For the next few months, passengers traveling in Air France’s business class cabin on long-haul flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport are in for a treat as they savor the flavors of an in-flight dining menu created by 3-Michelin-starred Chef Guy Martin.
Martin, whose masterful cuisine at Paris’ historic Grand Véfour draws patrons from all over the world, developed a selection of dishes for Air France including sautéed shrimp, pasta shells and zucchini caviar with coconut sauce enhanced by Espelette chili pepper; breast of duckling with fennel and mango compote; orecchiette pasta with calamari and arugula served over tomato sauce with coriander; and sautéed chicken with orange and maniguette pepper, endive and pearl onions.
While dining on board, passengers can explore French cuisine with Chef Martin by tuning in to Epicerie Fine. The program, produced by TV5MONDE, follows Chef Martin as he discovers the culinary delights and flagship dishes of French cooking.
Can’t wait for your next Air France flight? Follow these recipes, adjusted for home cooks by Chef Martin, to get a taste of what you’re missing.
Breast of duckling with fennel and mango compote
Serves 2
Tender roasted breast of duckling is served Provençale style with a delicate fennel-infused jus. Mangos gently cooked with cider vinegar and acacia honey bring a sweet-and-sour touch to the dish, enhanced by the licorice notes of the fennel.
For the duckling:
2 duckling fillets
10 grams soy sauce
6 grams sake
3 grams mirin
Salt and pepper, to taste
Make lattice-like incisions in the skin of the duckling fillets. Season with salt and pepper. In a sauté pan without added fat, brown the fillets skin side down for 5–6 minutes. Flip the fillets and cook 1 minute. Set aside to cool. Steam with soy sauce, sake and mirin. Drain the fillets on paper towels before garnishing.
For the fennel:
1 300-gram fennel bulb
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
Sea salt, to taste
Cook the fennel in salted boiling water with the thyme and bay leaf. Remove fennel from the water. Cool. Cut the fennel bulb into 6 equal wedges.
For the pickled zucchini:
3 zucchini
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt, to taste
½ teaspoon wine vinegar
3 leaves fresh mint
Cut the zucchini into round slices and fry in 1 tablespoon of olive oil heated to 350 degrees. Remove the zucchini from the pan and season with salt, the remaining olive oil, wine vinegar and fresh mint.
For the mango compote:
5 grams acacia honey
10 grams cider vinegar
100 grams diced mango
Salt and ground pepper, to taste
In a sauté pan, cook the honey until it takes on a caramel brown color. Deglaze the pan with cider vinegar. Add the diced mango, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until the liquid evaporates. Adjust seasoning to taste.
For the jus with fennel seeds:
2 grams olive oil
1 gram fennel seeds
100 grams water
10 grams veal stock
Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the fennel seeds and lightly toast. Add the water and veal stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Strain the mixture, reserving the liquid.
Presentation: Arrange sliced duckling fillets on each plate. Add fennel wedges and a generous spoonful of mango compote. Drizzle the plate with fennel seed jus.
Orecchiette pasta with calamari and arugula served over tomato sauce with coriander
Serves 2
Orecchiette pasta with calamari and Italian parsley is presented over a light tomato sauce flavored with coriander. The spicy taste of arugula enlivens the dish while finely shaved Parmesan cheese serves as a flavorful garnish.
For the calamari:
100 grams dry orecchiette Pugliesi
130 grams calamari, ready to cook
30 grams olive oil, divided
3 grams chopped parsley
40 grams arugula salad
10 dried tomato wedges
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Fill a saucepan with enough water to cover the pasta. Bring the water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Drain the pasta and coat it with some olive oil.
Season the calamari with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the calamari and cook for 1–2 minutes. Remove the calamari from the pan and roll them in chopped parsley. Set aside to drain and cool. Season the arugula with salt and pepper. Coat a saucepan with the remaining olive oil and fry the arugula. Remove from heat, drain excess oil and cool.
For the tomato sauce with coriander seeds:
20 grams red tomatoes
2 grams coriander seeds
4 grams olive oil
6 grams tomato paste
Salt and ground pepper, to taste
Cut tomatoes into 1-centimeter cubes. Sauté the coriander seeds in olive oil for 1 minute without browning them. Add the diced tomatoes. Stir, cover and cook gently for 10 minutes over low heat. Mix, strain and add the tomato paste. Season to taste.
For the garnish:
10 grams grated Parmesan cheese
10 dried tomato wedges
Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the fennel seeds and lightly toast. Add the water and veal stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Strain the mixture, reserving the liquid.
Presentation: Place a portion of the tomato sauce on a plate and top with the pasta. Arrange the calamari and fried arugula on the pasta and garnish with dried tomato wedges and shaved Parmesan.
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