The French way of cooking fish by Frederic Vershoore
The French way of cooking fish by Frederic Vershoore
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesians undoubtedly serve the most
delectable fish in the whole world. However it is always exciting
to try out how others prepare it.
To demonstrate the French way, guest chef, Frederic Vershoore
is in town on a 10 day visit at Shangri-La hotel's Margaux
restaurant.
Frederic brings with him not the creamy white sauces poured
over chunks of veal and lamb that many mistake for a French meal,
but a wide range of dishes from his family kitchen, half of which
include fish.
After all, he loves fish himself, whether from the cold waters
of the Atlantic Ocean or from the depths of the Mediterranean
Sea.
And to felicitate Frederic's effort to put on the table the
real thing, resident chef Helmut makes sure that fish commonly
used in French cooking, but not available here, are regularly
imported for the kitchen at Margaux.
On the other hand Ulf, the assistant manager, insists on
creating the right ambience when meals are served either in the
main area of the French restaurant or in the privacy of three
private rooms, attractive in their French Renaissance, baroque
and modern decor.
During lunch hours there is a buffet, which makes for quick,
business like eating while dinners are entertained by a piano
recital and candle lights on each table.
The atmosphere at Margaux is best on Saturday evenings when
guests are more relaxed and may indulge in a few hours of
unhurried chit-chat, many allowing themselves to hear some of the
music being played in the background.
A graduate of the CAP cuisine classique Lycee Francois
Rabelais, Lyon, Frederic promises to further fete guests with
favorite recipes inherited from his grandmother. She taught him
the art of "Cuisine du Marche" where it is mandatory for the cook
to shop in the marketplace every day for fresh herbs and
vegetables.
Frederic loves to splash his fish with greens like basil,
thyme, parsley or chives. He makes extensive use of olive oil,
tomatoes and garlic -- all pleasurable ingredients of the
traditional French diet that are said to lead to a longer and
healthier life, along with that essential glass of wine of
course.
Apart from the ready to eat gastronomic menu that offers a
seven course meal, Frederic feels that the vegetable and herb
cream soup is a must before the hot pot of scallops, shrimp and
clams topped with mushrooms and chives. As a hot appetizer it is
the pan-fried seabream fillet with eggplant confit and a sweet
coriander flavored sauce. And for those not interested in fish,
there is a choice between a braised veal chop and morsels with an
apple and green asparagus risotto, or a baked young French pigeon
with garlic cloves, air dried beef flavored polenta and glazed
turnip with chive.
To assist those who are not interested in going through the
entire four page menu, the chef suggests a light dessert of
coconut parfait with pineapple and champagne sauce. If not, then
strawberries baked in fine pastry on caramel sauce ought to
please most.
Although a specialist in traditional French food, Frederic
does some fusion meals as well, the art of which he picked up
during the year he spent traveling around the world widening his
knowledge and tasting food from diverse cultures. The result is
that all those non-purists who prefer the best of both the east
and west, Frederic has concocted the pan-fried silver cod fish
fillet with a soya flavored butter and parslied Swiss chard. And
those who are unable to do without tickling their palette at
every meal can even send for a portion of sambal (chili sauce).
When asked what he himself was eating these days, the chef
with the most angelic smile and lips like cherry replied that he
was enjoying most feeding on all the warmth and love of everyone
he has met so far during his brief stay in Jakarta.
The Food Promotion at Margaux French Restaurant ends at the
Shangri-La ends on June 15.
--Mehru Jaffer