French cuisine, it’s synonymous for the best dishes in the world. Meals have a certain je ne sais quoi. An ingredient as simple as chicken is transformed into coq au vin to make your taste buds sing.
I wanted to learn how France’s master chefs produce master menus, so on a recent trip to Paris, I enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. There were two particular classes that intrigued me. 
First, “Tasting Menus: Brittany.” This area is located on the northwestern coast of France, once part of the spice route, so I knew the workshop would focus on flavorful seafood and fish.
The second session was “The Art of Making Sauces and Jus.” Given the the French reputation for the liquid toppings. I’d be amiss if I didn’t learn the secrets.
Each student had their own station equipped with utensils and pre-portioned ingredients. For those of us who spoke English, a woman was translating Chef’s every word.
One stark difference from classes I’ve taken in the United States is Chef assumed the students had a good grasp of cooking already. The five and a half hour workshop kept us hopping. No hand holding.
Tasting Menus: Brittany
The Brittany class had three courses:
- Velvety crab soup with croutons, artichoke purée and anchovy.
- Scallops (coquilles saint-jacques) with cauliflower and Colombo spice.
- Brittany flan with apples and rum macerated prunes.
I found my favorite to be the scallops. Here’s the recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
Marinade:
1/8 cup currants
5 Tablespoons bottled water
2 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 pinch of course gray salt (Chef used gray sea salt and it made a difference. It was smoother. It’s not expensive and last forever. Here’s the link to purchase: https://amzn.to/4bAirXo
1/2 sprig fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Cheesecloth sachet
Cheesecloth sachet:
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 clove (the spice, not garlic.)
Scallops:
1/2 cup shrimp to make stock (shell and tail on)
4 scallops (Chef used scallops in the shell, and showed us how to clean them, harvesting the “beard.” This is labor intensive, so I recommend using scallops from your market that are already de-shelled.)
1/8 cup salted butter
Sauce:
1/8 cup salted butter
1 pinch Colombo spice (curry in the USA)
1/2 lemon grass stick
1/2 lime, juice and peel
1 pinch of course gray salt
1 cup fresh cauliflower, chopped to look like cracked wheat, but not too fine. (Upon asking Chef if I could use Trader Joe’s already prepared cauliflower rice, he rolled his eyes ☺️.)
Vinaigrette:
1/2 lime, juice and peel
1 pinch of curry
1 pinch gray course salt
1 pinch black pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/4 mango
6 cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon of chopped chives
RECIPE:
The day before, prepare the marinade. Bring all ingredients except the currants to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the currants. Refrigerate.
The next day, place the shrimp in a small saucepan, cover with water and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, cover with a lid and rest for another 15 minutes. Strain the shrimp stock and set aside. (You can use the shrimp in another recipe.)
To make the sauce, in another pan add 1/16 cup butter, curry, and lemon grass, shrimp stock, lime and 1/3 cup water. Reduce by half. Add the remaining 1/16 cup butter and reduce again for 5 minutes.
Make the vinaigrette. Afterwards, dice the mango, combine with the chopped cauliflower, the marinated currants, and cilantro leaves. Toss with the vinaigrette.
Pat dry the scallops and season with grey course salt. Cook in 1/8 cup foaming butter for 30 seconds. Turn over and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from the pan.
To serve, place two scallops on a plate, along with two scoops of cauliflower mixture. Pour sauce over top. Decorate with chives. Enjoy!
The Art of Making Sauces and Jus
Le Cordon Bleu’s sauce workshop was equally as fun. These dressings are essential in French gastronomy. We prepared ten recipes in five and a half hours — black olive vinaigrette, pepper glaze, Béarnaise reduction, and the like.
One particularly delicious was sauce vierge (Virgin Sauce):
INGREDIENTS:
1 lemon, juice
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped spring onions
1/2 cup chopped fennel
1/2 cup chopped light green zucchini (these can be found in Mexican markets. They may be substituted with regular zucchini).
1/3 cup black olives, pitted
2 chopped anchovy fillets
2 teaspoons chopped chives
1/6 teaspoon crushed anise seed (toast in a pan)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 pinch of grey course salt
Freshly ground pepper
6 basil leaves
RECIPE:
Pour the olive oil into a bowl. Grind a pepper mill five times into the oil. Add the salt. Add all the veggies, lemon, and toasted anise seeds. Mix together. Garnish with basil leaves. This sauce is good served with fish, shrimp or grilled chicken.
Le Cordon Bleu Classes:
The Art of Making Sauces and Jus
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