2 days Ago By [email protected](KoreaTimes)
Pierre Gagnaire embraces Perrier-Jouet Society's growth By Ko Dong-hwan French fine dining chef Pierre Gagnaire, globally renowned with 13 Michelin stars and 15 restaurants worldwide, has welcomed six Korean culinary talents into the Perrier-Jouet Society, an exclusive global circle promoting the prestigious champagne brand. Pierre Gagnaire speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at Pierre Gagnaire restaurant at Lotte Hotel Seoul, Thursday, with various editions of Perrier-Jouet displayed in front of him. Courtesy of Pernod Ricard Gagnaire, the global ambassador of Perrier-Jouet, met the Korean talents in Seoul on Thursday, sharing insights on how the champagne can be paired with and improve the quality of gourmet dishes, including Korean cuisine, also known as "hansik.
" Liquor importer Pernod Ricard Korea, which distributes Perrier-Jouet, appointed the Korean Michelin-star chefs as part of its efforts to expand the society into Korea. Celebrity chefs from France, Japan, Italy, Spain and Hong Kong have already joined the society, sharing ideas on fine dining featuring the champagne, which has been enjoyed since 1811. “The Korean chefs are excellent ambassadors of hansik.
I shared with them many ideas on how Perrier-Jouet can be paired with various food,” Gagnaire said during an interview with The Korea Times at Pierre Gagnaire, his eponymous restaurant at Lotte Hotel Seoul. The 75-year-old chef, who opened his first restaurant in Saint-Etienne, France, in 1993, has taken on the role of mentor for the Korean chefs. He emphasized that both his culinary philosophy and Perrier-Jouet place great importance on the natural environment.
Since 2017, he has been introducing pairing courses for the champagne. He also highlighted that vineyards in the Champagne region in France, which supply Perrier-Jouet, were officially recognized for sustainable farming in 2016 and stopped using herbicides in 2019. Miguel Pascual, marketing director of Pernod Ricard Korea, said Gagnaire’s apprenticeship will help the Korean chefs “offer an unprecedented level of fine dining that features special pairing courses with Perrier-Jouet.
” Gagnaire said champagne, compared to whisky or wine, is more delicate when it comes to food pairings. He said a drop of whisky remains unchanged in quality when heated during cooking, but champagne vanishes and becomes useless. That is why champagne must be used at the final stage to preserve its quality.
“Perrier-Jouet has a low alcohol level and balanced acidity so it goes well, particularly with seafood and seasonal vegetables,” Gagnaire said. “Each Perrier-Jouet edition has a unique floral aroma that gives a delicate balance to a dish. Perrier-Jouet Blanc de Blancs, for example, pairs perfectly with oyster, clam, mussel, scallop or shellfish.
” Gagnaire admitted he did not start off well as a chef. Inheriting his father’s restaurant, which he initially had no desire to run, he worked without a clear goal or passion at first. However, when he discovered that he could infuse artistic meaning into each of his culinary creations, he became deeply devoted to French gastronomy.
“I ground my life and soul to this restaurant in Saint-Etienne. But when the city’s commerce slumped, my business didn’t go so well either,” he said. “But you know, death only kills us and everything else makes us stronger.
I learned my lesson there.” Pierre Gagnaire, center, poses with six Korean chefs who have been appointed as new ambassadors for the Perrier-Jouet Society at Pierre Gagnaire restaurant at Lotte Hotel Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Pernod Ricard That led him to believe that food offers happiness to all patrons and that it should be cooked with a chef’s true emotions.
His key ingredients are the products of Mother Nature. “Nature dictates my cuisine and gives it meaning. The best ingredients are those that evoke the season and the soil from which they sprang, those magical products cultivated with love for nature, the terroir and the climate,” Gagnaire said.
He added that climate change has affected his dishes. It has made ingredients rarer and more expensive, as fish and poultry are smaller in size due to the impact of climate conditions on their growth. “But I must keep inventing new ways to use what’s available at my hands to keep making my customers happy,” he said.
“I have grown old but I think my ability to taste has further sharpened, especially with drinks.”.
