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Heart Warming Regional Fare
PARIS - When I moved to Paris 20 years ago, southwestern
French was all the rage. You could hardly eat out three
nights in a row without facing cassoulet or confit de
canard on at least two of those outings. Over the years,
Provencal and Mediterranean cuisine took over, leaving
all that duck, goose and foie gras in the dust.
Helene Darroze, last seen at her restaurant in Villeneuve-de-Marsan
in the Landes in southwestern France, is about to change
all that. In her elegant new quarters in the heart of
the Left Bank, she is wooing us with a modern, updated
version of those regional classics. Like most fine female
cooks, she offers more than just a sheer technical rendering
of ingredients. She has a point of view, her food has
depth, a definite warmth.
Two recent visits to her restaurant - still under construction
yet open nonetheless since Oct. 15 - proved that she
has talent and, hopefully, staying power in this fickle
dining world. I can't say I would have chosen the decor
- a lot of heavy reds and purples - but I agree with
her choice of china, the quirky white intentionally
misshapen cups and plates from Tse & Tse Associees
- actually two Parisian designers, Catherine Levy and
Sigolene Prebois, who have taken the city by storm with
their modern designs.
Darroze, 32, has transported many of the dishes that
won her a single Michelin star in the now defunct restaurant
in Villeneuve-de-Marsan, including farm-raised pork
prepared in three different ways and numerous foie gras
preparations. Probably the most delicious dish on the
menu is her heart-warming l'escaoutoun landaise, a polenta-like
creation prepared with the local corn meal, laced with
rich portions of Basque sheep's milk cheese, layered
with both sauteed cepe and finely sliced raw cepes,
all enriched with an extraordinary reduced chicken stock.
I could easily sample this every night of the week,
accompanied by one of her wine cellar's well-chosen
and well-priced treasures, such as Alain Brumont's powerful
Madiran Domaine de Bouscasse. The 1995 is priced at
150 francs. Equally delicious was one evening's appetizer,
a creamy flan of foie gras topped with freshly grilled
cepes.
A first-course cold white bean soup - prepared with
haricots mais from the Bearn - had great depth of flavor.
It was teamed up with crushed brandade and the just
slightly spicy Basque red peppers, pimientos del piquillo.
tasting the foie gras The results of a sampling of duck
and goose foie gras - presented so one can compare the
two - leaned heavily toward the duck version, much better
seasoned and smoother in texture.
With the foie gras, the sommelier wisely suggested
Claude Loustalot's Jurancon Sec, Domaine de Bru Bache,
Cuvee des Casterrasses, the 1997 well-priced at 145
francs. Darroze continues to woo with a lovely farm-fresh
roasted chicken with cepes stuffed beneath the skin,
as well as a fine portion of roasted Pauillac lamb,
served with its array of organ meats, including brains,
sweetbreads and liver.
The pork comes in three services and includes an extraordinary
layered portion of blood pudding, chestnuts and apples;
a calf's foot stuffed with black truffles, and crusty
grilled spare ribs seasoned with the incomparable, just
ever so spicy Basque pepper, piment d'Espelette. - IWAS
less excited about the desserts: Why use Granny Smith
apples this time of year, when the reine de reinettes
and boskoop have so much more character? Also, despite
the fact that the Paris markets are full of beautiful
purple figs from the famed Sollies, I find them just
too bland and past their prime. Service, to date, has
been exceptional, although on both visits the restaurant
was sparsely populated.
Come November, Darroze will offer a main floor table
d'hote - dinner served at a stated hour and at a fixed
price - offering, you guessed it, cassoulet and confit.
Restaurant
Helene Darroze
4 rue d'Assas
Paris 75006
Tel: 01-42-22-00-11
Fax:01-47-22-25-40
Closed Saturday lunch and all day Sunday.
Open noon-2:30 P.M. and 7:30 P.M.-10:30 P.M. Lunch menu
240 francs, dinner menu 580 francs. A la carte about
350 francs. Credit cards: Visa, American Express.
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