03 juillet 2009
Enchantée mais pas bluffée par le Bristol/delighted but not "wowed" by the Bristol
Date of lunch : june 2009
Résumé en français
Très sincèrement, un repas (encore un anniversaire de mariage) vraiment délicieux et très très agréable, dans un cadre bucolique enchanteur, entouré d'un personnel plus qu'aimable et professionnel mais je n'ai pas été impressionnée comme j'avais pu l'être aux Amabassadeurs ou, dans une moindre mesure, au Pré Catelan. Il manquait cette petite magie (ou folie?) qui m'avait fait dire "wouah" toutes les deux minutes chez Jean-François Piège et Frédéric Anton.
A three-star Chef
Eric Frechon, at the age of 45, has already spent 32 years in a professionel kitchen ! Originally from the Somme region, he arrived in Paris at the age of 20 and worked as a commis at "La Grande Cascade". Two years later, he entered the Bristol's kitchen at the same position. After his military duty, he spent two years in Spain, six years at le Crillon under the orders of Christian Constant, opened his own restaurant "Les Verrières" before being hired in 1999 by the Bristol as the main Chef. That same year, he obtained his first michelin star. The second was in 2001 and third in 2009. He is the only Chef to join the "three star club" this year. No wonder our President Nicolas Sarkozy is a regular in his restaurant !
The Food
For lunch on week days, you can choose between a business menu (95 euros) or "à la carte" selection. Given that a single appetizer à la carte can cost up to 85 euros, we chose the business menu without any hesitation.
In the business menu, one is given the choice between two starters, two main dishes (seafood/meat) and two desserts (or a cheese platter from the cart). We managed to taste everything as we chose different items from starter to dessert.
Before starting, one is served an assortment of different individual breads,we chose the roasted shallots bread for me and seaweed for hubby. Other breads were served during the meal : cereals, olives, traditional, all with Jean-Yves Bordier's salted butter (THE best dairy products supplier in France).
Keyword of this luch was "jelly". We had jelly eveywhere, from starter to dessert.
Several amuse bouches : on a cute little rectangular plate, we had to eat in a certain order a tuna lollypop, an oyster in a jelly and another amuse with foie gras. We also had a very modern version of the classic tomato/mozzarella salad : tomato dices surrounded by a basil jelly and topped with a mozzarella foam.
As a starter, my husband chose the “Asperges Blanches en fin velouté, mousseline de petits pois et menthe fraîche” (white asparagus in a chilled creamy soup, peas purée and fresh mint), a very refreshing dish. I had the "maquereau de petit bateau, cuit au vin blanc, aromates et baies de cassis, relevé au raifort" (mackerel cooked in white wine, herbs&spices, berries, with horseradish) a beautiful and flavorful starter.
Main dishes : For A, "le meilleur du cabillaud, poudré d'aneth et de caviar de citron, ratte écrasée au beurre salé et pamplemousse" (The best of cod, with fresh dill, lemon caviar, smashed ratte potato and grapefruit). I had never heard of lemon caviar, it is a very rare lemon (see this picture) from Corsica which contains tiny balls the size and the texture of caviar balls. The taste is very lemoney of course but not too tart. This fish dish was perfectly cooked and very delicate.
For me, "pigeon de bresse rôti au crumble de pignons, pomme crousti-fondante au cumin, jus à la diable" (pigeon topped with a pine nuts crumble, cumin melty apples, and spiced juice). The presentation of the main dishes were not as modern as the starters, they were more traditional but perfectly cooked and, again, flavorful.
Before the desserts, we had a "sorbet citron vert, dés de pommes vertes et fraises des bois" (a lime sherbet, with granny tiny dices and wild strawberries). Refreshing. But disappointing compared to the amazing assortment of pre-desserts we have had at "Les Ambassadeurs".
I was surprised we had to choose between cheese platter and desserts. Usually, in this kind of places, you have both !
Desserts were also on the classic side : for me, a cherry sherbet with chocolate cake, this time the presentation was quite architectural with two textures for the chocolate cake ; a fudgy one and a crunchy one. Good, very good, but not impressive. For my husband, an assortment of coffee-based desserts : a jelly, a foam, an ice-cream with a light mascarpone cream. As a coffee amateur, he was very pleased with his choice. No pictures of the desserts, sorry.
With coffee (not included, you can choose between Peruvian, Colombian and Ethiopian), we were served a selection of caramels, pomegranate guimauves (marshmallows), chocolates and nougats.
The wine
Of course we had Roederer champagne to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Beware of the rates, it costs about 30 euros per person.I stayed with water for the rest of the lunch.But the sommelier seemed to be very knowledgeable from what I have seen at the closest tables.
The customers and the decoration
Really very enjoyable. It was warm that day but as it rained a little in the morning, we could not seat in the garden. But the room was vast, it was a canopy glasshouse, and our table was just a step from the courtyard and as the door was wide open, we felt we were earting outdoor.
Classic Bacarrat chandeliers, exclusively designed Limoges porcelain dinnerware, Christofle silverware, fine linens, crystal glasses added to the experience.
The customers were French, mostly businessmen.
The Service
We had at least 3 people taking care of us, charming and professional.The only thing I did not like was their...jackets, in an awful beige color, not classy at all.
As a conclusion
A very nice meal in a great atmosphere. But if you really have to choose a restaurant for a very special occasion, I would recommend that you go to "Les Ambassadeurs" at Le Crillon Hotel.
Practical Information/Infos pratiques :
Le Bristol
Hôtel Le Bristol
112 rue du faubourg Saint Honoré
75008 Paris
Tél. : +33 1 53 43 43 40
website : http://www.hotel-bristol.com
Pictures : Copyright : Cuisiner en Ligne
25 juin 2009
Recyclez des prunes pas au top dans un Clafoutis ! Plums second chance in a Clafoutis !
Clafoutis aux Prunes de la Régalade
La Régalade's Plum Clafoutis
Actually, this recipe cannot be found at "La Régalade"; it comes from one of Chef Bruno Doucet's friends. I felf I had to rectify as I would not want to be responsible for a big misunderstanding if ever you came to have lunch or dinner there and asked, in vane, for this great dessert !
A slightly different version from the traditional one with cherries, and it was a great way for me to use my "too acid for my taste" plums. I bought them a the market yesterday, and althought they looked great on the stalls, their taste was not that good. So, cooked in a "bed" of sugar, cream, eggs and flour was the only way they would be (much) better than just edible. And next time, I promise I will wait until they are at their peak (just a matter of a few weeks)...
Ce n'est, en fait, pas vraiment le clafoutis de la Régalade, mais plutôt celui d'une amie du chef Bruno Doucet. Je préfère rectifier, car je ne voudrais pas être responsable d'un esclandre si jamais vous vous rendiez à la Régalade et que vous réclamiez, en vain, ce clafoutis !
Une petite variante de la recette classique aux cerises, d'autant plus adaptée que les premières prunes sur les étals sont encore un chouïa acides à mon goût et méritent d'être cuites avant dégustation. Et oui, je sais, j'aurais dû attendre encore quelques petites semaines mais que voulez-vous, toujours ce tempérament impatient...
La Régalade's Plum Clafoutis
Source : "Régalade entre amis", a cookbook by Bruno Doucet
For 6 servings
1 lb + 2 oz purple plums
2/3 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
5 oz heavy cream
3.5 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp confectioner's sugar
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a high-sided round cake mold.
Clean and pat dry plums, halve them, remove the stones. Arrange plum halves at the bottom of the pan, cut sides down.
In a large mixing bowl, stir flour, granulated sugar, eggs and heavy cream until they form a smooth batter. Pour this batter over the plums and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven, divide butter on top of the cake and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar. Bake for 15 additional minutes until clafoutis is golden brown.
Eat lukewarm preferably.
Clafoutis aux Prunes de la Régalade
Source : Régalade entre amis, de Bruno Doucet
Pour 6 personnes
600-700g de prunes violettes bien mûres
80g de farine
120g de sucre en poudre
3 oeufs
160g de crème fraîche épaisse
50g de beurre
3 CS de sucre glace
Préchauffez le four à 180°C. Beurrez et farinez un moule à manqué.
Lavez et coupez les prunes en deux, retirez le noyau. Disposez ces moitiés au fond du moule, côté coupé contre le fond.
Dans un grand saladier, mélangez la farine, le sucre en poudre, les oeufs et la crème fraîche afin d'obtenir une pâte bien lisse. Versez cette pâte sur les prunes, et enfournez pour 15 minutes.
Retirez du four, parsemez de noisettes de beurre et de sucre glace et remettez au four pour 15 minutes de plus. Le clafoutis doit être bien doré et la pointe d'un couteau doit ressortir sèche.
Dégustez tiède.
20 juin 2009
Step by Step : How to slow-roast Tomatoes ? Comment confire des Tomates ?
This cooking method is an amazing "natural" flavour enhancer. Not to be confused with sun-dried tomatoes which one can easily find on greenmarket stalls or even in jars in supermarkets. No, here, we are talking of tomatoes dry on the outside but still wet in the inside.The taste is close to tomato paste, it is incredible.I like to make them plain (no salt, pepper, nor dried herbs) so I can season them later, by batches, according to their future usage.And, most importantly, I peel them : even if that seems tedious and time-consuming (but really easy), it is so worth it; it gives tomatoes a unique texture and a beautiful aesthetics.
Un véritable exhausteur de goût naturel, cette méthode de cuisson des tomates. Attention, à ne pas confondre avec les tomates séchées que l'on trouve facilement sur les étals des marchés ou même en bocal; ici, elles sont séchées à l'extérieur mais encore humides à l'intérieur.Le goût est proche du concentré de tomates, c'est incroyable, et ce, même si vous utilisez une variété a-priori classique type Roma. Je ne les assaisonne pas du tout (ni sel, ni poivre, ni sucre, ni herbes, ni huile) car je préfère assaisonner la quantité nécéssaire par la suite en fonction de l'usage que j'en ferai. Et surtout je les pèle : même si cela semble assez fastidieux, je trouve que l'esthétique et la texture des tomates pélées sont incomparables.
Wash tomatoes and pat them dry (here I bought 6.5 pounds of Roma Tomatoes). Laver les tomates et les essuyer (ici 3 kilos de Roma).
Remove stem and make a cross shaped incision at the bottom. Retirer le pédoncule et faire une incision en forme de croix du côté opposé.
Put tomatoes into boiling water for 10 seconds. Plonger les tomates dans de l'eau bouillante pendant une dizaine de secondes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove them and arrange in a large bowl of ice-cold water to stop the cooking. Retirer à l'aide d'une écumoire et plonger dans un grand saladier rempli d'eau glacée pour stopper la cuisson.
The skin is then very easy to remove. Peel all tomatoes. La peau se détache et est alors très facile à enlever. Peler toutes les tomates.
Preheat oven to 250°F. Halve all tomatoes legntwise. Remove seeds, using a small spoon. Préchauffer le four à 120°C. Couper les tomates en deux dans la hauteur. Retirer les pépins à l'aide d'une petite cuillère.
Arrange tomato halves, cut side down, on two baking sheets lined with foil paper. Bake for two to three hours, depending on their size. Disposer les moitiés de tomates, retournées, sur deux plaques à pâtisserie recouvertes de papier aluminium. Enfourner pour deux à trois bonnes heures (selon leur taille).
The final result : tomatoes have shrinked and are now "confites" (slow roasted). Le résultat final : les tomates ont rétréci et sont confites.
What to do with them ? Try my delicious Slow roasted Tomato Tatin Tartlets. Other suggestions : spread on a slice of french bread with fresh goat cheese, eat them in pastas, in a salad or a chilled terrine. Yum !
Que faire avec ? Une délicieuse Tatin aux tomates confites ! Ma recette ici. Egalement savoureux simplement étalé sur une tartine de Poilane grillé, avec du chèvre frais, dans des pâtes, une salade ou une terrine du Sud. Pour les conserver longtemps, mettez-les dans un bocal avec de l'huile d'olive et au frais.
