Adieu! Joël Robuchon

We did not know Chef Joël Robuchon personally, but we have dined in his restaurants in Paris, Las Vegas, and New York, and his silky mashed potatoes are a Thanksgiving tradition at our table. We adore them! Maybe a little too much sometimes!

The news August 6^th of Robuchon’s death from cancer at age 73 raced through the internet leaving many of us needing time to catch our breaths. With an accumulated 31 Michelin Stars and 20 fine-dining restaurants in 12 cities around the world, Robuchon, joins a seat at the angels’ table d’haute cuisine next to Paul Bocuse, Roger Vergé, and other great French chefs who served as mentors to many chefs around the world.

Maybe that’s why the night sky shined a little brighter on August 6. Heaven just gained some more Michelin stars. RIP Chef.

 

Among the many tributes to Robuchon on Twitter:

The MICHELIN Guide‏ @MichelinGuideUK
Career Highlights of Joël Robuchon The legendary French chef, who died today at age 73, had a career spanning almost 60 years and more than 20 restaurants with a total of 31 Michelin stars….
“As the world takes in the news of the death of one of its most feted chefs, we look back at the career of the legendary Joël Robuchon. The French chef, who ran a chain of French fine-dining restaurants in 12 cities around the world, passed away in Geneva after a battle with cancer. He was 73 years old.” Link to article

Eric Ripert‏  @ericripert Aug 6
Shocked and very sad by the loss of my Mentor Joel Robuchon. The most rigorous, precise, demanding, ultra gifted King of all Chefs… RIP Monsieur Robuchon

French Embassy U.S.‏ @franceintheus
Joël Robuchon was a great ambassador of French cuisine. Named “Chef of the Century” in 1990, he was the world’s most Michelin-starred chef. Let’s honor his achievements by rediscovering one of his signature dish: potatoes purée, the best mashed-potatoes.

As for the recipe for his pomme purée, we selected this version and companion photo (beautifully shot by photographer, Bobby Fisher) from an article written by the late Anthony Bourdain in Food & Wine Magazine in 2016. We read it feeling sad knowing both Bourdain and Robuchon are now gone this year.

Robuchon’s vast creativity can be see in these stunning food shots on  his website. Here is a link: https://www.joel-robuchon.com/en/creations.php#

“Mashed Potatoes, Kind Of Robuchon-Style”- link