Chef Revelations – Daniel Boulud

05 April 2012
Chef Revelations – Daniel Boulud

What was your first job? Baby farmer, helping my parents. When I was 10 I sold bouquets of lily of the valley on 1 May in Lyon and that was the only time my parents let me keep the money.

What was your first job in catering? At 15 at the Préfecture serving President Pompidou

What do you normally have for breakfast? Yogurt, fruit, granola, orange juice and espresso. But on Sunday I have eggs with caviar, truffle or salmon.

Which is your favourite restaurant? In France Michel Guérard, Paul Bocuse and Maison Troisgros. In New York Corton and Eleven Madison Park.

What's your favourite hotel? Michel Bras in Laguiole and Hotel Le Bristol in Paris

What do you do to relax? Have a nice Scotch, listen to music and read a book

What is your favourite food/cuisine? Italian

Are there any foods/ingredients that you refuse to cook with? Anything that's genetically modified

What flavour combinations do you detest? Too much sweetness in savoury dishes. Acidity is very important to me.

What do you always carry with you? Chewing gum

Which person in catering have you most admired? Paul Bocuse - at 85 he is still opening restaurants and still excited to go to work

Which ingredient do you hate the most? Banana

Who gave you the greatest inspiration? Roger Vergé, Georges Blanc, Michel Guérard and Jean-Louis Palladin

Cast away on a desert island, what luxury would you take? 200kg of Perigord truffle

If not yourself, who would you rather have been? Frank Gehry

If you had not gone into catering, where do you think you would be now? Architect

What's your favourite film? Casablanca

Who would play you in a film about your life? Michael J Fox

Who would be in your fantasy brigade? Ferran Adrià on the Josper grill; Alain Ducasse on soup; Heston Blumenthal on canapés; Jiro Ono on cold fish; Michel Troisgros on hot fish; Massimo Bottura on pasta; and Pierre Hermé on pastry.

What is your favourite prepared food product? Potato chips

Daniel Boulud, chef-restaurateur

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