Tickling the taste buds with Gallic flavours

WHILE 2014 will be remembered as the year the Tour de France came to North Yorkshire, gastronomes will note it for the arrival of another Gallic export: Yves Quemerais, who offers authentic French cuisine at home.

Yves focuses on classic dishes but with a Yorkshire twist, using local produce. And in part it was the county's provender that first convinced him to settle here.

The other part was his wife, Anne, who visited and fell in love with the county as a girl.

"I always wanted to come back," says Anne. "I know they say the grass is greener on the other side, but it really is greener here."

The plot was afoot for years. First Anne brought Yves over for a holiday, they even came for their honeymoon and slowly Yves came round to the idea that this could be a wonderful new start for his family, and possibly a business.

"I thought it would be a huge adventure," he says. "The food here is very different, so is the cooking."

Not to mention tastes. One of the trickiest things Yves has discovered is getting us to be a bit more adventurous. He says that doesn't necessarily mean devouring foie gras, steak tartare or confit of gizzards; just getting away from the safety of things like steak, chicken and pork.

Canard Bourguignon, anyone?

But it does take patience to convince us often staid Brits. One client even asked Yves to cook him beef, carrots and potatoes. After a few minutes of gentle coaxing, he was convinced that there could surely be no harm in trying something a little more adventurous. He did and guess what? The man was delighted.

"English people are not frightened by French food but they are secure in what they know," says Yves, from Spofforth, near Harrogate.

"They are also more cautious about their health and what they eat than in France. Here you have many vegetarians, some vegans, others with special diets. In France that is still very unusual, we don't have those little v symbols on menus."

Another thing is that in England we eat to live, whereas the French live to eat.

"Absolutely, many people here don't stop for lunch, or even dinner, whereas in France we always do, and as a family," says Yves."

Which is why he goes to people's houses and cooks dinner for them – with the telly firmly switched off.

And what he offers can be something of a surprise, take this fabulous alternative Christmas dinner menu, he suggests we all try for ourselves.

The starter is langoustine mousse with roasted scallops, watercress purée and beurre blanc. For main Yves proposes wild duck filet, served with a black garlic, whisky and minced duck pie and vegetables. To finish there is a Christmas log like you've never tasted with hazelnut biscuit, chocolate and chestnut mousse and nougatine served with passion fruit coulis.

Yves trained under the legendary chef Alain Ducasse, owner of 21 Michelin stars, and has worked as a chef de cuisine for more than 25 years.

During that time he’s worked privately in Paris for governors, politicians and chief executives, even Richard Branson.

Now we can all benefit from Yves' extraordinary expertise. The French Chef at Home, it's a culinary experience like no other.

frenchchefathome.com

Recipe: Chocolate and Chestnut Yule Log

To make the hazelnut biscuit:

120g roasted and crushed hazelnuts

120g white egg

15g flour

100g icing sugar

50g caster sugar

Mix the icing sugar, hazelnuts and flour in a bowl.

In a large and deep bowl, beat the whites to form soft peaks.

When formed, add the caster sugar and keep on beating for 30 seconds.

Then add the hazelnut mixture to the whites, mix gently with a spatula.

Spread this mix on a large baking sheet (30 x 40 cm) and put it in oven for 15 minutes at 170°c.

For the chocolate mousse:

180g whole milk

100g egg yolk (s)

250g 70% dark chocolate

180g whipped cream

200g crushed chestnuts

Heat the milk in a pan until it is simmering. Mix the egg yolk with the sugar.

Add this mixture to the hot milk, heat the whole to 80° C stirring constantly with a spatula. Grate the chocolate and add it to the pan.

Mix it whole. When this mixture is warm, add the whipped cream and mix to obtain a chocolate mousse. Add the chestnuts to the mousse

For the nougatine:

150g caster sugar

125g butter

50g whole milk

50g liquid glucose

150g flaked almonds

Put all the ingredients except the almonds in a hard based pan. Start to heat, stir until all is blended. Heat using a thermometer to 103°C. Then add the flaked almonds. Leave to cool. Put a 100g of this mixture onto a piece of baking parchment on an oven-proof tray and put in the oven at 170°C for 20 minutes. The rest can be frozen for another time.

Take out of the oven and leave it until warm.

Use a round circle cutter to form circles.

Order of assembly:

1. Line the log mould with the biscuit, leaving 5cm of each side.

2. Fill with chocolate mousse

3. Fold the side biscuit back over the mousse to close the log.

4. Chill in the fridge for at least two hours.

5. Place a cooling tray on the mould and turn out the log onto it.

6. Coat with slightly warm cocoa glazing.

7. Chill again in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

8. Apply the cocoa glazing another two or three, allowing to dry in between coats

9. Arrange nougatine circles on top and sides.