Chef Andre Chiang – On the Look Out for Culinary Creativity

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The big boost that Jaan Par Andre had this year was mainly due to the culinary skill that Head Chef Andre Chiang has. In just a short span of time, he has elevated this restaurant to a very high status as it got into the top 50 list of San Pellegrino’s World’s Best Restaurants. Right now, they are enjoying the 39th spot, and with his culinary skill, we are going to see more of his creations in the coming years.

Chef Chiang was born in Taiwan to parents who own a Chinese restaurant. As a young child, one would often see him helping out in his mother’s kitchen, and he had even begun cooking some of their dishes when he was only 13 years old. His mother noticed his natural skill in cooking Western dishes, so she decided to send him off to one of the French restaurants in Tokyo. There, he became an apprentice and learned traditional French cooking methods.

His skills swiftly brought him success as he moved up the ranks that, in no time at all, he became known in Taiwan as one of the youngest chefs that specialize in French cuisine. Chef Chiang also trained under some of the most famous chefs in the city, and, in fact, has worked in the city’s top dining hotspots like La Maison Troisgros as well as Le Jardin des Sense. He even went on to work at Pierre Gagnaire’s famous Tokyo restaurant.

It was in 2008 that he came to Swissotel’s Jaan par Andre, and ever since he took the helm and became its head chef, the restaurant has received praise after praise and great reviews from some of the country’s top food critics. His culinary skill has made the restaurant one of the must-visit restaurants when you are in the area, and his culinary skill has also given the restaurant numerous awards. Under his leadership, Jaan par Andre became the continent’s fourth best dining spot in the whole of Asia. Of course, he himself has won numerous awards such as making it into the best chefs list of the Relais & Chateau, which is a very prestigious French group as well as rave reviews from the Time Magazine.

Chef Chiang’s cuisine focuses more on innovative French dishes, and he knows how to play with the ingredients, using unusual ingredients and pairing them off with local produce to create astonishing and mouth-watering dishes. His main focus is to create simple French cuisine, highlighting the natural flavors that are inherently unique to each element of his dish. With his flair in creating artistic plate presentations, what comes out is an amazing dish that not only has surprising textures but also has contrasting flavors that blend well together, leaving you wanting for more.

Chef Andre Chiang’s Char-Grilled Wild Baby Barracuda, Poivrade “Purple” Artichoke Mousse, Crisp Sprouted Brittany Wheat, Grilled Smoked Vegetables, Rosemary Jelly and Warm Basil Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

Fish:

8pcs whole baby barracuda fillets (can be substituted with sole, eel, kisu)
8pcs diced baby barracuda fillets, for tartare (can be substituted with sole, eel, kisu)
10g (each) chopped chives, dill, shiso leaves and chervil
Salt and freshly ground Sichuan pepper, to taste
Olive oil, for pan-searing

Poivrade Artichoke Mousse:

4pcs poivrade artichoke hearts
1 fresh thyme sprig
Olive oil
100ml cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Wheat:

100g Brittany wheat, sprouted
Olive oil, for pan-frying
1tsp chives, chopped
½ pc onion, chopped
1pc sweet shallot, chopped
100ml cream
2tsp deep-fried chopped garlic

Rosemary Jelly:

500ml smoked vegetable stock
2 rosemary sprigs
3 ½ sheets of gelatin
2g agar agar
5g chopped chervil, parsley and coriander

Smoked Vegetables:

1kg carrot, celery, onion, leek
2ltr fried fish bone stock
200g chicken feet
2g lecithin

Basil Vinaigrette:

50g fatty tuna belly “otoro” skin
1tsp basil purée
Freshly ground Sichuan pepper, to taste

Garnishes:

Fresh pepper leaves
Dill flower

Directions:

For the Char-Grilled Baby Barracuda Fillet Rolls: Place diced baby barracuda fillets into a mixing bowl and toss with the freshly chopped herbs. Season to taste with salt and Sichuan pepper. Spoon the resulting baby barracuda tartare onto a piece of whole baby barracuda fillet and roll up. Repeat with the remaining fillets. Heat up the olive oil in a sauté pan and sear the baby barracuda rolls on all sides until cooked. Set aside and keep warm.

For the Poivrade Artichoke Mousse: Place the poivrade artichoke hearts in a vacuum bag with a fresh thyme sprig and a dash of olive oil and seal. Cook “sous vide” at 85°C for 10 hours, or until well softened. Place the cooked poivrade artichoke hearts and cream into the Thermomix at 80°C until puréed. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside and keep warm.

For the Sprouted Brittany Wheat Compote: Boil the sprouted wheat in a pot of salted, simmering water for 15 minutes. Strain and pat dry. Divide the cooked sprouted wheat into two equal portions. Heat some olive oil in a clean sauté pan and add in the one portion of the sprouted Brittany wheat, chopped onion and sweet shallots. Sauté the onions until transparent and then braise with the cream at low heat to make a compote.

For The Crisp Sprouted Brittany Wheat: Heat some olive oil in a sauté pan and fry the remaining sprouted wheat with the deep-fried chopped garlic and chopped chives until crispy. For the smoked vegetable stock: Grill the vegetables over a charcoal grill and hot smoke them for 15 minutes. Remove smoked vegetables from the grill and transfer to a pot of fried fish bone stock. Infuse on low heat with the chicken feet for about 20 minutes. Strain the stock through a fine sieve at room temperature and reserve. Blend in 2g lecithin before use.

For the Rosemary Jelly: Bring the smoked vegetable stock to the boil and infuse the fresh rosemary for 15 minutes. Strain and blend in the gelatin, agar agar and fresh chopped herbs until smooth. Set and cut into 12×1-cm cubes.

For the Basil Vinaigrette: Sear the fatty tuna belly skin with a blowtorch and strain the oil through a coffee filter. Emulsify the resulting oil with the basil puree and season to taste with freshly ground Sichuan pepper. Keep warm.

To serve: Place a spoon of poivrade artichoke mousse in the centre of the serving plate and place one char-grilled baby barracuda fillet roll over. Top with the sprouted Brittany wheat compote. Sprinkle the fillet roll with crisp sprouted Brittany wheat and smoked vegetable stock. Garnish by arranging 3 pieces of diced rosemary jelly around each fillet roll and top with fresh pepper leaves and dill flowers. Drizzle with basil vinaigrette and serve.

Servings: Serves 4.

Image Credit: taiwantoday.tw

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