Interview with Michel Roth
Cella interviewed Michel Roth, godfather of sourced and selected producers . Originally from Sarreguemines in Moselle, the chef confides.
“There is a return to the market and to small producers”
What is your best career memory?
There are many! But when I think about it, it was that moment when I had the chance to win the Bocuse d'Or. It's a bit like the Olympic games. Twenty-four countries compete and suddenly I win. There is the national anthem. It's still rare to have the national anthem in our field of cooking. I will always remember it. We cry as they say. I am proud to have passed this competition. I did it as a duty for my country. You win it for French cuisine , your head in the clouds and around me I was very happy to have my godfathers, my masters and my family. You have to live it. It's unique.
Who is your master?
It was Mr. Guy Legay who introduced me to my profession. Cook ! I am still in contact with Mr. Legay and he has trained many chefs. If Mr. Legay had to be a footballer it would be Zidane. He has as many titles as a player and as a coach. He was perhaps less media-oriented than chefs like Joël Robuchon but it is undoubtedly a question of generation. In my eyes he is a very great one.
How do you recognize a “good product”?
Each product is different but I would say that above all a good product is beauty in its raw state. Recognizing a good product is by looking at it. I look at its clarity, its brilliance, its sharpness. And then other senses intervene. Touch, for example. I will feel the firmness of meat. And smell counts too! What is important to start with before talking about the product is to respect and know the seasons . It's about being curious and looking for its origin and, if possible, the producer.
What if a product were to sum up your childhood?
The mirabelle ! I ate it at my parents-in-law’s house in Hambach in Moselle. I remain very attached to this country and my family still lives there. There was a beautiful orchard there where we were going. We met there, it was a tradition . They had these fruit trees spread out in the orchard and I remember from a very young age going there to pick the mirabelle plums with my hands, from the tree. It all starts with these moments together with my family. There is this moment of pitting that we all do together because the fruit is fragile. I remember waiting for this rare fruit and its short season, at the end of August. That’s probably where I wanted to cook.
How do you want to cook it now?
We know the pie of course! But I also use it with savory dishes, in chutney for example. I really want it with a beautiful bird like a duck. I even have in mind a recipe that I made at the Ritz and that I am perpetuating, a veal grenadin with pan-fried mirabelle plums. The mirabelle plum is a magnificent fruit that brings subtlety when used as a condiment.
What is the secret to successfully cooking a prime rib?
The prime rib must obviously be well seared and remain rare or even blue inside. But the secret is this: take your time ! You don't cook meat like this to eat it immediately. We need to make her rest! And while letting it rest, you must turn it so that the blood diffuses into the meat and allows the meat to keep its color. What is true for this roast cooking also applies to other roasted meats. Cooking takes your time.
The grandchildren are behind you, what did you cook for them this lunch?
A veal escalope with cream from the producers of Cella! But without mirabelle plums (laughs)! With chives to add freshness and color, little bacon pieces for pretty little pasta. That simple !
Has the pandemic changed our relationship with food?
The return to the real product was already there. We were already in a period where the concern for healthier eating, the question of well-being and anti-waste dominated. And so much the better! The pandemic has accentuated all of this and in this, I believe, the pandemic has brought good. We see it: there is a return to the market and to small producers. The desire to take care of the living , of the animal. It's really a good thing for the future, this desire for newfound proximity to the product. This must stay!
"This period has forced us to take the time. And that starts with taking the time to cook but also to taste. I'm not saying we have to relearn how to eat, but almost."
Is that all ?
No, I think this period forced us to take the time. And it starts by taking the time to cook but also to taste. I'm not saying you have to relearn how to eat, but almost. Relearning to taste, to savor, to enjoy. Quite simply and together. For yourself and for others. Even in this period when we are masked, the only time we can take it off is this moment of conviviality . We have this left.
What do you like to cook at home for your loved ones?
I leave without any idea. I let myself be carried away by the products. It’s my market that guides me. It can be rabbit, forgotten vegetables, a mixture of fruit and vegetables, shellfish, sometimes products that children don't really like. I'm trying ! With children what works very well is crispy and breaded. If I know that a product is complicated for them I try to deviate while remaining very simple . The fresh spinach, I just drop it in a pan with a little butter and salt, that's enough! I serve this with fresh fish breaded with almond powder. These are textures that children like.
Should we cheat a little then?
We don't cheat: we stay in reality! With real products. Precisely, cooking means staying in reality . A good puree is made at home, it's not the same as an industrial puree. And that makes all the difference.
A good Sunday?
A good Sunday for me is a Sunday with family where I take the time to enjoy a good roast poultry, a leg of lamb that has been cooked for several hours. Sunday for me is synonymous with a traditional comforting dish with a homemade cake, rum babas or profiteroles! It's delicious and it feels good.
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