At Cyrano, in Paris, “the layers of potatoes in this mille-feuille become crunchy, before revealing a melting heart”

QWhat is as soothing as a mash, crispy as a chip and a pastiche of a 300-year-old pastry? Cyrano’s potato mille-feuille. Born in 1914, this ordinary pocket bistro located a stone’s throw from Place de Clichy was resurrected in the summer of 2022, under the leadership of four friends. Mosaics, marbled zinc, large Art Deco mirrors and paintings under glass in homage to the Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand…

Almost intact is the look of what was once the anteroom of a brothel and a HQ of the surrealists. Decidedly more modern, however, is the plate, served at the table or at the counter (for around 2 euros less) at lunchtime and to choose in the evening and at the weekend from a string of lovely dishes to share.

This famous potato mille-feuille, the young chef Charleyne Valet serves it in almost as many ways: alternately flanked by “haddock and harissa cream, whipped cream with olive oil and Taggiasca olives, raw cream, trout roe and samphire…”, lists the self-taught cook, crowned chef of the year 2023 at the Pudlo Bistro Trophies.

Hours of meticulous work

A year and a half since she made her favorite – potatoes – one of the signature dishes of the place. And if the escort fluctuates, the base remains. When eaten, the layers of potatoes become crunchy before revealing a soft, melting heart. A feat which is reminiscent of the attributes of its sweet counterpart – puff pastry and pastry cream.

With a smile on her lips – another of her signatures – Charleyne Valet summarizes several hours of meticulous work: “You have to cut the potatoes as thinly as possible (around 2 millimeters) before assembling the layers, pressing everything then cooking. » And to continue: “Then all that remains is to let it rest for a good while and fry. »

Careful not to dull your taste buds, the chef has thought of everything. That evening, it was the iodine provided by the Norman samphire (Blainville) and the trout eggs to calm the fat, and the drizzle of chives oil to refresh everything. Finally, to enhance the nutty taste of her favorite tuber, the person counts on the acidity of a bed of raw cream from La Ferme de la Vieille Abbaye (Barbery, Calvados). “I wanted to sophisticated this basic dish that I love: baked potatoes, with cream and fresh herbs,” she concludes. Why keep it simple when you can do it prodigiously?