It’s a bit like his whole life. He tells why…
Behind Juan Arbelaez’s duck à l’orange hides a part of his childhood. “This recipe really sounds like me because it’s my childhood dream to be a cook one day in France“, he explains. In his dish, he mixes French know-how and his Colombian roots. Being in France, he also discovers flavors that he did not know yet. Moreover, before his arrival in France, Juan Arbelaez had never tasted duck. “I immediately fell in love with this flesh“, he confides.
When he tastes his dish, Juan Arbelaez travels in time. The flavors of his recipe remind him in particular of the “taste of tamarind” of his childhood. Moreover, being able to cook in France is an honor for the chef. He was able to learn the technicality of the French classics before mixing in his slightly more exotic notes and color. “The Frenchman is grumpy. Me, I like to see life on the bright side“, he laughs.
