A Meeting With A Remarkable Chef – Anne-Sophie Pic

Being a young, female, self-taught chef in a predominantly masculine world was not easy but saw her carving out her own approach to cooking. “I really developed my own way. I have a very feminine way of cooking. Because of my beginning, I had techniques, of course. I developed them and at the same time developed flavours. From the very start, I thought cuisine is part of emotion and part of emotion means flavour, so how to give flavour to a dish. First, it was sauce, then infusion, now it can be distillation or many other techniques. So, I continue to follow this intuition about flavour and combinations of flavour, while also using more techniques.” Anne-Sophie’s knowledge of Japanese cuisine – an interest triggered by that first visit- manifests itself in the use of Japanese ingredients such as seaweed or yuzu in her dishes. “I’ve long had Japanese elements in my cuisine,” she explains. “The first time I used dashi was around 14 years ago. I felt that the French fumet (fish stock) was cooked for too long and lacked freshness. Dashi was useful to me because it is slightly smoky and I like smoky flavours.” The Japanese emphasis on aesthetics is something that resonates with her, too, as anyone who has eaten her exquisitely presented food will appreciate. “There was a discussion in France a few years ago about whether food has to be nicely presented or not. For me it’s very important that a plate is nice, precise and that there’s colour – everything contributes towards the experience of the dish.”

A characteristic of Anne-Sophie Pic’s food is her use of fragrant ingredients such as herbs, flowers and citrus fruit and leaves. Famously, the restaurant in Valence has a rooftop herb garden with a great array of scented plants which can be freshly picked by her chefs for use in the kitchen. “I am fascinated by perfumers. Some of them are friends of mine; there are perhaps four or five main perfumers in France where it’s a tradition, of course. Francis Kurkdjian, who is very famous perfumer, is a friend of mine. We have visited the South of France together on a citrus quest: we discover, we taste, we smell. It’s good for me to have people like this who are very good friends to help me explore another universe, because sometimes chefs or perfumers they don’t talk to each other and that’s too bad,” she says emphatically, “because if you share you progress and it’s good to have these bridges. He analyses smells differently from the way I do, so it gives me more odours, more confidence. Because I met perfumers, I began to have combinations of flavours, using more ingredients.” Importantly, though, there is a harmonious quality to her food. “It’s always about balancing,” she explains. “I was in the kitchen today with the team; we were tasting together, balancing. It’s a question of preciseness.” She also enjoys exploring new techniques. “The next step for me will be fermentation. I would like to go there but in my own way. It’s a question of acidity. I like this part of British cuisine – pickles – it gives pep. Bitterness is very important, too, because balanced with acidity it allows the flavour to last longer.”

Anne-Sophie was very happy to open La Dame de Pic in London because it’s a city that has long fascinated her. “I didn’t come to London often when I was young and was frustrated not to know it better, so when we had the opportunity to open a restaurant in London I said it’s an opportunity to know London better. The impression I get of London is that it’s full of energy. I don’t say that to make a compliment, it’s really what I feel. I came on a few visits before opening the restaurant and I felt I could do something here because the British people have open minds. In our cooking we use unusual ingredients and lots of combinations of flavours, which I think appeals to British people.” Opening a restaurant in London has allowed Anne-Sophie to discover more about the British food scene. “I needed to discover the ingredients here, because for me terroir is very important. I found beautiful food – much more than I had imagined; the quality of fish and chicken is very good.”

At La Dame de Pic in London the menu features versions of classic Anne-Sophie Pic dishes, including her signature belingots, triangular pasta parcels, a shape inspired by a traditional, hard-boiled Provencal sweet. “In London we use a British cheese, as that’s very important for me. We use a British cheese called St Cera. I remember doing a big tasting of British cheeses two years ago when I visited London and St Cera was one of my favourites. So, it’s inside the berlingot with smoked mascarpone – this is a new version with mint, bergamot and pea for summer. It’s because of Earl Grey tea I like bergamot! I discovered Earl Grey tea on a holiday in Switzerland when I was 14 and have loved bergamot ever since.” Diners in London can also sample her famous white mille-feuille – an inventive and striking white dessert, with the crisp puff pastry layers surprisingly hidden inside chantilly cream walls. “The first one is just vanilla, but we wanted to make another version for the restaurant here. I like Oolong very much and we thought oolong and camomile is a good combination, so we’ve made it specially for London. We served it last night at a special dinner and a guy there said ‘this is the best dessert of my life,” says Anne-Sophie, smiling with satisfaction. She pays warm credit to her Head Chef in London, Luca Piscazzi: “He does the food here so well. My cuisine is about ingredients and he follows my flavour style and adds his own twists. I’m very proud of what he’s doing here.”

Anne-Sophie Pic has just opened her first restaurant in Singapore – La Dame de Pic – in the historic setting of Raffles Hotel there, something she is very excited about. “I think Singapore is becoming like London, a very important gastronomic city. Yes, I’m very busy but I’m happy.” Visits to other countries offer her opportunities to learn about new ingredients and recipes. Her curiosity about food and openness to learn are clear. “Always, I try to know more, to discover. I’m not a narrow-minded French chef – I don’t want to be like that. I am inspired by other cuisine, because it gives more nuance, pleasure.” She pauses to reflect, then says. “You know, I thought that as I got older I would have fewer ideas, but actually I find an openness, with more and more ideas.”