I had the wonderful opportunity to attend Sebastien Bras’ program at the World Chef Showcase to learn about his approach to classic French cuisine, while watch him demonstrate the amount of work and detail that goes into creating the gargouillou de jeunes legumes.

Ranking seventh in the 2009 S. Pellegrino Top 50 Restaurants list, Bras’s restaurant is arguably the most highly regarded in France. Nestled deep in the heart of southern France, the Bras’s celebration of nature, as found in the Laguiole district and surrounding Aubrac plateau, is celebrated with joy and gusto, causing one Fortune magazine critic to declare the famous dish, gargouillou de jeunes legumes, one of the five meals worth flying for.

Sebastien’s famous father Michel (of Michel Bras) keeps a garden 15km away from their restaurant in Aubrac to grow his own vegetables and herbs, which is the very essence of this signature dish. During the demonstration (and this is the reduced version) the dish took around 45 minutes of preparation where each piece of vegetable is carefully selected, cleaned, trimmed, and some of them quickly blanched for 15 seconds, then pat dried. Some ingredients were lightly warmed with jamon and butter before serving.

Considered the best vegetable dish in the world by many – I definitely wanted to learn the history and techniques behind it before I got the opportunity to taste such a beautiful and “alive” creation.

gargouillou de jeunes legumes

Bras says this dish has been around for almost 30 years. It was originally created by his father but the recipe changes all the time depending on the ingredients. It is three dimensional, and it is “alive” – accompanied with several L’niac s – a Niac is described as the detail that makes the dish, such as the addition of wasabi in sushi. He incorporates 6 or 7 niacs to keep his food interesting and your palate refreshed.

“For one night only, a group of Sydney diners will be privy to an intimate evening of rare synergy: Sebastien Bras and Peter Gilmore sharing a passion for the glories of nature.” More to come after my dinner tonight!

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