassier (04 93 60 14 44). A partir de 30 €.
By Cécile Olivéro
