Sponsors of the first edition of the « Auch, le Goût » festival, which kicked off this Friday, May 13, Hélène Darroze and Christian Constant pay a vibrant tribute to André Daguin, ambassador of Gascon cuisine.
That’s what we call a fine skewer, and it would not have been to displease André Daguin. Many chefs met symbolically this Friday evening at the Hôtel de France, in Auch, to celebrate the memory of the great Gascon chef, who died in 2019.
We find among them Hélène Darroze and Chirstian Constant, sponsors of this very first edition of the « Auch, le Goût » festival, but also the pastry chef Philippe Urraca, without forgetting of course the Casassus brothers, Bruno and Vincent, who put on the small dishes in the big ones to mark the occasion.
« I loved him for his cooking and for rugby »
The opportunity for them to pay tribute to the memory of a man who marked and inspired them, both humanly and professionally. « We wanted to participate in this tribute to André Daguin because he is a gentleman who has values, underlines Christian Constant. I liked him for his cuisine first and then for rugby then. When he passed rue Saint-Dominique, he often stopped to eat a stuffed potato with a small glass of white wine. This evening, I made this stuffed potato to pay homage to him. He is still a gentleman who marked his time, our time. He created a fabulous dish, duck breast. Before, we only talked about confit in the South West and brought him this image. I am here because Ariane Daguin ( his daughter, Editor’s note) had asked Hélène Darroze and myself if we wanted to be godparents, it was with joy and pleasure. He is a gentleman who will remain in my career and in my life because he was enormous in what he did. »
A distinguished guest of the festival, actor François Levantal is close to the Daguin family.
It is not Hélène Darroze who will come to contradict him. “I am here first of all out of friendship because André Daguin saw me grow up until his death, she testifies. One of his last meals, he did it in my restaurant. gentleman who had a lot of affection for me and I had a lot of affection for him. Ariane is one of my best friends, I am here for her. I also pay tribute to a great cook, a great man, someone who gave Gascon cuisine its letters of nobility and made it shine internationally. He was a pioneer in many things. One day, I was very proud to have made foie gras ice cream and Ariane said to me: you’re kidding, my father made it twenty years ago. He was a great man in the kitchen to whom we owe a lot, for everything he brought and for all the fights he carried out in our name. »
Auch, le Goût: the Saturday program
SATURDAY 14 MAY. 10:30 a.m.: inauguration of rue André-Daguin. 11.30am-2.30pm: La Gasconnade at the Maison de Gascogne (cocktail for 350 people, 30 euros per person, reservations on the Facebook page “Auch, Le Goût”). From 2.30 p.m.: entertainment at the Maison de Gascogne (free admission). 2.30 p.m.: gourmet platter competition. 3 p.m.: workshop for making a gourmet dessert. 3:30 p.m.: invitation to armagnac cocktails. 4 p.m.: demonstration of pulled sugar. 4:30 p.m.: introduction to tasting. And also: signings with the cartoonists Pery Taylor, Jo El Azara, Serge Ernst, book stand, presence of producers, activities for children…
Reservations via the event’s Facebook page (Auch, Le Goût) or via the Hôtel de France, by telephone on 05 62 61 71 71.