French Master Chef Hervé Laurent

EXCEPTIONAL: Leg of Lamb With Moroccan Spices and Dry Fruits by French Master Chef Laurent. (Courtesy of Chef Herve Laurent)

During 1996, I was fortunate to meet French Master Chef Hervé Laurent, while attending a class at Le Cordon Bleu in London. I was so impressed with his teaching skills, methods, and personality, that we featured him in our first book. Since then, he has moved from London to the Paul Bocuse Institute and now owns a successful culinary school in Latin America.

Maralyn Hill: How early did you start cooking and know you wanted to keep at it?

Chef Hervé Laurent: I started cooking when I was 8 years old. My mother had to work 12 hours a day, coming back home at 7:30 p.m., very tired, and I made everything for her and my little brother.

Every day, I visited my godmother, who lived next to the house, and watched her cook wonderful traditional French cuisine like jams, sausages, stuffed chicken, and pastries. For Christmas, my aunt visited us, preparing marvelous desserts. I wanted to be a pastry chef!

Ms. Hill: Do you have a favorite type of food?

Chef Laurent: Farm vegetables, as I could not eat meat without fresh vegetables. I enjoy duck, pigeon, and lamb, and I love cooking sauces (French cuisine is famous for that) and pastries.

CHEF HERVE LAURENT: Master Chef Laurent owns the School for Culinary Arts (SCARTS) in Latin America. (Courtesy of Chef Herve Laurent)

Ms. Hill: I know you have consulted, judged, and taught worldwide. What has been one of your most challenging and rewarding memories?

Chef Laurent: The Pan American Games, with 21,000 meals a day. A few nights, we had to cook without electricity and water on the floor. We cooked with gas and grills, in the dark. It was fun!

Ms. Hill: When you followed your wife to her home in Latin America, you were still consulting for the Paul Bocuse Institute. What made you decide to open the School for Culinary Arts (SCARTS)

Chef Laurent: The need was obviously there for people to learn and improve their ability to earn a good income for a reasonable investment. I teach French techniques and apply them to local ingredients. Originally, most of my students were from Latin America. Now, they come from all over, so I teach in French, Spanish, and English.

Fortunately, I have been able to place my students in exceptional establishments worldwide, including Michelin or Relais Châteaux, as well as other fine establishments.

Chef Laurent: If you are passionate, you enjoy every day of life, even after 30 years’ experience.

Brown the meat with bone in olive oil. Season with crushed spices and rock salt. Roast the meat at 200 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Cut onion and carrots in big cubes and place under the meat. Roast meat with onion and carrots 30 minutes more.

Cut in half the head of garlic and add to the meat, along with white wine and local herbs. Roast 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is soft—add water to keep moist. Add potatoes to the meat, along with dry fruits, sun-dried tomatoes, and black olives 30 minutes before the end of cooking.

Remove the bone from the meat, cut meat in cubes, and serve using a ring, vegetables around the meat and bone to decorate.

Maralyn D. Hill, The Epicurean Explorer, is a freelance writer and president of the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association.