How To 3 Haute Dishes From W Verbier’s Ultimate Gastronomic Experience
A good meal can be a sensory adventure, but the craft and creation that comes before the first bite? That’s kitchen confidential. At W Verbier, however, a meal isn’t just something you eat, it’s something you experience from inception to plating to that unforgettable first taste. The kitchen doors were opened for guests to experience gourmet cooking hands-on at Haute Cuisine, a gastronomic event bringing together some of the world’s best chefs to cook, collaborate, and teach the tricks of their trade.
We went backstage at Haute Cuisine 2017 to catch up with chefs Alain Caron, Laurent Peugeot, Hervé Rodriguez to talk gastro inspirations and tips on how to bring your cooking to all-star status.
Poached oysters with celery remoulade and bear garlic concentrate
Chef Alain Caron, Café Caron in Amsterdam
How Verbier inspired his cooking:
AC: Verbier is a magical place, incredibly beautiful and enjoyable! I’ve always loved the mountain side, it humbles me and makes me want to create dishes that are simple but have a peaceful strength, just like this region! Also, the other chefs participating at Haute Cuisine are very nice people and very good cooks, so it pushes you to really give and show the best of yourself.
A tip on how to elevate a regular home-cooked meal to haute cuisine status:
AC: First, go to the local market! Then choose the right ingredients, and compose the dish according to the season, with colors and fresh flavors. Above all, it’s important to stay simple, no need to show off. The taste is crucial.
At Café Caron, we serve authentic cuisine, including lots of vegetables. Our cuisine is influenced by traditional French cooking, adapted to our taste and techniques.
The Haute Cuisine dish was inspired by Patrick Jeffroy, a great chef from Brittany, from when we participated in an oyster and caviar festival in Budapest. In order to create and adapt this dish for Haute Cuisine, I added celery which I adore, its flavor matches perfectly with the bear garlic aroma.
Blue lobster with warm beetroot and wakame vinegar powder
Chef Laurent Peugeot, Le Charlemagne in Burgundy
How Verbier inspired his cooking:
LP: I love Verbier, feeling the nature, the mountains—it’s a revitalizing place. In my opinion, W Verbier is elegant, stylish, and sophisticated. It represents everything I love both in design and in cuisine.
A tip on how to elevate a regular home-cooked meal to haute cuisine status:
LP: It has to be perfection in every way.
At Le Charlemagne, we serve French-Japanese fusion cuisine.
In general, I particularly love cooking fish. When I have to create a dish, I directly think of a product from the sea. For Haute Cuisine, I’ve chosen to combine lobster with the beet for a sweet side, and of course, adding a little Japanese touch with the Wakame.
Pan-seared foie gras with squid ink, Fregola and smoked eel
Hervé Rodriguez, Masa Restaurant in Paris
How Verbier inspired his cooking:
I discovered Verbier for the first time with Haute Cuisine, and I feel lucky to have met the other chefs and to have collaborated with them during the event. The inspiration came from the event itself, the W Verbier, the stunning surroundings, and the collaboration with amazing chefs—in very well-equipped hotel kitchens!
A tip on how to elevate a regular home-cooked meal to haute cuisine status:
Even the smallest detail is important to raise a basic dish to an emotional one. In my opinion, the role of a chef is to create emotions, but also to never forget that the right ingredients, are the base of all good cooking.
I believe that the role of a Chef is to be able to adapt to the seasons. At Masa, the menus change every week so we don’t miss anything that nature can offer us. We don’t even have a written menu; the guest selects the number of dishes that he wants and we cook according to our inspiration.
I like to play with oppositions, finding the right balance of tastes to delight the taste buds and stimulate the palate. My cuisine is innovative, I am always looking for new flavors and new sensations. Nothing is worse than being bored while eating.