In this series, columnist Sibylle Eschapasse interviews some of France’s top chefs, the Maîtres Cuisiniers de France.
Name:
Guy Reuge
Hometown:
Orléans
Age:
64
Restaurants:
Mirabelle (Stony Brook, N.Y.), Sandbar (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.), Le Vin (Lake Grove, N.Y.)
Years of Experience with French Cuisine:
50
Maitre Cuisinier de France since:
1991
Sibylle Eschapasse: What does it mean to you to be a Maître Cuisinier de France, a most admired title?
Guy Reuge: To be an MCF always has been an honor and a privilege for me. To persevere in a challenging profession that I love, it’s inspiring.
Ms. Eschapasse: Why did you choose to become a chef?
Mr. Reuge: I became a chef because of my mother’s cooking and the smells of great food being cooked. I explain all about this journey in my book “A Chef’s Odyssey” (FriesenPress, 2015).
Ms. Eschapasse: If a close friend were to describe your cooking, what would they say?
Mr. Reuge: Tasty, simple, inspired.
Ms. Eschapasse: If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?
Mr. Reuge: I would have loved to have been a photo journalist—a very exciting job!
Ms. Eschapasse: Who would you consider to be your greatest culinary influence?
Mr. Reuge: Frédy Girardet and Alain Chapel.
Ms. Eschapasse: How would you define French cuisine?
Mr. Reuge: French cuisine is the mother of Western cuisine.
Ms. Eschapasse: Of France’s many regional cuisines, which do you prefer to cook and why?
Mr. Reuge: I love the region where I grew up, the Loire Valley, and more specifically La Sologne, where cooking always started as wild mushroom hunting, fishing for pike, hunting game and game birds. This region of France also provides beautiful fruits and vegetables, a concerto of amazing products that provide instant inspiration to a chef.
Ms. Eschapasse: Tell us more about the recipe you chose.
Mr. Reuge: I chose this recipe because it is easy to prepare, it is delicious, and it surprises people in a good way. I made this recipe a complete dish, as opposed to being used only as a garnish. Panisses are a treat from southeastern France. They are made with a chickpea flour batter that is deep-fried. I serve panisses as a snack, and they are one our most requested menu items.
Ms. Eschapasse: What’s your advice to people who would like to improve their cooking skills or learn to cook?
Mr. Reuge: Keep trying the same dish again and again to perfect it. Develop a feeling for seasoning and do not shy away from creativity. Understand the chemistry of cooking, and watch videos of professional cooking—these are great tools for everyone.
You can watch Guy Reuge demonstrate the full recipe on “Celebrity Taste Makers” on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 6 p.m. on Pix11.
Panisses (Chickpea Fries) with Harissa Mayonnaise
