For 3 days, 240 international chefs invited by Alain Ducasse gathered in celebrating 25 years of culinary creation at the Louis XV For the very first time, these talents of today and tomorrow, representing 300 stars and 25 countries, some chefs representing the “Ducasse Generation” united around their shared passion of gastronomy. The highlight of the event, the creation of an ephemeral Mediterranean market place in the Salle des étoiles of the Monte-Carlo Sporting where 100 products hailing form the Italian and French Rivieras were presented to the attending chefs.
Fourteen amongst them, including Fulvio PIERANGELINI (Italy), David CHANG and Daniel PATTERSON (United States), Hiroyuki KANDA (Japan), Maroun CHEDID (Lebanon),Andoni Luis ADURIZ (Spain), Paul PAIRET, Zhenxiang DONG (China), Tom KITCHIN(Scotland), Diego Munoz VELASQUEZ (Perou), Christophe MICHALAK, Pierre HERME, Christophe DEVOILLE, Nicolas BERGER (France) took part in “live cooking” exhibits, using some of the presented produce. At the culminating point of this international event, a gala diner was held at the Hotel de Paris in the Salle Empire and the Louis XV, executed by Alain Ducasse, Franck Cerutti and Dominique Lory.
THE MENU OF THE GALA DINNER
Raw vegetables from our farmers, local condiment, fine pastry with vegetable imprints. San Remo Gamberoni, delicate aspic, caviar followed, then Haute-Provence small spelt, spiny artichoke, tartufi di Alba, Locally caught fish in a fine broth, essence of the sea and Feathered game and local chard torte, truffled salad, salmis sauce.
To finish sweetly, Apple and quince cookpot, Rocagel milk ice cream, Conversation, limoncello bonbons, praline chocolate bar and hazelnut shortbread. Cristal Mountain coffee from Cuba.
Pairing: Dom Pérignon Vintage Rosé 1995, Magnum ; Dom Pérignon Oenothèque Vintage 1993, Magnum ; « Y » 2009, Bordeaux Blanc ; Château Cheval Blanc 2004, Saint-Emilion, Premier grand cru classé A, Magnum ; Château d’Yquem 1988, Sauternes, Premier cru supérieur ; Hennessy Paradis Impérial, Rare Cognac.
René Redzepi told me: “Beside the amazing party, beside the amazing wonderful chefs, beside the friendship, the most important thing for me was Ducasse’s message: “from nature to the kitchen, we must respect the original taste of each product because the cook is the first defender of nature, his choices engage him as much as a chef, as citizen. And thus, public interest for what we eat is reassuring as it leads us to think of the future of our planet” I am totally stunned to hear this, it is wonderful, I am so happy”.
Maria Canabal
Posted by Maria Canabal, a food, travel and lifestyle journalist who lives in Paris, Madrid and Copenhagen. Columnist at Monocle and contributor to Apicius, Gourmet and Gastronomad, she lived and worked in Europe, America, Asia and Africa. Since 2010, Maria Canabal is member of the jury for the tittle of BEST SOMMELIER of SPAIN and earned the Literature Award “St. John” in 2011.
Follow her on twitter
