With over 20 restaurants around the world, and more than 30 Michelin stars collected among them, Alain Ducasse is no stranger to many a gourmand. For the 2018 MICHELIN guide Hong Kong Macau 10th year anniversary gala dinner held at the City of Dreams, chef Ducasse chose to prepare a dish close to his heart: Gamberoni with delicate jelly and a generous mound of caviar, which he created for the 25th anniversary of Le Louis XV at the Hotel de Paris in Monaco, the place where his career began.
In recalling the memorable milestones of your career, what
would you say are the most significant?
Le Louis XV at the Hôtel de Paris in Monaco was a major starting point in my career. It was there that my culinary style became deeply rooted in the traditions and products of the Riviera.
What inspired you to create this dish for the restaurant’s 25th anniversary back in 2012?
I wanted the occasion be a celebration of the Riviera itself, beyond the special event for the restaurant. Along with other local recipes and ingredients, these gamberoni are iconic of the Riviera.
How would you describe the dish’s essence?
Purity and freshness go without saying, but the most important thing is to concentrate the taste and deliver a “legible” dish – straight to the point and without “artifacts.” The entire gamberoni is used, including tail and head. And the Mediterranean taste is further reinforced by a delicate fish gelée.
How is the dish prepared?
The gamberoni embodies the taste of the Riviera, and the preparation respects and enhances that taste. They’re very quickly blanched, then cooled and seasoned with olive oil, grated lemon, fleur de sel, and Espelette pepper. The heads are sautéed to create a rich sauce on which the tails are laid, topped by a spoonful of caviar. The dish is completed with a fine gelée made of fish bouillon with a touch of saffron.
Le Louis XV at the Hôtel de Paris in Monaco was a major starting point in my career. It was there that my culinary style became deeply rooted in the traditions and products of the Riviera.
What inspired you to create this dish for the restaurant’s 25th anniversary back in 2012?
I wanted the occasion be a celebration of the Riviera itself, beyond the special event for the restaurant. Along with other local recipes and ingredients, these gamberoni are iconic of the Riviera.
How would you describe the dish’s essence?
Purity and freshness go without saying, but the most important thing is to concentrate the taste and deliver a “legible” dish – straight to the point and without “artifacts.” The entire gamberoni is used, including tail and head. And the Mediterranean taste is further reinforced by a delicate fish gelée.
How is the dish prepared?
The gamberoni embodies the taste of the Riviera, and the preparation respects and enhances that taste. They’re very quickly blanched, then cooled and seasoned with olive oil, grated lemon, fleur de sel, and Espelette pepper. The heads are sautéed to create a rich sauce on which the tails are laid, topped by a spoonful of caviar. The dish is completed with a fine gelée made of fish bouillon with a touch of saffron.
