During the AGECOTEL exhibition, Hermance Carro prepared her famous “Incan Grain Risotto, Butterfly Prawns, Shellfish Foam.” Quinoa makes its appearance on the French Riviera.
The 26th edition of AGECOTEL, the exhibition for hotel, restaurant, and community professionals, started yesterday with the World Cup of Shellfish Openers. Situated within the exhibition center, this show fosters partnerships and professional meetings over four days. Numerous stands offer tastings and the latest technological innovations. But that’s not all! At the “Chef’s Space,” animations and demonstrations by top chefs are held every hour. Jean-Denis Rieubland, the chef of the restaurants at the Negresco Hotel, selects the blue-ribbon chefs of the region to promote French gastronomy.
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On Monday, February 3, Hermance Carro, chef of the Le Castellaras restaurant in Fayence, kicked things off. In front of about fifteen attentive people, she explained each step of her recipe “Incan Grain Risotto, Butterfly Prawns, Shellfish Foam.”
Benjamin, her right-hand man, is responsible for preparing the ingredients. Organic grains, red lentils, quinoa: everything is cooked in water. The mix of the various seeds, Hermance Carro calls it “the Incan mix.” Originally from Var, this professional prefers local products to exotic ones. She emphasizes the importance of freshness: “Based on what my husband brings back from the market, we decide on the different dishes to prepare.” Her husband, Quentin Joplet, is Belgian, but the Mediterranean cuisine has dominated in their Michelin-recommended restaurant. “We don’t even serve fries because we can’t find the right potatoes,” says Hermance Carro while drizzling olive oil into the pan.
A gourmet secret? Keep it simple and don’t mix more than three or four flavors in a dish.
A tip for presentation? Before plunging the prawns into boiling water, slightly cut the tails in two. Once cooked, they unfold and form “butterfly prawns.”
As a former student who has participated in culinary television shows, Hermance Carro will speak tomorrow at the Paul Augier hotel school stand at 5:30 PM. She will also join the jury for “La Main d’Or au féminin,” a competition dedicated to women, schoolgirls, and high school girls.
