Tersina Shieh
加拿大人弗蘭克斯·查迪尔有许多头衔:侍酒师、厨师、酿酒师以及酒商。我在澳门永利皇宫酒店遇到他时,他担任的是一位风味专家,正向100多位侍酒师、厨师以及媒体展示着美食和美酒风味的艺术与科学之道。
You might hear of Amarone, but what about Appassimento, a term Canadian Francois Chartier wears many hats - sommelier, chef, vintner and wine merchant. When I met him at Wynn Palace in Macau, he was the flavour expert presenting The Art and Science of Food, Wine and Flavourto over 100 sommeliers, chefs and media.
弗兰克斯的餐酒搭配理念即分子美食学。他相信每种原料都有主导的香气分子,如果使用不同原材料的组合来共享同一个香气分子,那么这种香气就会更加突出(如同1+1=3的效果),这样的搭配会事半功倍。弗兰克斯通过雷达图向我们展示了共享同一香气分子的不同食物和饮品。而我们需要做的,就是从同一张图表中挑选成分,创造奇迹。
葫芦巴内酯这一化学分子经常出现在熏普洱茶、酱油和苏玳葡萄酒(甜型葡萄酒)中。弗兰克斯信誓旦旦地表示:泡在普洱茶里的水煮三文鱼淋上酱油,搭配苏玳葡萄酒简直是天作之合。同理,烤羊肉配薄荷和芹菜根搭配普宜菲美(Pouilly-Fumé,来自法国卢瓦尔河产区的长相思)也非常美味。因为薄荷、欧芹、根茎类蔬菜和长相思都有相同的茴香分子。然而,同样的烤羊肉如果是用大量的迷迭香烹饪,就应该搭配干型或者是甜型的雷司令。因为迷迭香和雷司令都含有萜烯,各种搭配以此类推。
凭借着这一理念,弗兰克斯与西班牙著名的el Bulli餐厅(现已歇业)主厨Ferran Adrià合作设计了一款寿司,使用了黑橄榄酱、黑胡椒水,以及裹着烟熏海苔的米饭搭配西拉葡萄酒。他还为可可百利制作了一系列用来搭配不同葡萄酒的巧克力。弗兰克斯的最新项目之一是在田中清酒酿造厂进行革命性的清酒混酿(传统的清酒不会进行混酿),并计划在几个月后回来展示他的创新型清酒。
大师班结束后,弗兰克斯还策划了“勃艮第明珠”晚宴,用七道菜来搭配七款葡萄酒和一款茶。其中一些菜肴创意十足,引起了食客们的一番讨论,包括甘草水煮牡蛎、巴西坚果薄脆以及罗西尼风格的鹅肝圆顶巧克力。
虽然侍酒师和厨师对于分子料理都十分熟悉,但弗兰克斯还是解释了这一理念背后的科学道理。它为我们打开了一个“搭配的世界”,让我们将看似不相关的成分组合在一起,但味道却十分美妙,比如烤绿芦笋和黑巧克力搭配一款典型的纳帕产区赤霞珠,这款酒我们曾在大师班课程结束时品尝过。
话虽如此,但我还是认为我们必须格外小心,不要在消费者面前过于炫耀。想象一下,如果侍酒师告诉客人:因为茴香分子十分有魔力,所以你们一定要点一份烤羊肉来搭配长相思,这一桌客人会有什么样的反应?对于普通消费者来说,葡萄酒已经足够复杂了,如果还要把“香气搭配理念”强加给他们,只会让他们排斥葡萄酒。侍酒师和厨师们应该悄悄利用这一科学工具,为客人们提供一个愉快而没有压力的夜晚。
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His food and wine matching concept is aromatic synergy. Each ingredient has a dominant aroma molecule, and by combining ingredients sharing the same molecule, the result is greater than the sum of its parts (1+1= 3) and the pairing greatly enhanced. Francois illustrated this by showing us spider maps of different food and beverages that share the same molecule. All we need is to do is to be creative and pick ingredients from same chart to work wonders.
Sotolon is the molecule shared by smoked Pu-er tea, soy sauce and 10YO Sauternes (sweet wine), amongst others. Francois swore that poached salmon in smoked Pu-er tea drizzled with soy sauce served with the 10YO Sauternes would be a heavenly match. Similarly, roasted lamb with mint and parsley on root vegetables will be perfect with a Pouilly-Fumé (Sauvignon Blanc from Loire, France) because mint, parsley, root vegetables and Sauvignon Blanc all share the same anise molecule. However the same roasted lamb with lots of rosemary should be paired with a Riesling, regardless if it is dry or sweet, because the common aroma compound of rosemary and Riesling is terpenes. The list goes on….
Armed with this concept, Francois worked with Ferran Adrià, head chef of renowned elBulli restaurant (now closed) in Spain and designed a sushi using black olives paste, black pepper water, puffed wild rice wrapped in smoked nori wrap to match with a Syrah. He also created a series of chocolate for Cacao-Barry to match with different wines. One of Francois latest project is the revolutionary sake blending at Tanaka Sake Brewery (traditional sake is not blended). He is planning to come back in a few months to present his sake creation.
After the masterclass, Francois curated the Pearl of Burgundy gala dinner matching seven dishes paired with seven wines and a tea. Some of the dishes, like the oyster poached in liquorice water, couscous of Brazil nuts and mandarin; and Chocolate dome‘Tournedos Rossini style with foie gras were so creative that they prompted a fair bit of discussion among guests.
Sommeliers and chefs are familiar with this flavour pairing concept but Francois explained the science behind the concept. It opens up the pairing world for us to combine seemingly unrelated ingredients but taste good together, such as roasted green asparagus and dark chocolate paired with a typical Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that we sampled at the end of the masterclass.
Having said that, I think we have to be careful not to be too show off in front of consumers. Imagine the reaction of a table of diners when sommeliers explain to them that have to order a Sauvignon Blanc with roasted lamb because of the magic anise molecule. Wine is complicated enough for average consumer and to impose the scientific reasoning of pairing on them will just put them off wine totally. Sommeliers and chefs should use this tool behind the scene to provide an enjoyable but stress-free evening for guests.
Watch Wynn Palace news for the next Francois Chartier event.