Food

The Art of French Cooking at Pot au Feu

The executive chef give us a lesson on French cuisine

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Jack Paschke moved to Providence from Maryland eight years ago to pursue a degree in Culinary Arts and Food Service Management at Johnson & Wales. Once a hash slinger, Jack moved up the ranks at the Federal Reserve (now The Dorrance) and Pot au Feu. At first he prepared desserts and apps, then became the sous chef and is now the executive chef at this classic French restaurant.

What do you love about French cuisine?
I like that they utilize everything. To a certain extent every culture does that, but the French, especially, do. They figured out how to make it all delicious. It’s called culinary art because there is a lot of art involved. It’s not just creating something good to look at. It’s got to look good, taste good, feel good, sound good. To achieve that you need to know a lot of chemistry, timing, just how high that burner goes compared to the one next to it. That’s why I love this [one-man] kitchen:it’s tiny, it’s easy to get in to. To a certain extent it does become a part of you.

Tell me about some of the major ingredients you use.
A good stock. Bones. One of the things I love about this job is watching water boil. It’s my favorite thing because that’s the beginning of it all. [A] good stock means a good sauce means a good plate. A marginal stock makes an even less marginal sauce and ultimately the whole plate isn’t where it could have been, as far as quality. And everything is done in layers. Start at the bottom and be proficient through the whole process to make the level and quality of product you are trying to achieve. As for a single ingredient: butter. Nothing beats it.

What do you love to make?
I don’t have to make it anymore, because I don’t make the desserts, but I used to love making the vanilla mousse – because it’s difficult.

And you like the fact that it is difficult?
Yes. You have to be technically proficient; you have to know what you’re doing. It’s a cold soufflé. There are a lot of pieces; a lot of it is temperature. When I make it in the middle of summer and everything is 90 degrees, I don’t make it in the kitchen, I make it in the walk-in because if I don’t my meringue will melt or my heavy cream will split. Make it in the middle of winter, maybe I’ll go in the salon because it is a couple of degrees warmer and it will hold a little better. I like doing it because there’s a way to make it great and then there’s a way to just make it. There are different markers that let you know you’ve done well: how well it sits in a glass, how many portions you’ve got, how loose or viscous it is.

For someone who’s never had French food, what would you recommend they try the first time?
Try the Beef Bourguignon. It’s delicious. To an extent it’s comfort food. It’s meat and potatoes and wine. Or [try] the French Onion Soup. They’re both super classic. Then they would have to have the Crème Brûlée.

What about a dish for those of us who love this type of cuisine?
[Try] the Pot au Feu. We make our own whole, on-the-bone marinated chicken; we put our own corned beef in it (we marinate that for a week); carrots, leeks potatoes, onions, celery, all kinds of stuff goes in it.

Why do you think people can’t get enough of these classic dishes?
Simplicity is certainly a road to greatness. We have the following we have because people like that. It is nostalgic. People emote when they eat. A lot of the food we do here is traditional. It is important to have that connection to create that better experience for your diner. I’ve had French people come up to me and say that this is some of the best French food I’ve ever had, and I was in France yesterday.

Talk to me about the seasonality of the menu.
We have the same standard menu, but there are seasonal components within that change. So, for example, our Chicken Farci (Poulet Farci du Jour), the stuffing changes; in the crêpes the filling changes. The chicken is the same chicken but what goes in it every week is different. This week it’s dates, cream cheese, lemon zest and mint. Last week it was brie, pears, croissants and almonds. And the week before last it was goat cheese, asparagus and roasted red peppers.

Why do you think Pot au Feu continues to be successful after over 40 years?
Because it’s good. Why is it good? For 40 years people have been expecting something and 40 years later they are still getting what they expect. And it’s still good. It doesn’t have to be off the wall food, it’s just good. There’s a couple that’s been coming here for dinner once a week for years, and they keep coming back because it’s good.

pot au feu, jack paschke, french food providence, providence monthly

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