Doing it like the French

At a recent pastry festival, at the Oberoi, one was struck by the prodigious quality and technical proficiency that comes with French haute cuisine. 

The Oberoi had brought in the talented Chef Christian Faure, a native of Lyons who, from  a very early age, excelled at pastry making . 

According to the American Academy of Hospitality he is rated as the ‘Best Pastry Chef in the World’.   I had the privilege of tasting one of his exquisite creations, the ‘Feuillantine de Poire au Caramel de Truffe’. 

The Feuillantine is a puff pastry, rolled out into pear shapes.  The presentation of the pear on the puff pastry with a truffle and caramel sauce was truly dazzling.

Exhibitionism at its most acceptable.
The exacting standards come from mode of training at the various Cordon Bleu schools of French cuisine that have been established throughout the world: these have played a significant role in imparting a French food culture, an appreciation of the culinary arts.  This movement needs to come to India if we are to see a revival of French cooking.

Classical French cuisine has contributed much to the total sum of human happiness, the sauces like the Béarnaise, Béchamel, Sabayon; bread, like the baguette and the croissant, but they very apogee of this tradition are the fine and delicate pasties, such as the mille-feuille, [thousand leaf], the macaroons and the classical tarte tatin. It is regrettable but true, that in India we do not wholly appreciate the quality of this tradition.  There are reasons for this. 

We are rarely exposed to these arts in their pristine glory.  First, our flour is not of the best quality: neither for bread or for pastry, it holds excess humidity.  Our butter is inferior and lacking in variety.  If our ingredients are sub-standard, the techniques are rudimentary.  The Pastry Chef is a rarity. I would say that with the extraordinary popularity of sushi, a sushi chef is more likely to be sought after than a pastry chef these days.

What I appreciate about the Oberoi is the desire to promote French haute cuisine through such festivals.  Having said that, it is regrettable that the Oberoi in India do not have a single French restaurant: Vetro replaced the Rotisserie, in Mumbai and Travestino in Delhi has replaced La Rochelle. That is what people want I suppose; it is less stylised, more natural, vegetarian friendly, down to earth cuisine.

  But there is so much magic in French cuisine, the languorous duration of the meals, the exquisite presentation, the wine pairings, the finest desserts and myriad cheeses. 

De Gaulle once remarked that how can you govern a country with 300 different cheeses!  

A great meal is often compared to great sex, but the wily French 18th century statesman Talleyrand had no doubts which experience prevailed over the other: “Show me another pleasure like dinner which comes every day and lasts an hour”, he was quoted as saying.  Cheers to that!