It seems almost inevitable that Hélène Darroze became a chef. Hailing from Landes, in Southwest France, she was born into a family of restaurateurs and is the fourth generation of chefs. She has restaurants in France, England, and Marrakech and has six Michelin stars. Her London restaurant, Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, has the ultimate accolade of three Michelin stars. She talks to Vogue Hong Kong food columnist Susan Jung about her life and cooking.
First, I would normally address you as a chef, but I read somewhere that you don’t like to be called chef. Why is that? Most cooks can’t wait to earn that title.
I don’t really like this military side we give to our job. When I have a commis [junior cook], I call him by his name. I don’t call him “commis”, so why should he call me chef? For me, it’s not because someone calls you chef that you are respected, it’s the way you inspire, the way you work – it’s not just the name “chef”. I have a very strong connection with my team, and it’s not because they call me “chef” that I am respected. I don’t like it when we are called a [kitchen] brigade – we are a team, a family.
Where do you look for inspiration for your cuisine?
Of course, the basis for my cuisine is that I was born into a family of chefs. Since I was very little, I have seen this world of the kitchen – the fine dining cuisine. But there’s also the countryside [I was raised in]. Every morning, I saw the produce man, the butcher, the fisherman, who would come to deliver the goods to my grandfather, who had two stars. That was my education. This took place in Southwest France, in the Landes, where gastronomy and good produce are so important. That’s my first inspiration – what I learned in my childhood. And now, I travel and meet people. My cuisine is who I am, in every dish, I want to show who I am, tell a story. My cuisine is very personal – it’s something that comes from me, my education, and the travels and people I meet, which influence the way I cook. But the basis will always be the products. You cannot be a good chef if you don’t have good products, and the relationship with my producer is so important. I have restaurants in several parts of the world, and my duty is to use local products in our cuisine, and to show our respect to these products.
Before you had your own restaurants, you worked for a time for Alain Ducasse. Was it difficult being a female chef in a top kitchen?
No, I never had that problem. I have always been respected — I have never had a problem with that. From what I hear, I was lucky.
You were named the World’s 50 Best Female Chef in 2015. That award is controversial—some people think it’s condescending, others think it’s necessary because although the situation differs from country to country, the fact remains that there are far fewer female chefs in top restaurants worldwide. Do you think the award is still necessary?
If you compare it to cinema, there’s an Oscar for women and an Oscar for men. I can understand why some say it’s not necessary, but at the same time, when we women receive an award like that, it encourages other women. The reality is that there are not a lot of women at this level of gastronomy, and if we can inspire others, it’s a good reason to keep this award.
Your restaurant in London has three stars. Is there a lot of pressure there to keep the stars?
It was difficult to get them, but to maintain them… I always challenge myself and my team. We always ask ourselves, what can we do better, how can we give more pleasure, more happiness. I don’t feel the pressure to keep the stars, I know we are doing our best. What’s going to happen – that’s not my concern. Of course, when it’s the Michelin ceremony, we can say we are happy we maintained the stars, we hope that it goes well. However, on a daily basis, it’s not a source of stress for me and my team, because I know we are giving our best.
Is cooking an art or a craft?
I prefer saying we are artisans. “Artist” – I’m not comfortable with that. But where is the line between art and craft? It’s something very delicate. I [also like] craftsman.
In addition to running several restaurants, you also have two daughters. How do you manage your time with so much going on in your life?
I have three fine dining restaurants with six stars, a bistro in Paris, and two at the Royal Mansour in Marrakech. I have beautiful teams everywhere, in every restaurant, and they are organised in a way that, with daily operations, they can run without me. They know my cuisine, and they work in a similar manner. For sure, I work a lot — I spend a lot of time in restaurants.
I have some rules [concerning] my daughters — I spend all Sunday with them, and most of Saturday, although I do service in the evenings. I used to have two homes, one in Paris and one in London. Now I live mainly in Paris, and my home is a five-minute walk from the restaurant. I can be home in five minutes, and the girls can always come to the restaurants. One daughter is 18, and the other is 16 — so they’re nearly adults. Neither of them wants to be a chef, but I have a nephew who might be interested in the profession.
Do you ever cook at home?
Yes, always. Very simple food — well, simple and not simple, it depends. I love asparagus, and recently, I cooked a beautiful tart with white asparagus and fresh goat’s cheese, as well as osso bucco paired with Milanese risotto. I cook food to be shared with friends and family.
What do you do to relax?
I love to travel, but I don’t have a lot of time to do that. I love to read — I read a lot. I love writing, but unfortunately, I don’t have time to write a book, as it needs a lot of time and concentration. It’s something I will definitely do when I retire. I love little pleasures, like meeting friends and family and cooking for them. I love listening to music, and I’m trying to learn to play the piano.
Do you have any plans for new restaurants or ventures? Anything in Asia?
Not at the moment. I have been asked, but right now, I don’t. There are some discussions, but it’s too early to speak.
Editor
Susan JungCredit
Lead Image: Matias Indjic
