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Jean-Paul Corbillet

« Discovering is Living »

Chef of Pullman Paris in La Defense, Jean-Paul Corbillet is a man of distant horizons. He’s been a traveler since his first real job. From the West Indies to the great European capitals to Asia, he has developed a culinary palate informed by all the cultures he’s encountered.
Here, he tells all regarding his path, his experiences, and his vision of foie gras.

Originally from Paris, I chose to pursue studies at Ferrandi. As soon as I graduated with a CAP in cooking, I became a cook in the army during my military service. I had the good fortune to work under a chef from Reunion Island who introduced me to the subtleties of cari, rougails, and other spiced dishes. It was like a glimpse of the future, even though I didn’t know it at the time, because my first job back in civilian life was in Guadeloupe. I spent 4 years there totally immersed in West Indian cooking and culture. For me, it was amazing to work with the local island products and spices, and to meet the woman I was to marry. Upon returning to Europe, I spent time in London where I was able to participate in the exciting adventure of Sir Terence Conran restaurants, the precursors of fusion cuisine. Later, I was back in Paris, but still attached to my exotic background, thanks to the hotel chain Accor. I also became known thanks to Joel Robuchon’s inviting me on «bon appétit, bien sûr» on France 3.

I couldn’t live without exploring what the world has to offer.

Thanks to international hotel chains, I’ve had numerous opportunities to discover other cultures. I was able to go to China, to Beijing, to Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and Thailand. I have yet to discover Japan, India… In my approach to work, I like to begin with a product and build my recipe based on things I’ve discovered. I try to enrich it with an openness, a mingling of cultures. Personally, I couldn’t live without exploring what the world has to offer.

With foie gras, I feel totally free.

These days, thanks to a brand such as Rougié, foie gras means entire lobes, as well as slices, nuggets, foie gras ice cream, foam… Regis Tornier, my assistant, and I love the playfulness of these products. The two of us created a tatin of shallots served with foie gras ice cream, a rolled foie gras with soft figs and apricots, truffle ice cream with foie gras, and we’re going to make seasonal variations. The recipe that I’m giving you here is a nod to Asia and the West Indies. On a bed of foie gras nuggets, foie gras foam and crispy noodles, I add a broth made from coconut milk and spices. When the hot liquid comes into contact with the noodles, the noodles crackle, a little like rice crispies. For more traditional dishes, I use a lot of frozen deveined foie gras. I was reticent at first, but when I used it at a low temperature of 52°C, I realized that there was no rendering and that it saved me considerable time in the kitchen. During the Christmas season, I use it for foie gras with candied chestnuts marinated in Porto and vanilla fleur de sel from Guérande. In the spring, we marinate it in Get 27 and roll it in fresh mint. Really, what I love to do is create unexpected sensations while pushing the barriers of tradition, with a dash of humor and most especially… lots of love !

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