David Toutain in 5 dishes
David Toutain, chef of the eponymous restaurant in Paris, talks to Gault&Millau about five dishes and products that have left their mark on his cuisine and tastes, for a perfect dive into his culinary universe.
A dazzlingly accomplished chef, David Toutain (4 toques) has established himself as one of the most singular talents on the French gastronomic scene. In his eponymous Parisian restaurant, he creates a cuisine that is technical, sensitive and rooted in plants.
Behind his dishes lies a precise vision: to create a dialogue between nature, texture and memory. His dishes tell a story, often personal, always daring. From the smoky taste of an eel to his grandmother's pressure cooker, each dish bears an intimate imprint. Here, he shares five dishes that have marked his career and shaped his culinary identity. Five creations that sum up what David Toutain's cuisine is all about: inventive, sincere and deeply embodied.
His proudest dish: Smoked eel, black sesame cream and green apple
Among the creations that have made the greatest impression on David Toutain, this dish is the most obvious. "Customers still talk to me about it, even in Bangkok, where I was last week", he confides. in this dish, the chef condenses everything that is his signature: a masterful interplay of textures, assertive contrasts and a graphic composition. Smoked eel meets silky black sesame cream and the subtle acidity of green apple, in a skilfully measured balance. "It's not perfection, but it's in my image: it looks simple, when in fact it's very complex."
Although this emblematic dish has left such a lasting impression, it is no longer on the menu. Eels, an endangered species, are now subject to strict quotas. "We have to respect the fishing rules", explains the chef. An ethical decision, but not without nostalgia: "I was forced to remove it, but it remains one of the dishes I'm most proud of."
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The dish that marked a turning point in his career: Monkfish tail and spelt risotto with meadowsweet
This dish marked a seminal moment in David Toutain's career. He came up with it even before he had his own restaurant, when he was officiating at Agapé Substance. "It's the first dish I created in my own name, with no one behind me. My first chef's dish, like a grown-up."At once structured and delicate, the harmony between the monkfish tail and the spelt risotto scented with meadowsweet already reflected his taste for plant and cereal combinations.
He has never made this dish since, but it remains engraved in his memory. "It was very important to me. I kept it on the menu for a long time." An intimate milestone, a symbol of culinary coming-of-age.
The souvenir product : Beet
For David Toutain, beet isn't just an ingredient: it's a Proust madeleine. "I used to eat them a lot at my grandmother's house. She cooked it in a pressure cooker... I still remember the smell, the hissing, the pressure." These childhood memories have become an inexhaustible source of inspiration. In fact, he continues to use this cooking method, subtly modernizing it.
Today, beet is a common thread running through his cuisine, featuring on almost every menu. Right now, he's offering it in cherry wood-smoked raviole, accompanied by red amaranth.
Our most popular creation: Cauliflower, white chocolate, coconut milk
This dessert was born out of the urgency of an opening. In the middle of winter, David Toutain was looking to create a pre-dessert that was easy to send out, visually uncluttered, and could hold up on the menu all year round. He wanted white, softness, a touch of vegetation. "I wrote down three ingredients on a sheet of paper: cauliflower, coconut, white chocolate. We made the recipe... and haven't touched it since."
Conceived as a light transition at the end of a meal, this dessert was an immediate success. so much so that when it was temporarily withdrawn, customers complained. "We had to put it back," laughs David Toutain. Even today, it remains one of the restaurant's most emblematic dishes.
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His weakness: fresh almonds
Every summer, from August onwards, one ingredient makes the chef's heart beat faster: fresh almonds. "I can't resist them. I make one, I eat one. I'm horrible!" he laughs. While dry almonds don't make him hot or cold, fresh ones, on the other hand, are an obsession. Their texture, subtle taste and rarity - the season lasts only two months - make them an exceptional product that he looks forward to every year.
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He likes to combine them with chanterelles, refresh them in almond milk, and marry them with apricots. A seasonal trio, sensitive and precise, that illustrates his taste for delicate plant alliances... and his pleasure in cooking what he likes to eat, quite simply.
