Beachcomber Magazine 02

W ellbeforeandwellafterhours, whenthekitchensareempty andquiet,heheadsforhis refugenearthepianos,atinylittleoffice sportingalargeposterofhisrugbyteam, theStadeToulousain.Here,hemanages thestocks,ordersandbudgets,the teamsandtherosters,designsthe menusandthethemesforthebuffets, andthinksupnewandoriginaldishes. Withthisandalltherest,thedayflies past“ like a shot ”.SinceJune2009,Jean-Christophe Basseauhasmanagedthefourrestau- rantsinthe5-starresort,includingthe gastronomictablesattheBlue marlin , renownedforitsfish,andLa Ravanne , specialisinginCreolecuisine.Hecoor- dinatesateamof110cooks–from pastrycheftoapprentices–whoprovide forover1,500coverseveryday.“ every day, we have to convert the try, to unite and boost the team, consoli- date what we’ve learnt and hone the talents of the brigade. half of our clients are regular guests. Our role is to capti- vate them with a cuisine that is healthy, generous, and full of sun, ”saysthe formerrugbyplayerandcurrentlinch- pinoftheParadisBeachcomberteam. BIRTH OF A VOCATION BorninGimont,intheGersregionof Francein1970,hehaskepthischild- hoodtastefornatureandlocalpro- duce.Aneducationcloselylinked withtheland,thefamilykitchenand thegreatcomplicitywithhisunclethe chefguidedhimnaturallytowardsa hotelandcateringcollege.“ the rest is all down to chance and the people i met, ”hesays.Heisfullofcuriosityfor lifeanditsjoys.Hehasthreechildren withhisMauritianpartnerKareen,with whomhassharedthepastfourteen years. “ cooking quickly became my passport to explore the world. i have practiced my profession in prestigious hotels and restaurants in india, Bora Bora, Florida, hawaii and california, before choosing to stay in mauritius, that garden of eden of flavours and culinary traditions. each experience enriched my palette and confirmed my predi- lection for the cuisine of the south. ” A PLATE IS LIKE A SMILE Thecuisineofthismanwiththesing- songaccentfromthesouthwestof Franceissimple,subtleandintuitive. “ the simpler, the better! then all you need todo is add light touches of flavour to titillate the taste buds. ”Whichiswhyhisprimeconcernisthe qualityoftheproduce.“ We buy as much local produce as possible. Fish, for example – tuna, sea bream, threadfin, etc. – comes directly from small fisher- men on the morne peninsula .”Theothersecretisthathedistilsinhis teamthesameborderlesscultureof condimentsandaparticularattention totheaestheticaspectofthedishes. “ We speak the same language and together we think up creations that will offer a delicious mixture of cooking from all around the world. ”Takefor instanceoneofthesignaturedishesof theBlue marlin ,createdinleaguewith thechefvishal:Raviolioflangouste, andlightlygrilledscallops,served withashellfishandvanillaemulsion withEspelettepepper.“ mild and fiery at once... ”,alldelicatelycolourfuland beautifully arranged. “We should also feast our eyes, ”saysthismanwith thecontagiousenthusiasm.He’sas sensitivetothedialogueofflavours asheistothatofcolourandshape. “ each plate is the personal smile we extend to our guests .”  Chef Basseau, holding a dolphinfish, flanked by his executive sous-chef Berthy Meriza (right) and the Brabant chef, Berty Jeannette (left). Every day the local fishermen from Le Morne provide the resort’s restaurant with unbelievable fish. Le chef Basseau tenant une dorade coryphène, entouré de son sous-chef executif Berthy Meriza (à droite) et du chef du Brabant, Berty Jeannette (à gauche) Chaque jour, les petits pêcheurs du Morne approvisionnent les tables du resort de poissons miraculeux.