Nicolas Houchet was 14 years old when he fell in love with a patisserie. His school was introducing him to various professions as part of a work placement project, and a patisserie was on their list. “When I joined the patisserie, it was Easter so I spent all my holiday making chocolates and Easter eggs. After that, I went back without school asking me to,” he says. He was in the City recently to take part in a workshop at ‘Desserted’.
The patissier elaborates that it is the space the profession provides that attracted him to it. “It’s a very broad world. One can be anything they want — cake decorator, baker, chocolatier, confectionery maker or ice carving specialist. It’s pretty much limitless and there’s nothing boring about it.”
He adds that a good pastry chef would equip themselves with all the tricks of the trade. “It’s important for an accomplished pastry chef to touch everything, from classic French dishes to showpieces.”
As a chef, what are his favourite ingredients? It doesn’t take him long to say, “Sugar and vanilla. Sugar because it is just incredible what you can achieve with sugar crystals. There are many ways to work with it, just by adding a little water. And vanilla because there are different varieties and each of them has its own distinctive flavour. You can use it for sweet and savoury dishes.”
While the start to any journey can be a little tedious, Nicolas says that it’s worth it. “It’s very important to not give up. If a person perseveres, it will get easier and more opportunities will arise. I want to encourage young and the future chefs to work hard in whatever they are doing and never give up. These days, more than the skill of a chef, employers look out for the right attitude — enthusiasm, willingness to learn, being positive and smiling.”
What is his favourite dish to cook? “Croquembouche — you can eat it from top to bottom. I find something magical about it; it has many skills involved in making it.” And when it comes to cooking, he adds, “I don’t like sweets that much because you have got to keep healthy and when you are cooking all day, they become less appealing. I taste everything I eat but in the end, it’s comfort food like crème brûlée or a hot chocolate fondant with a scoop of vanilla ice cream that I like.”
After a hard day’s work, he enjoys a savoury dish or two. “I like to cook myself some dish, and bread is my favourite. It can be in any form — a sandwich, dipped with chocolate or sliced.” When he’s not working, Nicolas likes to spend time with his daughter and teach her how to cook. “She’s really into it but I won’t push her into anything; she’ll pick when she’s the right age. I also like music; I do a lot of research and play mostly vintage instruments like a synthesizer from the 80s. It reminds me of my childhood, I guess. I also like to watch independent films because they give the youth a chance to express their talent.”
Growing up in the French city of Nancy and town of Aingeray, he says, “There were a lot of trees and fields around when I was growing up, and I was constantly outside.” When compared to France and London, where he resides now, he found India to be quite different. “Kolkata was a challenge because it was extremely hot and humid, but Bengaluru is pretty awesome,” he says. A fan of Indian spices, he is enjoying himself here.
Published 12 October 2015, 17:57 IST