Fri, 09 Jun 2000

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