3 questions for chef Jean-Philippe Blondet

Nature as a guide

Executive chef at the three-star Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester restaurant in London for nearly ten years, Jean-Philippe Blondet, guest on a gastronomic cruise to Iceland with PONANT EXPLORATIONS, talks to Escales about his instinctive cuisine, inspired by nature.

You have worked in the south of France, Asia and then London: which destination made the biggest impression on you?

Japan. When it comes to cooking, I love their culture of precision. For example, I often use a Japanese mortar, which is grooved so that the leaves you crush release all their aromas. And it’s beautiful too. When you see a Japanese person take a fillet of fish and lift it delicately, there is immense respect between the product and the human being. Watching this is very moving. This Japanese philosophy inspires me.

Then, my inspiration also comes from the hills of Nice, on the French Riviera. These are my roots, my memories, like going to pick olives, going to the vegetable gardens, and so much more. A carrot that comes out of the ground, if it’s shaped like a V, a heart, or a square, you have to leave it like that, that’s how it was born. I’m not at all the kind of chef who likes six-sided tournée potatoes, no, you have to let nature express itself in what it gives us.

Plate of scallops at the Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester restaurant in London 

What creative process guides you in developing your dishes?

I always start with the garnish. With good meat, good fish, good protein, whether wild or farmed according to best practices, I cook it well and bring my technical skills to bear, but I haven’t done anything yet. On the other hand, bringing out the texture of a vegetable is something that makes an impression. Whether it’s a carrot, beetroot, green bean, cauliflower or Jerusalem artichoke, when I hold it in my hand, a connection is made and it inspires me to develop the recipe.

When I cook, I don’t think, not at all. Many chefs sit down with a piece of paper and a pen and sketch their dish, but I’m unable to do that. I don’t have a recipe. What’s important for me is to be connected with the food and the moment in order to be able to create something.

Chef Jean-Philippe Blondet and his team at the Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester restaurant in London 

You’ve been working with Alain Ducasse for over twenty years. What does he bring to your approach to gastronomy?

Respect, high standards, passing on knowledge, a responsible approach to cooking and naturalness, even though his vision is even more advanced than mine. Perhaps also a little wisdom, because he is calm, he has experienced a lot and he passes on a lot of knowledge. He travels 300 days a year, and we draw on all that. Lastly, beyond his role as a chef, everything he manages to achieve inspires me greatly. He has built a huge empire, and he has surrounded himself with the right people. Over the next five years, I will be in the business creation phase. So I observe him and I learn a lot from all of this.

Photo credits: Food Story Media Ltd

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