Pascal Aussignac
Pascal Aussignac
Pascal Aussignac’s name is synonymous with 'la cuisine de Gascogne'. With a Michelin star and a host of French restaurants in his stable, his understanding – and reworking – of Gascony’s fare is unsurpassed.
Pascal Aussignac is a chef who – by his own admission – doesn’t do concepts. 'I don’t like the word,' he says simply. And he doesn’t 'do' ego: 'We are just about happiness.' Instead, he is a man of innate pragmatism and tactility who takes the rich, bold and flavourful specialities of Gascony – foie gras, blood sausage, prunes, Armagnac – and reimagines unadorned country cooking into dishes that are interesting and exquisite.
Born in Toulouse, Pascal always wanted to work with his hands – initially as a stonecutter ('my real passion when I was nine') until he found his calling whilst working in local kitchens. His dedication impressed and, at fourteen years old, he enrolled in a cooking school in Bordeaux. But it was mentor Gerard Vie, a respected chef at Les Trois Marches, in Versailles, who persuaded his parents to let him leave school at seventeen to pursue a culinary career. By the age of twenty-five, after training with Vie and French masters Alain Dutournier and Guy Savoy, Pascal knew he wanted to open his own restaurant. Undeterred by cautious French banks unwilling to back a talented but young chef, he brought the no-nonsense Gascon cuisine of southwest France to London where he found a willing audience.
It is in the British capital that Pascal has thrived. When he opened Club Gascon in 1998, he admits signing a leasehold in Smithfield was risky as there were 'no pedestrians, no bars or restaurants – nothing. It was just dead. But it was atmospheric, it was intense'. The focus was – and remains – on informal, traditional, regional food dedicated to the Gascon region. Whilst the Gallic chef remains faithful to those modest origins, his food has evolved into more refined fare. Rustic yet innovative, Pascal is curious in his experimentation and the likes of wasabi Chantilly sits comfortably on the menu alongside cassoulet. 'I take the base of the ingredient and with the team twist it to a certain level where we try to reach a new style and identity, something which is a bit different,' he explains. The restaurant was duly awarded a Michelin star in 2002, which it has retained ever since.
Pascal is co-owner of the Gascon Connection group, which boasts an impressive roster consisting of flagship restaurant Club Gascon and southwestern French cocktail bar Le Bar (formerly Cellar Gascon), which are both in Smithfield; Cigalon, which serves Provençal cuisine, in The Strand; Baranis, focusing on specialist flavours from the south of France, also in The Strand; and street food concept Duck N Roll in London and Leeds. The chef-patron relishes versatility, which he says 'keeps things fresh and much more interesting' and there’s certainly a range of styles on show.
Pascal’s distinct flourishes, such as edible flowers – pleasing both to the eye and palate – are an integral part of his cooking style. He’s also instrumental in popularising small plates, serving food in such a manner (before it became a trend) out of sheer practicality. The food of Gascony is rich and hearty – smaller portions prevent overload, and are more convenient for urban diners. 'Club Gascon is the first French restaurant to design its menu as tapas in the world, not only in France,' he says. 'In a city like London where people are working, you can have two or three plates, you can share, you can do whatever you want – design your own menu format.'
As well as a Michelin star, which has been maintained for over a decade, Pascal's inventive approach to southwestern French cuisine has also won him the top accolade at the Taste of London festival no less than three times, where foie gras and truffle burgers and Marmite Royale with soldiers impressed judges with their ingenuity.
In 2009, Pascal’s book Cuisinier Gascon: Meals from a Gascon Chef was published. Awarded Best French Cookbook by Gourmand Award, it has an introduction by food legend Pierre Koffmann, whose Memories of Gascony tome is regarded as a classic. This is sound praise indeed. A tribute to Pascal’s homeland, it’s evocative, celebratory and warmly authoritative. 'Call it a traveller's companion with recipes,' says Pascal, 'made for everyday people, not chefs.'
Alongside quaffable wines and Armagnac, the bold flavours of foie gras, duck and cassoulet are as much part of Gascony’s culinary psyche as Brie and baguettes are to the Francophile’s food dream. With earthy ingredients, Pascal makes proverbial silk purses out of sows’ ears (his light, crispy pigs' ears are proof of this). The chef harnesses the potent earthiness of southwestern French cuisine with deftness and grace. He’s an artisan as comfortable serving Cassolette of snails and anchovies or Duck Pot-au-feu as he is Primavera tulips or Gladiola petals and spicy violet pearls (violets are emblematic of Toulouse).
Pascal believes that 'the way to make taste is to have no more than three flavours. More than three tastes on the plate and you start to be lost.' He applies this policy to arranging flowers, which he does for Club Gascon, finding 'the creation of texture, colour and beauty very similar to cooking'.
SITES
