A masterclass with Michel Rostang
Chef Michel Rostang’s story started in August 1978 when he decided to open his first restaurant Michel Rostang in Paris. The restaurant has since won its first Michelin-star in 1979 and the second in 1980.
Born into a family of culinary professionals since five generations ago, Chef Rostang found his way into an apprenticeship to Ecole Hôtelière in Nice, Paris and joined the family restaurant. Chef Rostang prides his cooking in the seamless marriage between authenticity and innovative cooking methods of French cuisine. His signature dishes include Saint Pierre fillet with lace of potatoes, grilled prawns with rosemary and rich bitter chocolate tart with coffee fudge and chocolate sorbet.
Chef Rostang is the first Parisian chef to open an annex, Bistrot d’à Côté le Flaubert, in 1987, following a success of his flagship restaurant. Chef Rostang now runs seven establishments including Rostang, The French Brasserie at Atlantis The Palm in Dubai.
30g salted butter
4 pigeon breasts (about 30g
each), pan-seared
120g bacon, finely chopped
240g green peas, blanched
60g pearl onions, peeled
160g frisée salad
30ml vinaigrette
Tuile
40g rice flour
40g flour
60ml still water
30ml sparkling water
100ml vegetable oil
A La Francaise Jus
30ml Mouries olive oil, divided
50g Lautrec garlic cloves, peeled
40g shallots, peeled
200g pigeon bones
70ml white wine
100ml chicken jus
20g butter
For the à la Francaise jus:
Heat 5ml olive oil in a stockpot and sauté the garlic and
shallots until fragrant, for about 3 minutes. Add in the pigeon bones and sauté until browned, for about 7 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and add in the chicken jus and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about an hour. Strain the jus into a mixing bowl and add in the remaining olive oil and butter and whisk until emulsified.
For the tuile:
Place the rice flour and flour into a mixing bowl and gradually add in 60ml still water and 30ml sparkling water and whisk until batter is smooth. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan to 160°C. Add in a spoonful of batter and deep-fry the batter until browned and crispy, for about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove deep-fried tuile and drain on absorbent paper towels.
Heat the butter in a sauté pan and roast the pan-seared pigeon breasts, chopped bacon, blanched green peas and pearl onions for about 7 minutes.
Place the roasted pigeon breast mixture onto the centre of each serving plate. Dress the frisée salad with the vinaigrette and arrange at the side of the roasted pigeon breast.
Garnish with the tuile and drizzle over the à la Francaise jus.
Serves 4