{"id":30,"date":"2017-01-21T16:46:00","date_gmt":"2017-01-21T16:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gastromondiale.com\/2017-1-21-pierre-gagnaire-paris\/"},"modified":"2024-03-02T20:31:43","modified_gmt":"2024-03-02T20:31:43","slug":"2017-1-21-pierre-gagnaire-paris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gastromondiale.com\/2017-1-21-pierre-gagnaire-paris\/","title":{"rendered":"Pierre Gagnaire, Paris"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A Pierre Gagnaire<\/strong> dish might be extremely cerebral at its initial conception and dangerously experimental during its development. Such a process may strike one as cunningly relying on accidental discoveries. One may also be tempted to qualify this practice as tainted by a self-absorbed, self approbating ego who presumes the fatality of circumstances will often bring about flavors he is entitled to, feeling certain that when that doesn\u2019t happen his clientele should still be more than content to be able to take part in \u201chis\u201d adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One would not have been far off but only if all ended there. It does not. The essential creative act in Gagnaire\u2019s case undoubtedly operates at a higher level. It is almost palpable how he is guided by intuitions. Gagnaire\u2019s decisions are not necessarily rational but deeply personal. They are forceful but contained. Impulsive but focused. Passionate yet contemplative, even introverted at times. Vulnerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When such artistic qualities are matched with a kitchen of extraordinary precision and techniques of great refinement the results are brilliant even if they are not always absolutely perfect. Sometimes the balance between the generosity and peripatetic proliferation of small plates may be quite off. Other times a compulsive rethinking of a dish that might have reached a very high level in a past season may make you wistful if not rather upset. Or, more sadly, some significant chemistry might be amiss when the Chef himself is not in the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leaving aside the case where he might be physically absent, Gagnaire does not seem to mind a few imperfections in an attitude similar to that of the beloved Turkish poet Ece Ayhan<\/strong> who found unacceptable to make a small correction to a blatant error in a poem because it would be \u201ca shame to disturb the beauty, once alive\u201d or that of the great Vladimir Horowitz<\/strong> who did not mind engraving a few wrong notes for eternity even in his studio recordings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I must tell you I take terrible risks. Because my playing is very clear, when I make a mistake you hear it. If you want me to play only the notes without any specific dynamics, I will never make one mistake. Never be afraid to dare.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A key to success with such poetic license is the ability to sense when it is time to stop experimenting, what needs to be cast off, what must be retained, when to destruct any impure growth and how to rebuild from scraps chasing an obscure ideal. Gagnaire is remarkably incisive in such manipulation of abstract spirit into discernible harmony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Off the record, at these levels of virtuosity it is not very far fetched to expect a couple of miraculous flavors to spring into existence out of thin air either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are of course times when most of the stars align and others when disappointments may occur. Luckily for us, the dinner described below registered with the former. I believe we also helped it to some extent by passing over the tasting menu and choosing \u00e0 la carte instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I find leaning for this option very natural, quite irresistible:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once the suffocating, cavernous entrance of the restaurant, that reminds one of the anguish of rites of passage, is left behind, you are taken in this sensual and slightly jazzy, softly lit dining room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The entire space is run very pleasantly, thanks to a courteous, good-humored and superlative service that will not lose its stamina the entire evening. However it may be worthwhile noting that the mastery and the coherence which is manifest at once now may suffer at other times from a remarkable amount of churn in dining room staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But since we are, at present, surrounded by an aura that also suggests intensity, what better way to experience its depth than by indulging in the slower pace and increased complexity the \u00e0 la carte alternative promises?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This option has the added benefit of showcasing the corrig\u00e9e<\/em> by Gagnaire version of the 19th century classical Service \u00e0 la Fran\u00e7aise<\/em> where multiple less prominent dishes are served simultaneously around a centerpiece. (Gagnaire follows this method more closely at the \u201cPremier Service\u201d<\/em> and tends to migrate next towards the Service \u00e0 la Russe<\/em>, before reverting back to a more egalitarian variant of the \u00e0 la Fran\u00e7aise<\/em> approach at the \u201cTroisi\u00e8me Service\u201d<\/em> with the Grand Dessert).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite one small disaster, one irritating gaffe and one unexplainable lapse, our selection will prove rewarding. We will assist, during this dinner, to a display of a very mature cuisine delivering breathtaking moments crowned with so noble a demonstration of restraint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here it begins. On the teaser plate of welcome, the first bite of the evening reveals itself as the astonishing harbinger of such wealth: An unforgettable and amazingly perfect Pomme Dauphine!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amuses-Bouche:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exactly that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A playful act of awakening for isolated sense of oral touch where similar forms are separated from each other with varying degrees of textural likeness. They start standing far away from each other and then get closer and closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A whole-wheat spaghettini (?)<\/em>, used as a skewer, and some tender but amorphous pasta-paste is where the distance between the textures is at its extreme. (The \u201cskewer\u201d is not to be eaten but I went ahead and crunched a small bite for the fun of it once I noticed what game I was participating in.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The separation between the textural levels shrinks considerably by the next variation on the theme but it still remains unmistakably distinct: Two tuiles<\/em>, one of watercress base and the other of light Parmesan. The first one is incredibly thin. It has a most pleasant and smooth texture that does not feel grainier than a fresh petal of rose on the tongue. So feminine. In contrast to its companion, the Parmesan tuile<\/em>, which would be considered exceedingly delicate in almost any other context, is not perceived that way here. It is felt as being much more rugged in the mouth, much coarser against the teeth. Definitely masculine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then a series of small marbles, all the same size and very look alike, except that ones are brown and the others darker brown, ones are matte the others shinier, awaiting their turn. The ones that looked like caramelized hazelnuts are crunchy and brittle; the others that turn out to be made of a p\u00e2te sabl\u00e9e<\/em> are naturally crumbly and friable. The distance is diminishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the spectrum, the amplitude of the texture wave is really flattened. One of the actors in this final phase is a nibble of gently roasted (or poached) and peeled sweet red pepper. It is soft and silky yet somewhat fleshy. The lardo di Collonata<\/em> that wraps it around tightly is a tiny step closer to a buttery consistence, slightly more slippery and marginally more apt to fade away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The flavor aspect in all this is quite subdued, even suppressed, due to a tight control of odors. Only small-scale bursts are allowed via the Parmesan, caramel and lardo di Collonata.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Champagne Delamotte Blanc de Blanc<\/strong> is appropriate with such musings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hors d\u2019Oeuvres:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this set of small servings, the aromatic dimension emerges. Using a primitive palette of scents, a wide geography from Europe to Far East is brushed over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An unsweetened, entremet<\/em>-like, milky gel\u00e9e<\/em> is juxtaposed to sweet potato pur\u00e9e<\/em>. Together, they act as a neutral serving platform for two fresh almonds erupting with flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A light confit of young, macerated onion is fragrant with South Asian spices and served with a thin slice of rather crisp Japanese turnip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then a truly delicious dish: Minuscule mussels with their delicate iodine flavor are placed on a titillating red beet vinaigrette and associated with smoked duck that adds a very subtle aroma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These smallest and most tender mussels are so tasty it is devastating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I feel uneasy as if I was committing an immoral act. This feeling is similar to what one goes through eating the flavor-packed teeny girolles<\/em> Jean Fran\u00e7ois Pi\u00e8ge<\/strong> offers early summer with his \u201cCasse-cro\u00fbte de homard bleu \u00e0 l\u2019amarante et au citron confit<\/em>\u201d. Or yet, it is akin to what one endures when tasting angulas for the fist time at a hidden gem on a lost, side street in Madrid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A side note: Knowing that Gagnaire, who is revered at L’Astrance<\/strong>, cites Pascal Barbot<\/strong> first among the best younger generation Chefs in France, one may wonder if there would not be a clin d\u2019oeil<\/em> in this dish to the Barbot preparation that combines oysters, beet mousse and oxtail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next to this scene-stealer sit some hummus alongside a watermelon sorbet with a layover perfume of tarragon. As the red color brightens from the previous dish to this one, the fruity aspect concealed in vinaigrette becomes obvious in the sorbet that acts both as a palate cleanser, and as an attenuating agent for the hummus. Otherwise, not only the hummus\/tarragon combination would not have had any chance of being appreciated, but also the strong sensation created by the mussels would have been irreparably offended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tarragon is the fragrance link between this dish and the seaweed consomm\u00e9e<\/em> poured over, and enhanced with, other herbs. The flavors are sweetened at two different layers: by anise in a more abstract, conceptual manner and by a brunoise of peaches and apples at a rather immediate sensory level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With regards to the links and references, a secondary pattern in this presentation is the gradual softening of the bite from the almonds, to the turnip, the onion, the mussels, the hummus, the sorbet and the consomm\u00e9e. This progression creates a mental bridge to the amuses-bouche<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A last remark about the suggested order of the tasting that places the consomm\u00e9e<\/em> at the end: Of course, by the time we get there it is not warm enough to be enjoyed properly. But it is significant to observe that the consomm\u00e9e makes its intense and well-balanced aromatic impact on the table all along the tasting in diminuendo. I would consider this not only an acceptable compromise, but also an interesting idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Citrons de Saison \u2013 Huile d\u2019Olive d\u2019Origine \u2013 Miel d\u2019Arbousier:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our first course is labeled by this wonderfully dreamy title that refers to the essential seasoning elements common to the principle lobster plate as well as the various crab dishes and condiments that surround it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lemons are from Menton and Corsica. Olive oils are hailing from a larger variety of origins. They are Catalan, Ligurian, Proven\u00e7al, Tuscan, Puglian\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The centerpiece of this course is a cold preparation of macerated blue lobster salad, mixed with thin slices of artichoke and cauliflower. They are also laced with slivers of cr\u00eape de Sarazin<\/em>. The generous plate, with young strands of chive scattered over, comes to life glistening as the delectable Dauro de l\u2019Emporda<\/strong> olive oil is drizzled over at the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The lobster is firm but not rubbery. It yields a very satisfactory bite. The balance and interplay between the lobster, the vegetables and the starch is beyond belief. The seasoning has a tremendous impact in this alchemy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dauro de l\u2019Emporda is a complex, multi-dimensional oil that can greatly enhance vegetables and this is exactly what happens, especially with the artichokes. It also has an aspect that reminds of the crust of a rustic farm-bread. That dimension of the oil is in a grounding accord with the cr\u00eape<\/em>. One additional characteristic of this oil is its elegant bitter finish that lingers on the palate quite a moment. This bitter note, which is much more subtle, for instance, than that of the well-known Tuscan variety, relates to the analogous characteristic of the Miel d\u2019Arbousier<\/strong>, the much prized opaque honey of strawberry tree blossoms from the Mediterranean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That honey, in turn, is what marries the oil to the Menton lemon. These lemons are another produce France is proud of. They are very fragrant and their acidity is softer, their tartness milder, but not to the extent that they almost turn into a different species as would be the case with hybrids such as Meyer lemons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Permeated with tender juices of these lemons, further softened and enhanced with additional depth by the honey, the artichoke and cauliflower slices become malleable, however they keep their vivacious snap. Joy upon joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our bottle of Les Chaill\u00e9es de l\u2019Enfer 2004 <\/strong>from George Vernay<\/strong> is both melodiously adorable on its own and in consonance with the multiple nuances of the lobster salad. It also works more than acceptably with the smaller dishes scattered around the main plate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A thin press\u00e9e of tourteau<\/em> has enough staying power as to be able to handle an \u201cunsweet\u201d cr\u00e8me chibouste<\/em>, a light olive oil, a good amount of powdered green curry and chives. Not revelatory, but likeable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A crab bisque<\/em>, full of flavor and poise, is served with a lemon puree beautifully augmented by bergamot. That would be the only warm dish in this service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A spiced olive oil is offered as a condiment and enjoyable as a dip for the bread every now and then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n