The very French Raymond Blanc
Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets, on Food Television, is a delightful demonstration of why the French are revered for their gastronomy.
Review: Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets
Raymond Blanc is quite thoroughly French. He is extravagantly French. So French that, amongst his near unintelligible banter about the wonders of chicory and other obscure forms of greenery, we helpless viewers, yearning for culture, cannot help but watch for further gratification.
But perhaps the true pleasure in watching the Michelin-starred chef is the raw enthusiasm for food that has seen the likes of Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson soar to fame. No, no, it’s definitely the French thing. The enthusiasm is a given in the realm of food.
Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets, which screens on Food Television at 9pm Monday, is nothing less than a delightful demonstration of all the reasons why the French are revered for their superior gastronomy. The show centres on the award-winning chef as he divulges some of the recipes he has perfected for his restaurant. Raymond swans through his kitchen and the properties of various acquaintances, the entire time exhibiting his relentless infatuation with vegetables and all things fresh in an endearing yet cheeky manner.
The recipes are something to behold. Ranging in difficulty from ‘this may be achievable’ to ‘let’s not kid ourselves’, Raymond gives insight into some of the many dishes he has created, with his inspiration sourced from cultures all around the world. One recipe that was intriguing and, more importantly, realistic was his classic Pistou Soup – courtesy of the fondly named Maman Blanc. Upon recreating this vegetable menagerie of a soup, it became apparent there are two conclusions that can be drawn about Raymond’s cooking: If you like vegetables, Raymond Blanc’s food creates a pleasure within that only seems comparable to the type of bliss Patsy Stone must feel with a bottle of Schnapps in one hand and a fag in the other. If on the other hand you do not like vegetables, Blanc’s recipes and entire show will be so far from your cup of tea, it might as well be coffee. Blanc will not allow a vegetable to go unappreciated. When he was provided with micro herbs, he looked as if he was about to weep. “I almost want to cry. It’s a micro world of micro herbs.”
This being said, it really fails to matter when you consider the most important and by far the most appealing part of the show – he is oh so very French.
