Recipes fo making Joël Robuchon’s Classic Dishes with Executive Chef Christophe Bellanca of L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon as part of the New York Culinary Experience hosted by New York magazine and The International Culinary Center.
I had the opportunity to meet Chef Joël Robuchon during a multi-chef gala awards dinner at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin, Germany in 2005, and was of course, amazed by his culinary genius of simple, yet elegant, exquisite food. Since that time, I have nodded in appreciation each time that I read about one of Chef Joël Robuchon’s many culinary successes, when he wrote another cookbook, received another award, or added yet another Michelin star to his impressive credentials. At last count, he has garnered 27 Michelin stars, the only chef to hold this worldwide record, and has opened restaurants around the world in Paris, London, Monaco, New York, Las Vegas, Tokyo, Nagoya, Macao, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Singapore.
On April 29, 2012, I had the opportunity to experience his culinary focus up-close through a class, entitled "Joël Robuchon – 3 Classic Dishes," taught by his Executive Chef Christophe Bellanca and his Pastry Chef Salvatore Martone of his two-star Michelin restaurant, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon located in the Four Seasons Hotel in New York.
Chef Christophe Bellanca and Debra Argen
During the 2 hours and 15 minute class, part of the two-day New York Culinary Experience hosted by New York magazine and The International Culinary Center, I learned to make La Coriandre en fin velouté glace (Chilled Coriander Soup), La Langoustine dans une papillote croustillante au basilica (Crispy Langoustine Papillote with Basil Pesto), and Mango-Mango onctuosité à la mangue et au coulis exotique (Mango Mousse and Exotic Mango Coulis).
Through Executive Chef Christophe Bellanca I had the opportunity to get to know not only the impressive culinary style of Chef Joël Robuchon where the focus is on simple, very delicious food, that is beautifully presented, I also had the opportunity to get to know a little about Chef Christophe Bellanca.
He honed his culinary career working in his native France at two and three star Michelin restaurants before coming to United States in 2004. In 2005 he was named, "Best New Chef" while working as the Executive Chef at L’Orangerie in Los Angeles. He has also worked at Le Cirque as the Executive Chef, and joined L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in January 2012. When not working at the restaurant, this charming Frenchman with the so very sexy accent likes to ride his Harley-Davidson.
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon graciously shares the recipes for La Coriandre en fin velouté glace (Chilled Coriander Soup), and La Langoustine dans une papillote croustillante au basilica (Crispy Langoustine Papillote with Basil Pesto).
Please read the Chefs’ Recipes section for an interview with Pastry Chef Salvatore Martone of L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and the recipe for the restaurant’s signature dessert, Mango-Mango onctuosité à la mangue et au coulis exotique (Mango Mousse and Exotic Mango Coulis).
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Menu
La Coriandre en fin velouté glace
(Chilled Coriander Soup)
La Langoustine dans une papillote croustillante au basilica
(Crispy Langoustine Papillote with Basil Pesto)
Mango-Mango onctuosité à la mangue et au coulis exotique
(Mango Mousse and Exotic Mango Coulis)
La Coriandre en fin velouté glace (Chilled Coriander Soup)
Chef Christophe Bellanca of L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon at the Four Seasons in New York describes Chef Joël Robuchon’s culinary genius as "focusing on very easy, very delicious food."
We made this delicious chilled soup in class, which only requires 15 minutes of preparation and cooking, yet the presentation, delivery, and taste were amazing.
Ingredients:
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300
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Grams (10.58 ounces)
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Cream Cheese
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300
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Grams (10.58 ounces)
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Cold Chicken Stock
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30
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Grams (1 ounce)
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Fresh Coriander Leaves
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Squeeze of Fresh Lemon Juice
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Espelette Pepper
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Method: Add cream cheese and stock to a blender, and blend until smooth for 1 minute 30 seconds. Add the coriander leaves and blend until smooth for 1 minute 30 seconds. Chill the soup.
Presentation Ingredients:
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1
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Small, narrow
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Baguette, sliced
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1
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Avocado
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1
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Red, Green, Yellow Pepper, finely diced
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Micro Cilantro Leaves
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Soup Presentation: Place a small bowl on a larger plate, set aside.
Cut a small, narrow baguette into slices. Toast with olive oil. Set aside.
Quarter an avocado lengthwise, peel the skin, and then dice. Place the avocado into a bowl add salt, espelette pepper (a red pepper powder also known as Piment d’Espelette), a squeeze of lemon juice, and mash with a fork (like gazpacho). Top the toasted baguette with the mashed avocado, sprinkle with the diced peppers, and garnish with a micro cilantro leaf, and place on the plate next to the bowl.
Pour soup into bowl, sprinkle a little espelette pepper on it, add a tiny squeeze of lemon juice, and add a light drizzle of olive oil.
La Langoustine dans une papillote croustillante au basilica
(Crispy Langoustine Papillote with Basil Pesto)
I first tasted Chef Joël Robuchon langoustine creation at the dinner in Berlin, and fell in love with the crispy texture of the brik and the succulent langoustines enhanced with basil pesto. I was delighted to learn how to make this very easy, yet elegant, and extremely tasty, statement signature recipe.
Note: Brik is a type of paper-thin pastry. You can either make brik or purchase ready-made frozen brik pastry sheets, known as Feuilles de Brique, or Brick. At the restaurant, they use Scottish langoustines.
Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
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4
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Langoustines
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Espelette Pepper, Salt, Black Pepper
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2
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Quarts (1.89 liters)
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Vegetable Oil for Frying
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3
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Sheets
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Brik Pastry Sheets
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4
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Leaves
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Basil, washed and stemmed
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Preparation of the Langoustines: Wash the langoustines and remove the shells from the tails. Remove the entrails with the tip of the knife. Lightly season the langoustine tails with salt and pepper on both sides, and the top of the tail with a little espelette pepper.
Place the langoustines on a paper towel on the counter to dry. Place the basil leaves on a paper towel on the counter to dry. Place 1 basil leaf on top of each langoustine tail in the middle.
Basil Pesto Ingredients:
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1
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Bunch
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Basil, washed and stemmed
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400
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Grams (14.11 ounces)
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Olive Oil
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15
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Grams (0.53 ounce)
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Garlic, slivered
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3
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Pinches
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Salt
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1
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Pinch
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Black Pepper
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Method for the Basil Pesto: Blanch the basil in a large pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Cook until the basil is tender. Drain, and place in a strainer in an ice water bath to fix the color. Remove basil from the ice water, and squeeze the basil to remove the water.
Add the basil and the slivers of garlic to a blender and puree. Add ice and puree to fix the color. Add a little more ice and blend, followed by blending in the olive oil. Pass the pesto through a tamis (a flat sieve) for a smooth consistency.
Chef Bellanca Working Pesto Through Tamis
Finishing the Langoustines: Cut the (round) brik into quarters. Place the brik shiny side up on your work surface. Place 1 langoustine at the edge of the widest part of the brik and roll up. The basil leaf should be facing up through the pastry. Insert a toothpick through the center to hold it together.
Line a baking tray or plate with paper towels, set aside.
Heat the oil for 4 minutes (350° F/180° C). Fry the langoustines for 30 seconds, and then turn and fry the opposite side for 10 seconds (or more) until the brik is golden brown. Remove the langoustines and place on the paper towels.
Plating: Place a dot of basil pesto on the side of each of the presentation plates. Place one langoustine angled on a toothpick in the center of each the plates and serve while hot.
Please read the Chefs’ Recipes section for an interview with Pastry Chef Salvatore of L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and the recipe for the restaurant’s signature dessert, Mango-Mango onctuosité à la mangue et au coulis exotique (Mango Mousse and Exotic Mango Coulis).
Read about the New York Culinary Experience and the classes we attended in the Gastronomy section, and interviews and recipes from the classes in the Chefs’ Recipes section.
Visit Luxury Experience’s Facebook page to listen to interviews with the chefs and see more photos from the event. www.Facebook.com/LuxuryExperience
To attend the New York Culinary Experience 2013, please visit the New York magazine website: www.NYmag.com/nyce.
Regarding taking classes throughout the year with the excellent chef instructors at The International Culinary Center at their New York, California, or Italian Campuses, please visit the website: www.InternationalCulinaryCenter.com.
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The International Culinary Center of California
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© May 2012. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com. All rights reserved.
