This chef celebrates the 10ᵉ version of his famous "saucer dish".
At Chocho, Thomas Chisholm has been offering his now-famous "saucer dish" since the opening. In the early spring of 2024, he celebrates the tenth version of this signature dish.
The TV show Top Chef has revealed many talents. Among them, Thomas Chisholm made his mark with his creativity and unique cooking style. He proves this daily at Chocho, located in the 10ᵉ arrondissement of Paris. While all of his dishes are worth a detour, one in particular has been the talk of the town since his restaurant opened: the saucer dish. Today, he unveils his tenth version.
Thomas Chisholm's 10ᵉ saucer dish
The story of this dish began even before Chocho opened. While working at Grive restaurant in Paris, Thomas Chisholm wondered what the best part of a meal was. "The moment when the sauce is served was obvious to me," recalls the chef.
So, since the opening of Chocho, the former Top Chef contestant has been offering this famous "saucer dish". "It's the only dish that's remained on the menu since the beginning. We adapt it according to the season, taking it to a different universe each time, but it's always there," he explains.
For his tenth version, Thomas Chisholm wanted to shake up the self-imposed codes. "We've always served it hot, because I created this dish based on the end of a meal, when the plate is sauced. After nine versions, I've tried quite a few things, and I wanted to take the recipe elsewhere. With the arrival of spring, we thought that for the first time, we could make a cold sauce dish." Chocho's chef began by thinking about the visual aspect. "I wanted to pay homage to my former chef Atsushi Tanaka and his signature dish, trout in camouflage. I wanted a palette with green, khaki, brown and beige," unfolds Thomas Chisholm.
So the Franco-American came up with the idea of a "brocamole", with broccoli from his supplier André Trives, worked like guacamole (carbon footprint less) seasoned with coriander, lime and smoked chipotle. "I paired it with a smoked raw cream with juniper berries, a black garlic condiment for sweetness, tarragon chlorophyll for freshness, tarragon oil mixed with a maltedtarragon oil blended with organic corn malto and Kalamata black olive powder... This tenth version is clearly in my top 3", laughs Thomas Chisholm.
And to top it all off? "My right-hand man is very good at bread! This time, we've gone back to basics with a bread similar to a pan-fried flatbread." It's a beautiful, gourmet story, with no end in sight!
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