“Gremillon” pigeon in wasabi crust by Bruno Menard

Introducing The Chefs Lab, a new category on Luxeat that will feature recipes by some of the most talented chefs. The first chef – Bruno Menard (3 Michelin stars) from L’Osier in Tokyo. He kindly agreed to share his recipe and answer a few questions. Bruno Menard’s cooking is a rare combination even for a three Michelin stars restaurant – creative yet delicious.

The Chef

What made you become a chef?

I come from a family of pastry chefs, and my grandfather was an excellent cook, so it was just natural for me to become a chef, besides of the fact that it has always been a passion more than a job for me.

How would you describe your style of cooking?

I say that it is neo-classic, because it is base on very classical cuisine, with a very contemporary twist, but it is the more the quintessence of everything I learned, and also the influence of all my journeys and the people I met in my life, so it is a never-ending process, in a very consistence yet evolution.

What is your favorite product? (in general and to work with)

I don’t think I have ONE favourite or a least favourite product I love to work with I am very open minded, and I love the seasons because they bring new products that you are waiting for. And waiting for the seasonal products stimulate my imagination and my creativity. So I love everything so far ……..except maybe Nato !!!!

The Recipe

“Gremillon” pigeon in wasabi crust with ginger oil juice, potato crisp and roasted  mushrooms

• “Gremillon” pigeon (half per person) (When translating the recipe from French, I was wondering who is “Gremillon”, in fact, it’s a premium pigeon supplier (supplying the birds to big tables in France).
• Wasabi crust
• Pigeon juice
• Potato crisp
• Mushrooms
• Mustard leave
• Ring mold ( 8X12X5 )

Pigeon:

Breast: 62 degrees in convection steam oven, 54 degrees “à coeur” (As I understand, it means that the the center of the breast has to be 54 degrees)

Legs: 30 minutes in 85 degrees convection steal oven.

Wasabi paste/sesame:

• 30g curly parsley
• 150 g unsalted D’Echire butter
• 150 g white breadcrumbs
• 20 g toasted white sesame seeds
• 20 g black sesame seeds
• 50 g wasabi in a tube
• salt

In a blender, mix the parsley, breadcrumbs, add soft butter’ ‘beurre pommade”) and wasabi, then toasted sesame. Adjust the taste, spread out between two paper sheets, before putting to the fridge, cut with an oval cookie cutter(“emporte pièce ovale”).

Garnish

Potato crisp

• 500 g potato pulp
• 65 g melted butter
• 5 g truffle oil
• 25 g buckwheat flour
• 2 egg yolks
• 8 g salt

Mix all the ingredients and spread into 8X12X5 frames.

• Brik pastry
• Buckwheat seeds
• Clarified butter ( butter doesn’t burn in high temperatures)

Wrap the potato bars and few grilled buckwheat seeds into brik pastry. Cook the crisps in the clarified butter.

Mushrooms:

• Mushrooms (I suppose Boletus?)
• Goose fat
• Thyme
• Garlic
• Poultry juice
• D’Echire butter
• Xeres vinegar

Pigeon juice:

• 3.2 kg pigeon carcass
• 1 big onion
• 1/4  celery root
• 1 stick of celery
• 5 shallots
• 1 leek
• Quantity needed of butter
• Quantity needed of veal stock

Ginger oil:

• 120 g fresh, chopped ginger
• 500 ml olive oil

Infuse the ingredients “sous-vide” , 85 degrees for one hour.