Photo credit: Courtesy of French Embassy
The best restaurant in Washington, DC is at the residence of The Ambassador of France Gérard Araud. So says he, so say we….and so says the rest of the world who simultaneously celebrated GOÛT DE FRANCE, LE 21 MARS 2017 – a dinner to celebrate gastronomy worldwide. In 150 countries around the world, restaurants and embassies offered 1500 dinners to celebrate France’s gastronomy by inviting the public to share a “French dinner.” In each participating restaurant, the event paid tribute to a vibrant, open and innovative cuisine, while remaining true to its values of sharing, pleasure, respect for good food and for the planet. The Goût de France/Good France project was organized on the initiative of Alain Ducasse and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development.
Guests at the Gauguin table
In the words of the great French Chef Alain Ducasse: “French cuisine is the interpreter of a cuisine that has evolved towards lightness in harmony with its environment. The common point of this event is generosity, sharing and the love of what is beautiful and tastes good. It will be a delightful interlude and an opportunity to celebrate French cuisine worldwide.”
Hollywood on the Potomac dined with Cézanne and David McIntyre, the wine expert at The Washington Post who explained the pairings. First up: Foie Gras Mi-Cuit paired with Bourgogne Rouge, Nicolas Rossignol, 2014. “It’ll be interesting to try it, actually, because foie gras with its fat can be kind of challenging. Traditionally it is paired with a sweet white or a sparkling white, so to try it with a nice red burgundy like this will be probably fine,” said McIntyre. The pairing is supposed to cut the heaviness of the paté.
Fois Gras
In between courses, we talked about his background. “I learned mostly by drinking more than most people do, to be honest,” McIntyre joked. “Paying attention to it, I fell in love with wine about twenty years ago – actually almost thirty years ago now – and working as a journalist at the time, so writing about it was a way to learn about it. It’s been a lot of fun, a good adventure, and it never gets boring because there are so many wonderful wines out there, so many wonderful people who produce them and sell them. So many wonderful places to visit, it’s always an adventure.”
Next up: Filet de Veau façon Wellington, Sauce aux Morilles & Chartreuse d’Asperges paired with Saint Emilion, Chateau Beau Vallon, 2013. “So it’s a Bordeaux St. Emilion which is like a Merlot and a Cabernet probably in some proportion. It’s very nice. 2013 is not a particularly outstanding vintage which means it’s really nice to drink right now. It drinks young so it should be very nice with the meal. Although I don’t know this particular producer, I’ve been to St. Emilion and I enjoy Bordeaux a lot, so I know that St. Emilion is mostly Merlot and Cab Franc.” So what is this wine supposed to do for the filet? “Well I think it’s a little bit different. The tannin in the wine will moderate the fat in the meat and I guess the pastry. It says it’s a Wellington so we’re gonna have puff pastry too. It should also just complement it’s earthy flavors and be a nice pairing.”
Filet de Veau façon Wellington
Okay, now we’re doing cheese. So, what were we drinking with the cheese – Cantal, Roquefort & Rocamadour? Larzac, Domaine de Pas de l’Esalette, 2011. “This wine is from southern France near the Mediterranean,” David explained, “the Languedoc region and it’s from the Domaine du Pas de l’Escalette which is a husband-wife team that is doing very interesting wines. Languedoc is like California Central Valley. It’s known for its jug wines. It’s relatively inexpensive. It’s not as famous as Burgundy or Bordeaux, so it would be like if you went to California and you couldn’t afford land in Napa, you’d look someplace else and look for a really good site and make a quality wine. And that’s what they’re doing. I think this wine is fantastic and it pairs well with the cheeses. I think especially with the Pantelle, so just the perfect meld of that semi-soft, slightly pungent, funky cheese. It actually goes very well with the goat cheese too. The Roquefort, of course, is very sharp and a blue cheese, maybe a little more difficult pairing, but I think the wine actually handles it pretty well.”
Understandably, we skipped dessert. But, in case you’re still hungry, here it is: Parfait au Chocolat Blanc & Yusu, Sorbet Passion au Pineau des Charentes, Domaine du Feynard paired with Cadillac, Chateau Les Grandes Terres, 2013. Oh, and of course the Cognac Courvoisier VSOP!
Chef Michel Bastid and his team took a well deserved bow. Born in Narbonne, in the Languedoc-Roussillon-Midi-Pyrénées region, Chef Bastid was nurtured and shaped by the warmth and friendliness of sunny southern France, where meals with family and friends are respites of shared joy. Drawn to the hospitality and culinary industries at an early age, at 17, he studied under the great Michelin two-star chef Michel Portos. Next, he advanced his career serving as Chef de Partie under Michelin three-star chef Régis Marcon, for almost three years. Chef Bastid continued his auspicious culinary education serving as sous-chef to veteran Michelin three-star chef Michel Troisgros (whose name is synonymous with gourmet cuisine) for four years. Before coming to Washington, D.C. Chef Bastid rejoined Chef Marcon at his famed Bistrot La Coulemelle where, as Chef de Cuisine, he won the prestigious 2016 Gault & Millau Young Talent award. Like his mentor Chef Troisgros, Chef Bastid’s culinary style is light and delicate, revering the integrity of premium ingredients and the basics of classic French cooking. At this superb epicurean exposition, Chef Bastid reached beyond the culinary clouds and captured rapturous morceaux du paradis ~ morsels of paradise.
Kudos to Chef Michel Bastid and his culinary team!
Ambassador Araud introduced himself as “your waiter” for the night and thanked the magnificent sponsors who updated my kitchenware – Straub and Mauviel 1830.
Ambassador Araud with friend, Emily Heil, Roland Flamini Photo credit: Janet Donovan
So what does food writer David Hagedorn like best about French cuisine: “Butter. Truffles. Foie Gras. Puff pastry.”
Okay all you spell checkers, have at it!
