|
|
"My dream, my vision, my life." states Chef/Owner Raymond
Blanc. "Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons is the fulfillment of a
personal vision, a dream that one day I would create a hotel and
restaurant in harmony where my guests would find perfection in food,
comfort and service." His Relais & Chateaux Restaurant and
Hotel, opened in 1984 and retaining 2 Michelin Stars for 14 years,
is set on twenty seven acres of grounds with a 17th century water
garden, a Japanese Garden and vegetable and herb gardens.
When Raymond Blanc's cooking school,
Ecole de Cuisine was established in 1991, I was invited to
participate as their United States representative. To say I was in
the "lap of luxury" is an understatement. Approaching the
Manoir House through the gates I was enthralled with the large sand
colored brick house surrounded by a riot of color in the lush
flowerbeds. Entering the front door, I was greeted by a friendly
staff and the soul-warming aroma of wood-burning fireplaces.
My "bit of heaven" for the
week was the Fuschia (or Honeysuckle) room in the then newly
renovated stable rooms. Up a short flight of stairs I entered what
appeared to be a magical floral garden. The inviting four poster bed
with its honeysuckle spread had honeysuckle vines painted on the
posters. Tea set on a honeysuckle draped table also boasted a fruit
bowl, a decanter of Madeira and a candy dish filled with Jordan
almonds. In front of a cozy love seat graced with an afghan was a
coffee table with a second bowl of almonds and a wide selection of
current magazines. A cozy window seat overlooking the herb garden
beckoned curling up to study the weekly recipes. And the luxurious
bathroom was large as my bedroom at home.
This past spring, as part of a
multi-million pound improvement program, the cooking school was
moved into a state-of-the-art kitchen capable of holding ten
students under the tutelage of Chef Alan Murchison. In October I was
invited back to see the new kitchen and experience the redesign of
Le Manoir.
Dick and I spent several days in
London enjoying the theatre before boarding a train at Paddington
Station for an hour trip to Oxford and an 8-mile taxi ride to Le
Manoir. We were warmly greeted by General Manager Philip Newman-Hall
and shown to the sophisticated Anais suite in the newly designed
wing of the hotel. This tasteful modern suite consisted of an entry
room, living room, bedroom and bathroom in golds and creams with
dark lacquered tables, contemporary paintings and sculpture,
mirrored walls and luxurious wallpapers. Finishing touches included
a fresh fruit bowl, a decanter of Madeira and my favorite Jordan
almonds. The fireplace opened between the entry and living room. The
enormous mirrored bathroom highlighted a bathtub surrounded by
candles and large bottles of assorted bath oils and salts. As we
unpacked, we wondered if we ever even wanted to step outside this
incredible suite. However, this was a "business trip" and
we needed to get down to work!
Gathering in the drawing room for an orientation, we were then
escorted into the dining room for our first experience of the
renowned food of Raymond Blanc. Our group consisted of a Japanese
housewife living in Portugal, a young Scottish chef, a Dallas
business woman, a Welsh accountant, a retired New York commodities
trader, a British television director and a Chicago attorney with
his wife. As we became acquainted, we relished in the Soupe de
Haddock Fumé, Supreme de Canette a la Cannelle, Tiramisu Tia Maria
et Nougatine Concassee, Petits Fours and Chocolats du Manoir
accompanied by Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico 1997 and
Friuli 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon. With an opening meal like this, we
all knew we were in for a fabulous culinary experience.
Born in Bescancon France, Monsieur
Blanc arrived in England in 1972 to work as a waiter. When the chef
took ill, Mr. Blanc took over and two years later, he obtained his
first Michelin Star. At the age of 28, Raymond Blanc opened his
first restaurant, Les Quat' Saisons in Summertown, Oxford. Today he
is acknowledged as one of the finest chefs in the world. His cuisine
has been described as intelligent, daring, imaginative and
adventurous. "To me, cooking is a pure expression of art: it
involves all the senses of a craftsman taking the elements of earth,
sea and fire and transforming them into a palette of flavors and
textures. It is momentary and short lived, but the memories are
everlasting".
Bright and early Monday morning, we
ate breakfast in the dining room. Room service is available but we
decided to enjoy the view of the gardens. This fabulous array of
delectables was the finest continental breakfast we had ever seen;
freshly squeezed orange and grapefruit juices, poached pineapple,
apple compote, macerated prunes, fresh fruit salad, an assortment of
cereals and yogurts, home-made rolls served with honey and jams from
the gardens of Manoir along with the most delicious pastries
including croissants filled with chocolate, my favorite!
Donning our "chef's whites",
we made our first entrance into the new teaching kitchen. Scots born
Alan Murchison, our instructor, awaited us to explore the world of
cuisine through the vision of Raymond Blanc. He began his culinary
training at the age of 15. Alan worked under Chef Blanc as Senior
Sous Chef after training at the 2 Michelin Star L'Ortolan and the 1
Michelin Star Inverlochy restaurants. Vivacious and witty, this
accomplished chef introduced us to the art of cooking. "The
cookery school is not about teaching with an iron rule, but about
helping the guests understand. It's not religiously following
recipes but learning techniques that can be adapted to your home
whilst having enormous fun".
We gathered around a large island to
begin our week of non-stop cooking and eating. Each day Chef
Murchison gave lessons in chopping and knife handling accompanied by
loud, lively music setting a rhythm and pace to sharpen our skills.
|
|
|
|
|
Monday's classes featured hot and cold starters including making
fresh pasta for Ravioli with a wild mushroom filling, a Tartare of
Haddock that was Dick's favorite and the Soufflé Cabecou with goat
cheese (these will definitely be on our holiday menus). To say we
just made these dishes minimizes what we actually accomplished. Alan
carefully explained all steps and demonstrated techniques and
variations for each recipe using a variety of sauces and
accompaniments. He explained how to prepare the dish to your
individual taste, how to season properly, and even explained what
procedures could be followed in case of a failure. There was non-stop
of tasting along the way. We were then paired up and ushered to our
individual workstations to prepare the demonstration dish in our own
way, choosing which ingredients to use to enhance the specific dish.
Alan encouraged us to experiment making our own signature dishes. His
enthusiasm allowed us to be free in our interpretations and gave us
real confidence and a sense of accomplishment. After preparing our
own dishes, we sat around the table and discussed the class, what we
liked or disliked and our preferences and Alan answered any questions
we had. It was then back to the kitchen for the afternoon session of
demonstrations, tasting and cooking. At 3:30 we broke for afternoon
tea in the garden and ended the daily session at 4:30.
Tuesday was a full day of working
fresh Turbot and Salmon and making a fresh fish stock. Dick even
learned to skin and bone his own fresh salmon! We used a variety of
vegetables to accompany the fish such as leeks, wild mushrooms and
sauces including mustard seed sauce, crème de Gewirztraminer and
Buerre Blanc. The technique of making a mousse culminated in a grand
Mousse de Coquille St. Jacques and Mousse d'Epinards. The spinach
mousse was the perfect color contrast to the salmon and turbot as an
accompaniment.
Wednesday we prepared Gateau
d'Aubergine to serve with Lamb Provencal and then learned how to bone
and stuff a quail. We will definitely use both of these meat dishes
with me being the lamb lover and Dick bringing home more quail than
we know what to do with during hunting season.
Thursday was delectable patisserie day,
including making the short crust pastry for a Tarte aux Poires and
refreshing our Soufflé skills on a Soufflé au Malibu containing
coconut and served with pineapple salad. Through Alan, the art of
tempering chocolate was nearly made to look easy. After practicing,
we tackled a superb La Truffiere au Chocolat with a sponge base
layered with an extremely rich chocolate mousse. We also made sugar
syrups flavored with our choice of liqueurs to specialize our own
creation.
We were also taken on a tour of the gardens and restaurant kitchen in
the afternoons. Free time was for relaxing, enjoying the property or
walking around the small village of Great Milton until 7:30 when we
gathered for dinner in the dining room for the menu du jour with wine.
We wandered in the gardens, so
lovingly tended by Anne Marie Owens and her staff, which are an
integral part of the Le Manoir experience. The two-acre herb and
vegetable garden supplies the kitchen throughout late spring, summer
and fall with 70 varieties of herbs and 90 types of vegetables, all
picked at a young, tender stage. The extensive potager section
includes aubergines, peppers and brilliant red rhubarb, at least two
feet tall. The soil is managed organically with farmyard manure
applied during the winter months when the vegetable garden is allowed
to rest.
The Tea House of Fugetsu-An, "Pavilion
of a Deep Love of Nature", composed of characters for the Wind
and Moon, is reached strolling along gravel paths surrounded by ponds
and lush gardens that were designed to make you forget the cares of
the every day world and absorb the beauty of nature. The Tea Garden
represents movements through space in the physical sense and interior
space in the spiritual sense. The pace of the garden is slow and deep.
Peace transcended us as we slowly wandered.
For an experience in Monsieur Blanc's
French Brasserie in Oxford, Le Petit Blanc, we dined on
quintessential traditional French cuisine, enjoying a fabulous goat
cheese soufflé and Lapin a là Moutarde while relaxing with our
fellow students.
Our final evening and the highlight of
the week featured the presentation of our diplomas and the
Celebratory Gourmand dinner. With much celebration and many
photographs, we relished an incredible menu of Mosaique Terrine of
chicken, duck, guinea fowl, foie gras and sweetbreads followed by
quail egg, spinach, parmesan and truffle raviolis in a poultry jus
and meunière butter with Swiss chard. The fish course was a Tian of
crab with fillet of sole and Gewürztraminer sauce. The roasted
breast and braised leg of wild duck with braised chicory and red wine
sauce was followed by mango soup with fresh peppermint and passion
fruit sorbet. Farmhouse cheese from France and Great Britain were
served with almonds, dried apricots and raisin walnut bread. Hot
chocolate fondant, pistachio ice cream and Amaretto sauce completed
the gourmet delight. Coffee was served with an incredible array of
petits fours and chocolates. Several of the men retired to the bar
for a glass of port and a cigar presented with elaborate ceremony. I
opted to walk in the moonlit gardens for my final "taste"
of the week as our departure was to be after breakfast the next
morning.
First time students at Le Manoir Ecole
de Cuisine attend the Stage 1 class followed by Stages 2 & 3.
These will be included in our future visits. One special perk of
Ecole de Cuisine is non-participating partners can stay free, paying
only for the meals they eat. Each room has direct dial telephone,
radio, hair dryer and bathrobes. Most rooms have a direct modem
access for those who just can stay away from the office. If you spend
a few extra days at Le Manoir, you can enjoy croquet, golf, horseback
riding, fishing and clay pigeon shooting nearby. You can also visit
Blenheim Palace, Stonor Park, Waddesdon Manor, Windsor Castle, Oxford
and the Cotswolds by car.
The combination of Raymond Blanc's
cuisine, the elegance of the surroundings and the warmth of the
hospitality makes Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons one of the most
beautiful places to stay in the world. We will certainly return.
(This article is contributed by Cuisine
International - Editor. For more interesting travel articles,
please visit InfoHub Specialty
Travel Guide)
|
|
Categories