Dish in Focus: Seasonal vegetables cooked together with black truffle at Alain Ducasse at Morpheus

South China Morning Post

2 days ago

Those familiar with
renowned French chef Alain Ducasse will recognise his hallmark contemporary French haute cuisine. Having grown up on a farm in the Landes region of France, Ducasse places a strong emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients and using local produce wherever possible.
With more than 30 restaurants under his belt today – across seven countries, spanning from Paris to Tokyo – Ducasse opened his eponymous restaurant in Macau in 2018, as
part of the Morpheus Hotel inside the City of Dreams integrated resort.
Seasonal vegetables cooked together with black truffle. Photo: Alain Ducasse at Morpheus
Awarded two Michelin stars, Alain Ducasse at Morpheus is overseen by the legendary chef himself, joined by chef de cuisine Cedric Satabin. Having worked for almost four years as chef de partie at Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse in Monaco, chef Satabin joined the Macau restaurant in 2018.
One of the first recipes Satabin learned during his time in
Monaco was the signature seasonal vegetable 'cookpot' – a dish showcasing seven seasonal vegetables, cooked and served differently at each of Ducasse's restaurants.
'This dish was created back in 1987 for Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse at
Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo in Monaco ,' says Satabin. 'At that time, vegetables were not commonly considered as ingredients. This recipe was from his first vegetarian menu, Les Jardins de Provence [the Provence's Garden].'
Alain Ducasse's restaurants use seasonal ingredients and local produce whenever possible. Photo: Alain Ducasse at Morpheus
Adapting the dish to suit local tastes and the vegetables available in Macau, Satabin sources the peas and baby leeks locally, while the artichoke, trumpet zucchini, green asparagus, butter lettuce, radish, turnip, baby carrots, fennel, green beans, snow peas and carrot leaves are imported from Provence.