อ่านบทความภาษาไทยคลิกที่นี่
Beloved by the greats, from Alexander Dumas to Victor Hugo, and found as regular staples in the kitchens of Versailles as well as on the streets of Montmartre, the humble pâté en croûte—meat pie—was, for the better part of a millennia, a French national dish. After almost being left behind to the doldrums of history, pâté en croûte has been enjoying a great renaissance across France, and we are very fortunate to have a chance to try the best of this classical dish, made by a world champion, right here in Chiang Mai.
This particular charcuterie was first served as a starter in France in the 13th century, its thick hard crust in those early days not meant to be eaten, but to act as a preservative for the meat. Various cuts of meat were used for the fillings from pheasant to boar, pork to chicken, duck to venison, and soon, within a few centuries, pâtés en croûte were found across France; cooks and street vendors tinkering with the recipe and using the best as well as the cheapest cuts of meat, depending on budgets, availability and creativity. It wasn’t until the 17th Century that pâtés en croûte were elevated with the addition of the flakey layers of feuilletages—puff pastry—enhancing the treat with their elegant and delicate layers. However, it is believed that over industrialisation for the past century, with mass production dropping not just the overall quality but also the presentation of the dish, this near-millennia staple pâté en croûte slowly began to disappear from French tables and menus.
It was in 2009, fortunately, when a group of four chef friends came up with the idea to hold a competition, for fun, to make the best pâté en croûte. This bit of levity soon saw the chefs pushing and challenging themselves and each other, as they soon realised that this dish presented endless possibilities. Soon the competition saw more and more contestants apply, from butchers to bakers, chefs to artisans, growing larger and more international with every year.
Today, World Pâté en Croûte Championships enjoy attending contestants from all over the world. They even have regional competitions such as Scandinavia, North America, etc. In fact, the latest chef to take home the title was Japanese Taiki Mano of the Imperial Hotel’s Les Saisons restaurant in Tokyo. Pâtés en croûte have since enjoyed a renaissance in France, with boutique shops opening up selling creative and innovative fillings, alongside more traditional staples. Young French charcutiers are also on the rise, with one of the competition’s founders, Arnaud Bernoulli calling the delicacy, “quintessence of gluttony, gastronomy and culinary mastery of charcuterie and pastry making.”
On the 9th of March of this year, Chef Daniel Gobet, 2018 winner of the World Pâté en Croûte Championship, will be joining Shangri-La Chiang Mai’s Executive Chef Guillaume Comparat as well as Executive Chef Alexandre Demard, pâté en croûte master, to present Chiang Mai diners with the absolute best of French charcuterie.
While Chef Daniel Gobet has trained and worked in multiple Michelin starred kitchens in France as well as in Switzerland, having taken home numerous awards and accolades, his career trajectory took a sharp turn after taking home the crown as the world champion in 2018.
“I now fly around the world judging competitions, getting interviewed and demonstrating,” he explained. “I also have numerous requests to present my pâté en croûte at special events, recently selling over 700 kilograms at one festival in France.”
“You have to be a good butcher, you have to be an excellent pastry chef and you have to know how to cook,” said Chef Gobet. “It is also about having the best combination of fillings, with my winning recipe being made of duck, chicken, sweet bread, chicken liver, foie gras, pistachio, pork neck, veal and mushrooms. You have to marinate it just right, then have the perfect beef broth jelly filling to enhance the flavours. How it presents is also now very important, with many chefs showing off their products on Instagram.”
“For our special lunch at Shangri-La, we will do many pâtés en croûte, including the Thai one I made at the instigation of my Thai wife which is filled with coconut, chicken, basil, white wine and shallots. We will also offer many other dishes—hot and cold—with crusts, terrines, sausages, foie gras, rillettes, quiches, pâtés, smoked salmon as well as many unique dishes which I think will really surprise diners such as our sweet pate with almond, pear and chocolate or the vegetarian pâté en croûte with aga aga jelly. It will be buffet style, so you can really get to try everything.
Chef Daniel Gobet says that he is also currently working on setting up a pâté en croûte competition here in Thailand.
“I see the great enthusiasm and skills of young Thai chefs and I want to offer the winners the chance to train in my kitchen in France. It will be an invaluable experience for the winner.”
Guests will be spoilt for choices with this special brunch, where dozens upon dozens of dishes will be served. There will be the hors d’oeuvre and salad section with a selection of greens and vegetables served along side pickled, raw, cooked and grilled vegetables to be sprinkled and doused in the chefs’ special dressings. Next, the several “tables culinaires” will see poached free range eggs in bourguignonne, an assortment of Chef Guillaume’s favourite charcuterie or cold cuts, along with slow cooked pork rillettes with lemon zest, and a lentil and a grated carrot salad. There is also the charmingly old fashioned sounding terrines and aspics section where savoury jellied products will be featured including poached chicken in tarragon infused consommé jelly, pork head jelly, root vegetable confit as well as poached asparagus and black truffle and vinegar jus jellies.
And the “pièce de résistance”—the pâté en croûte section. This is a unique chance to sample a variety of world class pâtés en croûte. These include such filings as ginger poached yellow chicken, black pork with smoked paprika and piquillos, black pudding with caramelised apple, organic Klong Phai farm duck with foie gras, organic root vegetables confit with tangerine and roasted pumpkin and Duroc pig terrine, all of which are served with pickles and chutneys made from products picked from Shangri-La Hotel’s gardens.
The list goes on…there are then numerous puff pastry or “les feuilletages” products from beef Wellington to pigeon pie as well as classic timeless French dishes including Lyon truffle sausage baked in French brioche and a giant seabass oven baked in salt crust. There are also soups, cheeses and a great assortment of pastry dishes for dessert.
All of this accompanied by a petite boulangerie to soak it all up and a fine wine selection curated by the resident sommelier, Khun Kosin to elevate your dining experience to new heights of indulgence.
9 March 2025
12 Noon – 3 PM at Kad Kafé Restaurant, Level 2
THB 1,988 Nett Per Person
This price does not include the wine pairing. Please ask for details.
Advance reservation required, limited seating available.
For further enquiries and booking Call: +66 53 253 888
or Email at:restaurants.slcm@shangri-la.com
For more information click: https://www.slcm.online/a-
