The chef extraordinaire runs through his favourite ingredients and explains why they have the food factor
The chef extraordinaire runs through his favourite ingredients and explains why they have the food factor
Butter
French cooking wouldn’t be so good without good quality butter, I love it both salted and unsalted, my favourite is from Brittany and speckled with grains of sea salt.
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Chocolate
Chocolate but must be good quality not cheap confectionary, a small amount of plain bitter chocolate sends me into an euphoric haze of food induced pleasure.
Olive oil
The south of France eschews butter in favour of this liquid gold, and there are many different varieties for different uses. My favourites are from Nyons made from the Picholine Olive.
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Comté cheese
France is a massive cheeseboard and every corner of it had its speciality. For me the most versatile and the one that should always be on hand is Comté from the Jura region. An 18 month gets an almost nutty flavour with a crunch from salt crystals. Perfect for cooking or for feasting on after dinner “à la française”.
Anchovies
They have to be quality and from Collioure in the Languedoc Roussillon. Fat, juicy and salty they liven up a salad or vegetable stew such as a ratatouille.
And his guilty pleasure…
I always have a tub of fat juicy prunes marinating in a little brandy in the fridge. There for a quick fix of boozy sweetness or as a little night cap at the end of the day.
To find out more about the latest classes at Michel Roux Jr’s Cooking School, Cactus Kitchens, visit www.cactuskitchens.co.uk or call 020 7091 4800
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