FrenchieNew Bistro Cooking By Greg Marchand
On a quiet cobblestoned side street north of Les Halles in Paris, a veritable food revolution is happening thanks to chef Greg Marchand’s game-changing restaurant, Frenchie.
On a quiet cobblestoned side street north of Les Halles in Paris, a veritable food revolution is happening thanks to chef Greg Marchand’s game-changing restaurant, Frenchie. Here are some of his most inspired and deeply original recipes, dishes that are radiant not just in color but in flavor, and filled with alluring hints of international influences. Chutneys, pestos, and flavored vinaigrettes take the place of heavier and more traditional French fare, and the juxtaposition of ingredients (watermelon with ricotta salata; roasted carrots with oranges and avocado; raw baby turnips and juicy pears) adds energy to a once hidebound bistro tradition. To the question “Is there anything new under the sun?” Frenchie answers, unequivocally, “Yes!”
GREG MARCHAND’s passion for cooking began in the kitchen of the French orphanage where he was raised. At 20, after putting himself through cooking school, Marchand began a journey that would take him to London, Hong Kong, Spain, and New York. While cooking at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen, he earned the nickname Frenchie, an appellation that stuck. After 10 years cooking abroad, he returned home to open Frenchie the restaurant, and soon thereafter, a wine bar and a take-out food shop called Frenchie to Go—all on rue du Nil, which is now the most exciting food street in Paris.
Roasted Carrot, Orange, and Avocado Salad
4 servings / Wine pairing: Touraine white (Sauvignon Blanc); Jean-François Mérieau
For the Roasted Carrots
2 bunches (about 1 pound/454 grams) baby carrots
¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 thyme sprig
1 garlic clove, crushed
Olive oil
Salt
For the Salad
2 to 3 navel oranges
2 avocados
3 cilantro sprigs
Juice of 1 lime, or to taste
Olive oil
Fleur de sel
Piment d’Espelette
The Roasted Carrots
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Trim the carrots and put them in a bowl.
Toast the coriander and fennel seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes; take care not to burn them. Let cool, then coarsely crush the seeds with a mortar and pestle or under a heavy skillet.
Add the toasted spices to the carrots, along with the thyme, garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt, and toss well with your hands. Transfer the carrots to a baking dish and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender and lightly browned. Set aside.
The Salad
With a sharp knife, peel the oranges down to the flesh, removing all the bitter white pith, then slice into ¼-inch-thick rounds; you need 16 slices. Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, peel, and cut lengthwise into thick slices. Remove the cilantro leaves from the stems.
To Serve
Combine the carrots, oranges, and avocados in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with the cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, fleur de sel, and a pinch of piment d’Espelette and toss gently. Arrange on salad plates and serve.
Excerpted from Frenchie by Greg Marchand (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2014. Photographs by Djamel Dine Zitout.
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