The Cook and the Chef

French Connection (4x6)

Air date: Mar 18, 2009

If you fancy some fine French fare then join Maggie and Simon tonight as they reveal the significant contribution the French have made to the kitchen while tempting us with classics such as Bouillabaisse and Duck Liver Parfait. In the 60’s a French food experience was likely to be "haute cuisine" in the fine dining hotels of Australia featuring dishes like Crème Caramel and Duck a l'orange. Then, along with a boom in restaurant trade in the 70's Australia embraced the more simple and regional flavours of French Nouvelle. French chef Jean Francois Gavanon notes that today French cuisine is "nowhere and everywhere". It's "nowhere" in the sense that French dishes, especially the classics, do not feature strongly in Australian cuisine and "everywhere" in the sense that through codification of cooking methods and techniques the French have had a huge influence on restaurant and home cooking. Maggie and Simon start the program by treating us to a couple of classics. Maggie's Bouillabaisse is from the region of Provence. With clean, fresh flavours of tomato, pepper, bay leaf and orange the Bouillabaisse broth is the perfect background for the delicate mussels, cockles and lightly cooked fish that feature in this sumptuous dish. This is certainly one of the classics that is not too fiddly and is well worth any effort. Simon's Duck Liver Parfait is a fantastic choice for people who may find Pate a bit too strong. The Parfait is finely textured, creamy and light on the palate with a delicate fortified wine note and little aftertaste. The French are famous for their delicious desserts and pastries and Maggie and Simon present us with a couple of impressive choices. Simon's Vanilla Cream and Berry tart is inspired by his TAFE training days where the influence of French technique dominated. The tart cases are a lovely short pastry and are filled with a delicate vanilla custard and whipped cream combo that is topped with a mixture of fresh berries. The combination of