Always interested in foody stuff we started to watch the new Raymond Blanc series last week.
He's back in his home region France Comte visiting his mum, admiring her cooking skills and heaping praise on his grandmother who was even more talented, and cooking a special meal for locals at a resto nearby. So far so good.
He did however wax lyrical about local produce like potatoes (they're potatoes for heavens sake), vegetables and in particular Morteau sausage. I really like Morteau sausage, Jan makes a fabulous dish combing the sausage and spicy lentils but, for crying out loud, it's a bloody sausage.
Raymond sang its praises, fondled it in some erotic fashion, and looked like he would marry one given half a chance.
It's been a long time since I've tasted it, but the wine from the region Vin Jaune is, in my opinion, bloody awful. It tastes like a kind of sherry. Avoid at all costs.
The only ingredient that I can honestly say that I really like from the same area is Comte cheese. A good one is really good. So there you have it, one of the best and most expensive chefs in England, popping home to his native region and waxing lyrical about sherry and sausage.
I felt as underwhelmed as the 30 or so people looked that he cooked his special meal for.
Since then we've watched the second programme and that was more of the same. More waxing lyrical about produce in Burgundy and yet again cooking an uninteresting meal.
I wonder what he'll do in Languedoc, assuming he ever gets there. 5/10
Sorry, must agree to disagree.
ReplyDeleteI found it enchanting the way he presented the joys of local produce and local dishes. The same way I enjoyed the two series of "Great British Food Revival" where all sorts of chefs praised things like cabbages and mutton.
I also like that his cooking was simple and not fussy.
He's a sweetiiepie with a remarkable sense of humour for a Frenchman and I would take him home with me anyday. To do the cooking of course.
I think the locals probably were slightly bemused because they can't fathom why anyone would prefer a cooking career in England rather than France. They probably expected it to be crap and didn't want to lose face when it wasn't.......they are French after all !!
No problem with disagreeing but then I suspect that you fancy him? I like him but don't fancy him!
ReplyDeleteWe also watched the British food revival and as a result tried amongst other things duck eggs (couldn't really see what the fuss was all about).
I believe in sourcing seasonal and local food but I wasn't particularly impressed with anything that the programme recommended. It seemed like a lot of hype over nothing and wasn't in my opinion worth the cost of making several hour long programmes.
Oh no what are you saying? (*wails) He's FABULOUS! Love Raymond to bits - love the series too. In fact, he reminded me how much I love morteau sausage and so my son is bringing me some next week, when he's here for the school hols.
ReplyDeleteNo no Alex - you're just being a bloke. :)
Hi Wendy, my criticism stems from the fact that I think the whole programme is over hyped, and much of that by RB himself. Take last nights programme. It started by promoting Lyon as the most gastronomic city in France and featured offal. Offal and gastronomy just don't go together. Very few people like offal, it tastes 'offal', it has no place on a dinner table, it is 'offal.' Then the rest of the programme centred on his great friendship with famous French chefs and in particular with Paul Bocuse a man who is so old that he can hardly string two words together. Come on Raymond you can do better than that.
DeleteSorry, but as much as I love you, we're just going to have to disagree.
I watched it for the first time last night and was not particularly impressed. This style of programme has been done to death in my opinion. Not only that but as much as I think RB can produce some creative dishes I just wish I could understand half of what he says.
ReplyDelete