PARIS, Aug 12 ― As various tunes vie for the title of song of the summer, we go into the kitchens of some of France's top food personalities to find out how music inspires their culinary creations. What are the musical ingredients that inspire them? Yannick Alléno, who recently opened a sushi counter at his three-star restaurant Pavillon Ledoyen in Paris and is opening a new spot this month on Paris's left bank featuring a contemporary eatery, wine cellar and art gallery, reveals his musical influences, from Deep Purple to Steven Tyler.
Relaxnews: What song or artist gives you an energy boost in the kitchen?
Yannick Alléno: Deep Purple
What track do you like to listen to while cooking at home on a Sunday?
Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple.
What is your most rock 'n' roll dish or dessert?
The Frangipane Tart with Artichokes, Vin Jaune Reduction, Comté grated at the table. It's a dish that we served this past season at Le 1947 at Cheval Blanc Courchevel. Between the stuffed frangipane, the vin jaune and the confit artichokes, it's an explosive combination!
In your opinion, what's your biggest culinary hit?
Chicken in a bottle. I created this recipe in homage to my grandmother Aniel Zélie. In the Lozère district all the roads are cut off in winter so she does a lot of preparation in the summer... my grandparents were people of modest means, and because my grandad liked wine, my grandmother decided to recycle the wine bottles to use for her preserves. She'd kill the chicken, take off the skin, then line the sides of the bottles with knitting needles and fill them with pieces of chicken and stuffing, like a galantine, then seal the cork before cooking. I loved it! Of course we added foie gras and truffle to make it a three-star dish but the concept was there. To serve, like her, we would cut out the base with a glass-cutting wheel to take out the contents.
What ingredient would you feature in your cooking as a guest star to create a new recipe around?
Celery, I love it, I put it in everything! Isn't celery very rock 'n' roll?
Is there an artist who came to your restaurant and made a lasting impression?
Tadashi Kawamata, the contemporary artist who made a large artwork for L'Abysse, our new sushi restaurant in the Pavillon Ledoyen in Paris. It's unbelievable!
Is there an artist that you would like to cook for or do a duet with?
Steven Tyler from Aerosmith.
What music do you have on repeat at the moment?
Dream On, fittingly. ― AFP-Relaxnews
