When you’re throwing a tribute dinner to the grand master chef Paul Bocuse, founder of perhaps the most prestigious culinary competition in the world and one of the most influential players in the development of nouvelle cuisine, you make sure it’s prepared by a star-studded cast.
That means bringing together 200 of some of the biggest names in the world of gastronomy who collectively boast a constellation of Michelin stars between them.
On Monday night, the “Dîner des Grands Chefs du Monde” threw a party for Bocuse in the city hall of Lyon, France, site of the Bocuse d’Or competition and Sirha, one of the biggest food trade fairs in the world.
In a gold-gilded room, under rows of crystal chandeliers, chefs in their spotless chefs’ coats sat amongst guests in suits and ties, clinking glasses to a decadent Michelin-starred meal.
For starters, triple Michelin-starred chef Emmanuel Renaut prepared a ‘biscuit’ of monkfish and pike with a butter broth and onion straws. Alain Ducasse continued the meal with potatoes and black truffles, followed by a Limousin lamb, sweetbread with pumpkin relish, Savoy cabbage, black trumpet mushrooms and red walnuts by Thomas Keller.
The chocolate finale was also prepared by Ducasse.
Other culinary luminaries who attended the event included French chefs Yannick Alleno, Eric Frechon, Pierre Gagnaire, Anne-Sophie Pic, Thierry Marx, Guy Savoy and Pierre Troisgros.
Meanwhile, teams from 24 countries around the world will be competing for the gold trophy at the Bocuse d’Or, known as the culinary Olympics of the food world, January 29 to 30.
