Rene Redzepi Michel Bras Sergio Herman
Noma ** Denmark Bras *** France Oud Sluis *** The Netherlands
No.1 San Pellegrino Top 50 No.56 San Pellegrino Top 100 No.19 San Pellegrino Top 50
www.noma.dk www.bras.com www.oudsluis.nl
The Flemish Primitives is an annual gastronomic event in Belgium where top chefs and their suppliers, food scientists and artists meet for inspiring seminars and presentations. Last year the theme was "machines"; fortunately this time it was "people"..... and what people! Chefs paired together by their joint passions. Alexandre Gauthier (La Grenoullière - France) and Kobe Desramaults (In de Wulf - Belgium) were first up; chefs who care about products in the earth and those moving under the sea. Their dishes literally return to their roots; cooking with all the abundance surrounding them - not only foraged herbs and vegetables but also rare breeds such as Flemish Red beef - all simply cooked without technical tricks or gadgets but ultimately creative. Amazing what someone can do with the simple potato, for instance. Local produce does not always equal great food; Wales and Ireland have some of the best products in the world... and chefs who manage to murder them.
The highlight of the show - if you measure by the number of journalists drawn like moths to a flame - was undoubtably the triumvirate of Rene Redzepi (Noma), Michel Bras (Bras) and Sergio Herman (Oud Sluis). The three - pictured above - gave world class cooking demos, this time with their own themes. Michel chose 'emotion' presented as a report of his exotic world travels. Rene reminded everyone that Bras' coulant of chocolate, created in 1984, is probably the most imitated dish ever - and the downfall of many aspiring chefs with delusions of grandeur on television cooking competitions. Sergio expounded on his new taste building blocks, inspired by modern visual arts and literature; scallops presented as a rosary, for example. From Rene, the continuing traditional - often humble, sometimes unique - Nordic ingredients that determine his seasonal creations. Reindeer moss is a staple.
Last but certainly not least, the duo Dominique Persoone (The Chocolate Factory - Belgium) and his comrade from Brazil, chef Alex Atala, played out an entertaining hommage to the rain forest. The public, with themed lunch boxes on their laps, could dig into everything from ancient cocoa to forest ants with their citric tones. Green ant ice cream is wonderful. A great ending that whets the appetite for the next Flemish Primitives.
The Flemish Primitives: www.theflemishprimitives.com
Food pairing: www.foodpairing.com
Our website: www.vanderendt-lindsey.com
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