Former Kremlin chef, Frenchman Jérôme Rigaud, in an interview with Paris Match, shared his impressions of working in Russia. Rigo has its own restaurant in Mantona, which is considered one of the best on the Cote d’Azur. The history of the Frenchman stretches back to 2004, when he came to Russia, learned Russian and married a Russian woman.
At the same time, Rigo was hired by the Kremlin, where he worked until 2012, arranging lavish banquets with the participation of Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev. He cannot tell much about his work, since there is a concept of state secrets. But the fact that Putin is addicted to meat, and Medvedev – to fish with sweet and sour sauce, he can tell without fear.
Rigo said that before cooking, army doctors check the delivered food in a special laboratory. “I had to wait for their signal to set the table for the president under the gaze of a doctor and a military man,” said the culinary specialist.
The Frenchman organized banquets for 2,000 participants. He speaks of Russians with warmth. They have a habit of starting a meal with vodka, and then many of the dishes on the table remain intact. “Hunger has left a mark on their minds, which is why they never throw away bread and are respectful of food,” says Rigo.
Now Rigo continues to cook some Russian dishes in his restaurant – fish soup, Siberian pork dumplings with sour cream, pies with mushrooms and meat, kulebyaka with salmon. However, he is upset that Russian chefs are not invited to work in France. “Most of them have reached the highest level. Here they would all receive one or two Michelin stars, – concluded the culinary specialist.
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