Okay not literally! Celebrated French Chef Bruno Brazier did however, give new meaning to the phrase ‘singing for your supper’ on his recent visit to new Wyndham Kingston General Manager Jeff Lesker, it was a fair exchange. Bruno presented his signature Red Snapper Meli Melo, Shrimp au Crab Carnivale and Fondant au Chocolat. In return, he was treated to a master class in the preparation of Ackee and Saltfish, Jerked Chicken and a Wyndham specialty dessert — Rum and Raisin Cheesecake, courtesy of the hotel’s Chef Veyona Martin. No doubt, St Martin’s popular C Le Restaurant, where Bruno makes magic in the kitchen, will reflect a distinctly Jamaican flavour in the weeks and months to come. Below, we share Bruno’s recipes with Thursday Life. Bon appétit!

Bruno Brazier — Chef Extraordinaire

Born in Paris from a long line of chefs, Bruno Brazier began his career in Burgundy near Chablis at Auberge and later at the Michelin-starred Clos Longchamps and Relais de Sevres. After a stint at Le Meridien Etoile Hotel in Paris, he decided to seek experience abroad. He has held executive chef positions in Syria, Egypt, Guadeloupe and Newport Beach, California. Chef Brazier has helmed kitchens across the globe and credits his sojourn in California with having the greatest influence on his culinary style. This is where he developed his signature of pairing fresh wine, country cuisine and French fusion, which is presented with a Caribbean twist at the Euro Chic Radisson Blu, St Martin’s C Le Restaurant.

Additional credits:

Author of French cookbooks Saveurs des îles and Saveurs du Sud; Bastille Day Guest Chefs at Tavern on the Green NY, NY for a several years as well as St Michael’s Food and Wine festival, Maryland USA. Lodge at Pebble Beach food and wine expo; Guest Chef and multiple-year representative at Caribbean week NY City; Guest Chef at the James Beard House — where chefs from all over the world present their culinary art to Beard Foundation members, friends and news media in much the same way musicians perform at Carnegie Hall.

Recipes:

Flame Seared Snapper with Meli Melo Tomato and Mango, Coconut Pickle

Preparation Time: 90 minutes

Cooking Time: 3 hours

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

500 g red snapper

1 kg coarse sea salt

500 g sugar

2 vanilla beans

8 star anise

Meli Melo:

1 medium cantaloupe

2 tomatoes

1 mango

Fresh cilantro

Extra virgin olive oil

Lime juice

Vegetable Vinaigrette:

300g olive oil

60g lime juice

40g onion

1 garlic clove

40g red pepper

30g carrot

3 chives

5g mint

5g flat parsley

Fresh hot pepper

Coconut Pickle:

350g fresh coconut

100ml coconut water

150ml coconut milk

40ml sherry vinegar

Method:

Cook the Fish:

Crush the star anise and open the vanilla bean in two parts. Mix the salt, sugar, star anise and vanilla bean. Cover the snapper filet with the mixture and leave it in the fridge for three hours. Desalt in ice water and add some paprika. Flame with a flame thrower or grill over an open flame.

Meli Melo:

Dice the fruit into small pieces and season with the olive oil, lime juice & fresh cilantro.

Prepare the vinaigrette:

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Coconut Pickle:

Slice the coconut very thin.

Add the coconut milk, coconut water and the sherry vinegar.

Bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees Celsius.

Fondant Au Chocolat

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients:

100g chocolate bar

100g butter

2 eggs

80g granulated white sugar

80g flour

3g baking powder

10g cocoa powder

Mango Sauce:

1 ripe mango

4 teaspoons sugar

40cl/400ml water

Decoration:

4 mint leaves

1 mango cut in slices

4 little baking cups (8cm in diameter)

Method:

Melt the chocolate and butter together and pour into a big bowl. In the second bowl, whip the eggs and the sugar until the mix becomes whiter. In a third bowl, mix the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Mix the second preparation with the first one and then add the contents to the third bowl.

Pour the dough into the buttered and floured baking cups and cook for 12 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius.

Prepare the mango sauce:

Peel the mango & put the pulp in a sauce pan with sugar & water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Mix it while adding a little water if necessary until the mixture is of a good consistency (not too thick). Pour the sauce in a bowl and keep it in the refrigerator until you serve it.

When the dough in the cups has been baked through (only on the outside as it must keep a liquid appearance inside), cool for five minutes before taking them out & serving on plates. Pour the sauce around each cake and decorate with diced mango, mint leaves and chocolate chips.

Serve lukewarm.

Shrimp Au Crab Carnivale

Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

25 pieces of big shrimp

200g crab meat

Coriander

2 green peppers

2 yellow peppers

2 red peppers

1 onion

Garlic

1 ginger

100ml coconut milk

35ml Balsamic vinegar

Fish stock

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Chives

Lime juice

Salt

Black pepper

Method:

Peel & devein the shrimp. Season generously with coriander, onion, garlic, salt, black pepper and fish stock.

Prepare crab meat by seasoning with salt, pepper, red pepper, mayonnaise, chives and lime juice. Stuff shrimp with crab meat. Bake at 350 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes.

Prepare shrimp sauce vinaigrette by dicing peppers (tri-colour) and ginger, adding salt and pepper and stirring in coconut milk and balsamic vinaigrette. Simmer and reduce to a reduction.

Plate shrimp and drizzle with shrimp sauce vinaigrette.