Presenting Jean-Francois Antony, "Maitre Fromager Affineur"

By Rudy Muller

            Imagine a cheese dinner with one of the best cheese makers in the world!  This actually happened on May 26 in the Caprice restaurant's private dining room of the Four Seasons Hotel.

            A few weeks before, Oliver Win had asked me to join him at a cheese dinner.  Once I learned where the cheese was from or rather hand-picked and selected, I got really excited.  It was none other than Bernard Antony, Maitre Fromager Affineur, from the Sundgauaer Kaes-Kaller in Vieux Ferrette, Alsace. This small town is not far from the Swiss border and Bernard Antony's cheese collection is well known in Switzerland. 

            I remember when I was in Basel for IGEHO in 1999, the chef of the Basilea Hotel took me to a cold truck filled with cheese from Bernard Antony's cheese cellar.  We tasted the different cheeses on the spot and at the same time learned about their origins, taste, texture and age.  The chef selected all the items for his cheese board in the fine dining room.  

            Other chefs like Alan Ducasse, Gordon Ramsay and top hotels in Paris, Monaco and London among others are featuring these cheeses in their restaurants.

            And now, eight years later, Bernard's son, Jean-Francois, brings this great cheese to Hong Kong with the help of Olivier Pacific. 

            So ... for this special dinner, there were 16 guests from all walks of life - a Swiss Vice Consul and his wife, a group of ladies from the Quebec trade office, a German toy maker and his wife, a few chefs, Oliver Win, myself and of course, Jean-Francois Antony.

            The room itself was fitting for this grand event: dark wood, milky mirrors, antique clocks, heavy furniture, dim chandelier and candlelight, very gothic!  We had an 8-course Gala cheese dinner and every second course was a cheese plate with a variety of carefully selected cheeses. 

            Jean-Francois introduced every cheese course, explained the region it was from, the grass and altitude of the pasture the goat, sheep or cows had been grazing on - all this makes a difference in the texture, flavour and constitution of the cheese.  We also found out that it sometimes takes hundreds of liters of milk to get a small cheese wheel.  And finally the aging process, some cheeses are kept 3 to 6 months in the cellar and the "Grand Cru" among them up to 4 years.

            We enjoyed some Comte cheese cut from a whole piece of around 35 to 40 kg.  The cheese came from a single cow raised in Fort St. Antoine, the Jura mountains.  It was aged for 4 years and 5 pieces were produced that year.  It's the Rolls Royce of cheeses and reserved for only a select few each year.  

            The sharp, almost spicy flavour was textured with its crystallized amino acids.  Yet, it was smooth and creamy with a nutty hint which left the mouth wanting more!  It was sensational and I had never tasted this in any cheese before.

            Jean-Francois was so passionate about his craft.  It reminded me of a winemaker's passion.  You could feel and taste the labour, tradition and love which went into every piece of cheese that we tasted that night.  And like a wine tasting, we were told which one to taste first before proceeding to the next.

            The dinner was absolutely stunning and went so well with the wine and cheese.  A big "Merci Beaucoup" goes to Caprice's Chef Vincent Thierry and his brigade who prepared this dinner under the watchful eye of Executive Chef Brett Patterson.  And of course to Oliver Win who brought us all together to enjoy a spectacular meal which we won't forget so easily.

Célébration des Fromages with the exceptional Participation of

Jean-François ANTONY

  

Variation de Pâtes Dures

Aged Comté, Beaufort d’Alpage and Gruyère Suisse

Magnum Pol Roger Brut

 

Foie Gras Millefeuille with Scented Strawberries and Pistachio Mousse

Recioto Della Valpolicella Allegrini 2003

 

Variation de Chèvres

Cabri ariègeois, Picodon, Rocamadour, Chèvre Drôme, Charolais and Elgines

Sancerre Florès Dom. Pinard 2005

 

Line-Caught Sea Bass with

Provençale Vegetables Méli Mélo and Lemon Balm Infusion

Gewurztraminer V.V Furstentum Dom. Mann 2003

 

Variation de Croûtes Lavées

Abbaye de Citeaux, Munster and Epoisses

Gewurztraminer V.V Furstentum Dom. Mann 2003

 

Milk-Fed Veal Medallion Cuit au Plat with Morel Mushrooms,

Seasonal Butter Beans and Forestière Sauce

Vosne Romanée Dom. Duband 2004

 

Variation de Pâtes Persillées

Fourme d’Ambert, Roquefort “Vieux Berger” and Stilton

Côtes du Jura Vin de Paille Dom. Pichet 1997

 

Nougat Express with Marinated Orange,

Grapefruit Jelly and Champagne Emulsion

Côtes du Jura Vin de Paille Dom. Pichet 1997