Chef Anne-Sophie Pic – From the Family of Chefs and Restaurateurs

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Landing at the 51st position, Maison Pic is one spot away from getting into the prestigious top 50 restaurants.  Nonetheless, the fact that they got into the top 100 restaurants of S. Pellegrino is already a very big accomplishment.  This credit is, of course, due to the culinary skill of the restaurants head chef, Chef Anne-Sophie Pic.

Born on the 12th of July 1969 in Valencia, France, Chef Pic came from a family of chefs and restaurateurs.  It was her great grandmother who first opened Maison Pic in the late 1880s.  Her grandfather took over in 1920, and under his leadership, the restaurant was awarded with three stars.  When her father took over the business, he was also awarded three Michelin stars.  With this kind of background, it can be said that Chef Pic has her life laid out before her.

Her father wanted her to follow in their footsteps, but Chef Pic had other plans.  Instead, she chose to study in Paris’ Higher Institute of Management, veering away from the family restaurant business.  She took up a business course, which took her to Japan for a three-month exchange program.  In this country, she learned to love Asian cuisine and the diverse flavors it offers.  At the Moet & Chandon and Cartier, she underwent an internship program geared towards business strategies.

However, her interest in the culinary world was rekindled when she went on a holiday vacation with her family in Normandy.  Her father was telling her stories about his apprenticeship in the country, and his stories brought to mind the hustle and bustle of the kitchen.  It was then that something finally clicked in her, showing her her true calling – to continue their family tradition.

So at the age of 22 years old, she decided to become an apprentice to her father and brother, and she would start apprenticeship after her graduation.  Her announcement that she would follow their family tradition pleased her father immensely.  It was a sad fate though that her father died three months after announcing her decision, robbing her of the opportunity to work alongside her father.  This, however, did not stop her from pursuing a culinary career, and at the age of 23, she became an apprentice to her brother, Alain.  With the loss of her father though, Maison Pic also lost one Michelin star.

In 1998, Alain decided to leave the family restaurant and start out on his own, and his decision left her with Maison Pic, so she rolled up her sleeves, learned all she could on how to cook and manage the restaurant, put her heart into her craft, and vowed to earn the lost star back.

Earned it she did and more.  She not only revamped the restaurant’s décor, but she has also infused her own culinary personality into the Maison Pic cuisine.  The recipes for the traditional French dishes that have been passed on by her great grandmother were improved and transformed into a haute French cuisine to cater to the more modern tastes of its diners.  She also infused Asian influences into her cooking as well as created new dishes that are uniquely hers.

In time, Chef Pic earned back the good reputation of Maison Pic which admittedly weakened when her father died, and she also earned back the lost Michelin star.  In 2007, Maison Pic received its third star.  Chef Pic has also earned numerous awards for her culinary skill.

Chef Anne-Sophie Pic’s Mediterranean Red Mullet, Roast Tropical Banana with Garam Masala and a Pressed Bone Jus

Ingredients:

• 8 small red mullet (100-120g)
• 4 small tropical bananas (South-east Asian)
• 1/4 head of fennel
• 1/4 red bell pepper
• 1/4 yellow pepper
• 1/2 courgette
• 1 Roma tomato
• 1 container lemoncress
• 10g garam masala
• Maldon salt
• 1 lime
• 1tbs vinaigrette (olive oil and balsamic vinegar)
• 50g unsalted butter

For the jus:

• 1 kg red mullet bones
• 4 shallots
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• Thyme
• 10cl Noilly Prat
• 1.4 litres veal jus
• 1.1 litres red wine
• Salt

Directions:

1. Fillet the mullet and keep back the bones. Sweat the shallots, garlic and thyme in butter without colouring. Add the bones and leave to sweat covered on the edge of the range for at aleast 30 minutes. Deglaze with Noilly Prat and add the jus and wine. Reduce to a glaze and season.
2. To prepare the garnish, dice the vegetables into a brunoise (don’t use the inside ribs of the peppers). To order, slice the bananas – without removing the skins – and sprinkle both sides with garam masala.
3. Per portion, colour bananas in beurre noisette and then remove the skins. Season with Maldon salt. Brush the mullet fillets with oil and season with salt on the rounded sides. Cook under the salamander. Season the brunoise with vinaigrette. Sprinkle brunoise over the fillets and finish with lemoncress. Lay fish on the banana and finish with the fish bone and red wine glaze.

Servings: Serves 4.

Image Credit: bahighlife.com

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