Darphin Potato and Joselito Ham
In the year of his 150th anniversary, ** Joselito has once again succeeded with his Joselito Lab **, an initiative that aims to extend the ham culture outside our borders.
The sixth edition took place in Paris hand in hand with the prestigious Chef Yannick Alleno , who surprised three Michelin stars in his restaurant with an exquisite recipe book that fuses French cuisine with Iberian cuisine from Salamanca.
Joselito Lab is the only haute cuisine research project in the world that revolves around the Iberian pig . It involves the most renowned international chefs on the planet, who are entrusted with a self-created recipe book that combines its extensive and admired knowledge with one of the most precious products in Spain.
Bread stuffed with Joselito ham and truffled vinaigrette
As José Gómez Jr. defines, “our culinary project adds 27 Michelin stars in 6 different countries . In the first edition we have Ferrán Adrià in El Bulli; the second we traveled to Padua to merge the Italian cuisine of master Massimiliano Alajmo , chef at Le Calandre. Then we went to find the chef Jonnie Boer De Librije to a village in Holland, before crossing half the world and celebrating the fourth edition in Japan under the guidance of Seiji Yamamoto and his restaurant RyuGin . At the end of last year the event took place in a space near the German city of Cologne, specifically in Vendome of the prestigious Chef Joachim Wissler ”.
Thus came the sixth edition, held in Paris and starring the Chef Yannick Alleno , whose curriculum includes two Michelin stars (1999 and 2002), before founding his own company, called Yannick Alléno Group.
Since 2014 he has run the kitchen of one of the oldest restaurants in Paris, ** Pavillon Ledoyen, with 3 Michelin stars **. Installed on one side of the famous Champs Elysees, it occupies a stately building with an impressive façade, evoking the time when Napoleon met Josephine, and an interior that exhibits the most classic art deco. It currently ranks 31st in the world's 50 best restaurants.
Joselito ham jelly and mousse with fermented cereal bread
If anything characterizes the Parisian chef, it is his elegant cuisine, one hundred percent French, contemporary in style, and made with the best local seasonal produce . During a pleasant conversation before trying some of the dishes, Yannick explained that the reason for accepting the collaboration with the Spanish firm was “the taste of Joselito, which attracts me enormously. We have many friends in common, and although I already knew his product, I must say that now I like it much more. And, of course, if my friend Ferrán Adrià, I had to do it even better”, he comments with a laugh.
So he got to work. “The first thing I did was try to understand each product, and each part. To do this, I simply taste and savor it, until the product itself tells me what to do. I pay attention to all the small details that it suggests to me; I always do it like this, I am very detailed ”.
Despite insisting that the Iberian was a product on which he had not focused his attention in his kitchen until now, he admits that he liked the experience, since it has helped him to discover the breadth of textures and flavors that pork offers Iberian, according to each part or cut. “ He even conjured up vanilla for me,” he reveals with surprise, before assuring that “I liked doing a good job of researching this product, knowing more about the interesting world of the Iberian pig”.
The cookbook is made up of 17 creations, among which The Marshmallow with Chorizo Joselito and corn extraction stands out; Belón oyster pad, Joselito loin purée and Oscietra caviar, or Joselito Fan Cake with Golden apples and its Joselito Bacon Omelette.
When asked what his favorite recipe is, he quickly replies: “I prefer cold gelatin”, developed with the extraction technique that he masters so well; “ I liked it so much that, without a doubt, it will continue to be present on the menu of my restaurant, in different dishes ”.
Another of the most applauded proposals, of which he is also proud, is Joselito's 'Stiletto' based on chanterelles and white wine, and extraction of Joselito ham and Comté cheese, that he compares to a shoe from the great Louboutin because of the shape it takes.
Pavillon Ledoyen Restaurant