[Shanghai] Cooking Class at Maison Pourcel – Part 1

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Cooking Class at Maison Pourcel

Address: 8/F, 35 Shanxi Nan Lu, near Changle Lu / 陕西南路35号8楼, 近长乐路
Tel: 6215 8777
Hours: 8:30~11:30am
Website: www.maisonpourcel.com
Price: 388 RMB/person, includes breakfast and a 3-course tasting
Visited on: 2011-12-17

4 months have gone by since I last attended a cooking class at Maison Pourcel, and what lured me back was the restaurant’s new executive chef Mickael Le Calvez, an engaging man who also happens to be extremely generous with his culinary knowledge. A cooking class in Mickael’s kitchen is undoubtedly one of my favorite ways to spend a Saturday morning, even if it means having to arrive at an unrelenting hour of 8:30am.

Breakfast: coffee and croissants

Mickael Le Calvez 

After downing a few buttery croissants and cups of hot coffee, the students – around 10 of us – gathered in the kitchen for the cooking demo. I knew we were in for a real treat when I saw the ingredients on the table – caviar, black truffle, lobsters, scallops, foie gras…oh my. The first dish Mickael demonstrated was Seared Scallops with Caviar, Asparagus, and Purple Cauliflower “Risotto”. I have included the basic instructions here, but if you want the full recipes, leave me a comment or email me at sugarednspiced@gmail.com and I will be happy to send you the files.

Caviar 

Let’s start cooking. First, shave cauliflower florets with a potato-peeler and cook the trimmings in boiling salted water. Look at that beautiful purple color! You can also use white cauliflower, but it obviously won’t have the same visual impact.

Shaved purple cauliflower 

Boil cream and pour it over cooked cauliflower trimmings. Add almond powder, season, and blend to obtain a smooth mixture.

Cream, lots of cream

Remove scallops from shell, clean to remove sand. Pierce with asparagus.

Scallops

Sear on both sides. The glorious aroma of seared scallops! I was very ready to dig in by this point.

Sizzled 

Emulsify mascarpone cheese with chicken stock, then pour over cauliflower trimmings. Season and drizzle with olive oil.

Olive oil is key

Plate!

Mickael and his sous chef 

Mickael is quite the artist and was very intent on making every plate picture perfect. It’s all in the details.

Still plating 

Voilà! Seared scallops with caviar and asparagus over a bed of purple cauliflower “risotto”.

Seared scallops with caviar, asparagus, and purple cauliflower “risotto” 

The combination of seared scallops and caviar is undoubtedly an attraction in itself, but what made this dish sparkle was the cauliflower shavings in almond and mascarpone sauce. It was at once creamy and crunchy, and the elegant purple color! I couldn’t get over that purple color.

Yum

Maison Pourcel cooking class part II: Pan-Fried Duck Liver with Carrot Confit, Carrot Stem French Fries, and Duck Gravy
Maison Pourcel cooking class part III: Lobster Ravioli with Truffle Emulsion