Francophiles and foodies have a treat in store tonight when accomplished French chef Jean Alexandre Galmar fuses French flavours with the best fresh produce East London has to offer in a gastronomic dinner.
Tickets, costing R395 a head, sold out within three days, according to Alliance Francaise committee member Mark Wiehahn, who sourced the local cuisine for the menu – which is being kept under wraps as a culinary surprise.
Wiehahn sourced fish from Oceanwise fish farm at the EL IDZ, Purdon Wagyu Angus beef from Stutterheim and Smiling Valley freshwater marron from Kei Road, in a bid to marry the best local produce with aromatic flavours supplied by Galmar, who will use ingredients like blue vanilla and a lime found only on the island of Reunion.
Galmar, 37, who hails from the French territory of Reunion and has run restaurant kitchens in France, China and the Seychelles, is one of three overseas chefs invited by the French Institute of South Africa (Ifas) in collaboration with the Alliance Francaise, to create gastronomic masterpieces, share stove tops with South African chefs and teach their craft to South African culinary students.
To this end, Galmar will join forces with popular Sanook chef Jamie Hogg to cook up a fine food storm this evening, while yesterday morning he presented a French cookery class to students of the Alfresco International Academy of Food and Wine in Woodleigh.
Students took careful note as the chef demonstrated how to make “very French” citrus fruit chicken ballotines. Working quickly and confidently, Chef Galmar mixed finely minced chicken with cream and egg white to form a smooth mousseline, while about 20 future chefs watched intently.
“The main lesson for them today is to watch a chef and learn how to make a French speciality so if they travel to Reunion or France one day they will know it,” said Galmar, who is executive chef of Au Cherry restaurant in St Denis and is visiting South Africa for the first time.
The softly spoken chef said he was looking forward to cooking with South African fare like kudu, ostrich and crocodile which are prohibitively expensive in Reunion. “I am also looking forward to discovering South African wine as I know it is of good quality and I would like to take some home.”
After East London, Galmar will travel to Durban and Johannesburg as part of Ifas’s So Chef! French cookery tour.
“East London is his first stop and we are so excited he is here to combine his flavours with ours and share his ideas,” said Wiehahn. “I am a foodie so this is a super experience.”
Alliance Francaise committee member Karen Carter said she was looking forward to tonight’s French feast. “I am drooling at the thought,” she said. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Table set for Galmar’s feast
Tickets, costing R395 a head, sold out within three days, according to Alliance Francaise committee member Mark Wiehahn, who sourced the local cuisine for the menu – which is being kept under wraps as a culinary surprise.
Wiehahn sourced fish from Oceanwise fish farm at the EL IDZ, Purdon Wagyu Angus beef from Stutterheim and Smiling Valley freshwater marron from Kei Road, in a bid to marry the best local produce with aromatic flavours supplied by Galmar, who will use ingredients like blue vanilla and a lime found only on the island of Reunion.
Galmar, 37, who hails from the French territory of Reunion and has run restaurant kitchens in France, China and the Seychelles, is one of three overseas chefs invited by the French Institute of South Africa (Ifas) in collaboration with the Alliance Francaise, to create gastronomic masterpieces, share stove tops with South African chefs and teach their craft to South African culinary students.
To this end, Galmar will join forces with popular Sanook chef Jamie Hogg to cook up a fine food storm this evening, while yesterday morning he presented a French cookery class to students of the Alfresco International Academy of Food and Wine in Woodleigh.
Students took careful note as the chef demonstrated how to make “very French” citrus fruit chicken ballotines. Working quickly and confidently, Chef Galmar mixed finely minced chicken with cream and egg white to form a smooth mousseline, while about 20 future chefs watched intently.
“The main lesson for them today is to watch a chef and learn how to make a French speciality so if they travel to Reunion or France one day they will know it,” said Galmar, who is executive chef of Au Cherry restaurant in St Denis and is visiting South Africa for the first time.
The softly spoken chef said he was looking forward to cooking with South African fare like kudu, ostrich and crocodile which are prohibitively expensive in Reunion. “I am also looking forward to discovering South African wine as I know it is of good quality and I would like to take some home.”
After East London, Galmar will travel to Durban and Johannesburg as part of Ifas’s So Chef! French cookery tour.
“East London is his first stop and we are so excited he is here to combine his flavours with ours and share his ideas,” said Wiehahn. “I am a foodie so this is a super experience.”
Alliance Francaise committee member Karen Carter said she was looking forward to tonight’s French feast. “I am drooling at the thought,” she said. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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