At École Ducasse in Enderun Colleges, Chef William Groult gives a glimpse into the current culinary revolution
In reality, a master class in person is quite different from the cooking shows you see on television. There is a symphony of appetite-stimulating smells wafting over the harsh sound of scraping metals as well as the satisfying crackle of an open fire. More often than not, the waiting time is unrealistic, unlike the real-time preparation of actual cooking.
In the École Ducasse one-day masterclass at Enderun Colleges last November 16, 2023, the audience was filled with bigwig chefs and major hotel and restaurant management representatives. They had come together to watch renowned Chef William Groult.
A master’s degree holder in psychology, Groult later chose to follow his passions in food as Assistant Chef in 2008 at École Ducasse Paris, becoming Senior Instructor Chef and Consultant. Now Head of Pedagogy for the Paris Campus’ training programs, the audience watched with rapt attention as he held a cooking demonstration that delved into the heart of Alain Ducasse’s sustainability-driven culinary philosophy.
The chef began with Alumahan, a species of mackerel the chef had discovered in his sojourn around fish markets in Manila. Keeping his station neat, he began the preparation with a marinade. Setting it aside, he commented that after 15 years of cooking, you have an automatic timer in your head. A mistake that many chefs in the Philippines make, despite being a country surrounded by water, is overcooking the fish. But Chef Groult cooked it simply and swiftly with a blowtorch. After deglazing and reducing fennel condiments, it was draped over bulghur (a wheat foodstuff similar to rice but far more nutritious), and finished with tiny edible flowers and the nutrient-rich blue pea.
Next was the persian octopus. You could feel the excitement rising as the grand tentacles were unveiled. Next to an open window, it was cooked under billowing steam. The octopus was complemented by a unique beetroot sauce with pomegranate molasses, tahini, orange blossom water, and all manner of spices.
Chef Groult quoted his mentor Alain Ducasse,
“It is good to think before it is good to eat.”
Here he stressed the importance of sustainability while eating: To know the producer while incorporating fresh, natural ingredients. With 21 Michelin Stars under the master chef’s belt, Chef Groult likened haute cuisine to haute couture—that at one point, it will influence day-to-day cuisine, a mantra that educators at École Ducasse strive for.
To finish, the masterclass ended with a healthy, all-vegetable dish: Bok Choy with a Lato Seaweed condiment. The vegetable was softened with sparkling water, olive oil, and salt in a vacuum bag, then heated and adorned with a burnt lemon paste and seaweed condiment.
Enderun Colleges continues its mission for quality culinary education with its partnership with École Ducasse, the 2023 recipient of the World’s Best Culinary Training Institution.
Founder of the school Jack Tuason said in a quick speech, “Partnerships… Involvement…. These come all the time to make us better.”
The institution stands one step ahead, as it promotes a world where eco-consciousness translates to “living well,” starting by “eating well.”
Special thanks to École Ducasse Manila at Enderun Colleges. Follow École Ducasse Manila and Enderun Colleges for more updates.