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My two weeks at Maison Pic Stage
October 26, 2009
The day I returned from Valence and Maison Pic, I realised I was a different chef. Never before have I picked up so much in such a short space of time, Anne-Sophie Pics has a very special talent and it shows in her elegant touch and fine attention to detail. When people back in South Africa ask how my recent trip to France was, I hesitate for a second and wonder which part of my time at Maison Pic do I mention first… Is it the way the kitchen is so efficiently and professionally organised? Is it how accommodating everyone was to me? Is it the amazingly unique concepts they are attempting? Or is it the fantastic food being created? My answer to the question is always the same…my two week trip was “completely inspiring.” Anne-Sophie Pic comes from one of the most influential culinary families in France and happens to be the only woman in France -and the world - to hold 3 Michelin stars; quite an achievement for someone who barely raises her voice above a quiet chat. She runs a fantastically organised kitchen which emphasises the importance of vegetables on the menu and in one’s diet; for which she has become very well known for. She recently had a world famous dietician in giving her advice on how to cook healthily while maintaining a 3 Michelin star standard… the outcome was simple, do not mix starch and protein. During my two weeks I never saw pasta being made, never saw potatoes being peeled, rice was non-existent except in one dessert, I saw pastry once but it was with vegetables and I saw deep fried bread crumbs… but that was it! It took a little while to get used to, but later on I realised that she is very confident in what she does and that she trusts her guests to appreciate what she is doing. After this realization, I had even more admiration for her- especially since I knew I could never get away with something like that in this land of pap and potatoes! In my two weeks I learned so much… I learned loads about sous vide cooking, as they had a scientist in the kitchen for the first two days of my stay there. I also learnt quite a bit about making foams and espumas - hot and cold - in a pressurised siphon system. These 2 techniques aren’t new, they just haven’t been utilised as much by the average chef here, partly due to lack of knowledge and partly due to the financial implications, as the former technique is very pricey. I spent 3 days in their pastry kitchen with their world champion pastry chef- he won the world cup in 2005 and was awarded the highest honour a chef can achieve, Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 2007… so he was good to say the least! I took a lot from him too; including his clever use of the freezer, unique ingredient combinations and the secret of designing simple desserts which look amazing. I attended a fantastic wine tasting and was then taken to Hermitage and Crozes Hermitage by their sommelier; this experience really gave me a better understanding of the wine regions in France and particularly the Rhone Valley. The ingredients I saw were excellent, especially their many varieties of tomatoes and the abundance of speciality cheeses. The Drôme region, where Valence is the capital, is one of the richest regions for produce in France; the area is famous for its excellent black truffles, olive oils, organic vegetables, fruit and walnuts. I must say that South Africa really is not too far behind when it comes to ingredient quality, we are however behind when it comes to heirloom fruit and vegetables and other unique ingredients. All in all Anne-Sophie and her husband, David treated me like a king and I will never forget their hospitality and kindness, I only hope I get a chance to return the favour one day. Tags: chef, cuisine, maison pic, peter, stage, templehoff Spring Fever at The Greenhouse
August 31, 2009
 Chocolate fondant with rooibos pannacotta After a long cold winter, spring has sprung in The Greenhouse kitchen. Blossoms are going on the petit four plates, fresh spring cream is being churned into butter for our fantastic breads, and succulent new leaves are shooting up in our harb gardens for our salads. Anticipating the season ahead, our chef team are hard at work designing a spring/summer menu which will be launched in October- which includes lots of new plating ideas, some classic favorite flavours and some cutting edge concepts. WATCH THIS SPACE! Posted in New Menus | No Comments » Winter Warmer Menus
June 29, 2009
In July and August we are launching our winter menus, we are really excited about being able to give something back to the locals, especially in this terrrible recession. In The Greenhouse we are offering canapes, followed by a small appetizer then a choice of 3 course menus, designed to reflect the best that The Greenhouse has to offer. The Cape Malay is focusing on our diverse Malay culture , which is the perfect cuisine for the chilly winter months.  Ballottine of Duck with Marinated Beetroot, Mushroom Gastrique and Brulee Oranges Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments » A Heart Breaking Task
May 18, 2009
Miguel Chan and I are Constantia Valley’s newest oenologists, this year we have undertaken the task of producing 1 large barrel of Pinot Noir (the heart break grape), with the guiding hand of award winning wine maker Adam Mason, of Klein Constantia. We drove the fruit down from a very special secret vineyard in the mountains, hand sorted and barrel fermented the grapes in new and old wood. After a quick fermentation process we transfered it to a large second fill barrel to go through malolactic fermentation, where it will lie for about 18-20 months. Upon initial tastings of the young pinot, we are very happy with the progress our baby is making. We are aiming to produce 500 bottles of a classic style pinot noir, made with food pairing in mind. Release date and name to be anounced at a later stage, watch this space. Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments » Sand at The Plettenberg Launches New Tasting Menu
May 5, 2009
 Sand at The Plettenberg Sand at The Plettenberg has launched it’s ever popular 7 course tasting menu at the low price of R325 and R495 with wines, respectively.This winter the menu offers fantastic dishes like; glazed pork belly with prawns and tom yum broth, Karoo lamb Wellington ‘with a twist’ and frozen Gorgonzola souffle with quince compote. Any gourmand or self confessed foodie should not miss the opportunity of sampling this great winter menu. Tags: Add new tag Wilbur Smith Endorses Seafood at The Marine
World renowned historical fiction author, Wilbur Smith, has recently spoken very highly of Seafood in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph in London last week, please follow link below…
Posted in Reviews and Media | No Comments » Winter Warmers at The Marine
 Seafood at The Marine To warm the cockles of your heart during the winter months we are offering a complimentary seafood soup with every seafood platter ordered at Seafood. Enjoy our amazing menu with a some of the countries best wines from the Hemel-en-Aarde valley in Hermanus, a wide range is available by the glass. Posted in Upcoming Specials | No Comments » |
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