Q: Alain Roux

[southern girl]

When you helped out at the Waterside Inn, what were your impressions of Alain Roux as both a leader in the kitchen and as a creator of new dishes. Cabrales posted the following from a Waterside Inn Magazine in the UK forum regarding some of Alain's more recent dishes:

"The first Alain creation calls itself minestrone printanier aux petit coquillages--spring minestrone with delicate shellfish. This came with (very English) cockles and winkles and (rather Italian) bold pesto ravioli to give it a delicately spicy Mediterranean flavor...sauteed baby snails, which were served on a bed of morels and lardons of bacon over a celeraic base in a parsley puree & a light Madeira jus, topped with a puff pastry cap...What about something new with scallops? Take some sliced baby artichokes, infused with honey, orange and lemon; place on a bed of wilted rocket leaves, roast the scallops and place on top, and sprinkle with fresh crab...And how do you revitalize salmon? Well, how about cooking it en papillote with pine needles and serving it with deep-fried pak choi and a star anise sauce? Do we detect a hint of Asian fusion here-- something for which Michel has shown a scant regard in the past? Alain disagrees...Alain has taken breast of Bresse pigeon and quail and served them on a bed of crushed potatoes and cabbage, served with a lime jus: the freshness of the citrus-based sauce serves to emphasize the rich, almost gamey savouriness of the birds...Alain has also turned his hand to his father's favorite discipline--desserts--although once again in a creative and (dare on suggest it) rather 'off-the-wall' style..."