From July to October 2022, passengers in Air France’s long-haul La Première and business-class cabins departing from Paris will enjoy menus created by Michelin-starred French chefs Michel Roth and Anne-Sophie Pic. The chefs have created a range of dishes designed to be sustainable and responsible, made from seasonal produce, vegetarian products, red and white meat, and fish.
Michel Roth is one of the most successful chefs in France, with not just Michelin stars but several prestigious awards under his belt. Roth is in charge of gastronomy in the La Première (first class) cabin, and has created a series of “resolutely French, gourmet and refined” dishes. comprising an appetiser, a starter and eight dishes that will gradually be unveiled on the menu. Highlights include:
• Caviar Sturia accompanied by a pancake with smoked fish cream (appetiser)
• Lobster medallion, green asparagus and raspberry vinaigrette (starter)
• Tender beef, pan-seared foie gras with a truffle sauce, stir-fried asparagus and porcini mushrooms
• Oven-cooked verbena veal, vegetables and morel mushrooms
• Chicken supreme with rosemary, fine sweet pepper tart and stuffed zucchini
• Chicken supreme with olives and black truffles, poivrade artichokes and macaroni gratin
• Quinoa with candied lemon, summer vegetables and basil creme
• Truffled polenta, green vegetables, mint pea coulis with carrot jus
• Fillet of brill in a shellfish jus accompanied by simmered green vegetables and mussels
• Shrimp in lobster sauce perfumed with tarragon, red rice and baby spinach.
The La Première cabin is available this summer on certain flights to Los Angeles, Miami, New York-JFK, San Francisco, Washington DC (United States), Mexico City (Mexico), Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), Johannesburg (South Africa), Dubai (United Arab Emirates) and Sao Paulo (Brazil).
Business class cuisine
Meanwhile in the long-haul business-class cabin, Air France is continuing its collaboration with triple Michelin-starred chef, Anne-Sophie Pic. The chef has concocted eight dishes for customers:
• Braised beef, potato mousseline, plum chutney and tarragon breadcrumbs
• Roast chicken, spelt risotto, courgettes with green cardamom
• Saithe with seaweed, lovage sauce, Camargue red rice, spinach and fennel compote
• Artichoke barigoule, creamy polenta, smoked vanilla Burrata, tangy tomato coulis
• Poached saithe with curry and coconut milk sauce, black rice
• Beef stew with coffee and sweet onion consommé
• Chicken with tonka bean sauce and creamy polenta with mushrooms
• Seashell pasta, chard and lemon coulis, lightly smoked goat cheese cream, roasted pumpkin seeds.
Responsible catering
Air France has ambitions beyond the luxury menus, and by the end of 2022 the airline is committed to offering 100% French meat, dairy products and eggs, as well as sustainably caught fish, on all its flights from Paris and in all cabins, to respect seasonal produce and encourage sustainable farming. A vegetarian dish will also be systematically offered and all meals will be prepared entirely in France, while the kids’ and infants’ menus will be made exclusively from organically grown produce.
As part of the fight against food waste, Air France is this year making it possible to pre-select a hot meal in the business-class cabin before departure. This service guarantees availability of the customer’s preferred meal and reduces wasted meals. The airline is also eliminating 90% of single-use plastic on board its aircraft by early 2023, and when certain items can no longer be used on board, they are donated to charity.
About Michel Roth
Michel Roth is one of the most successful chefs in France, with one of the most prestigious records in French gastronomy: Bocuse d’or and Meilleur ouvrier de France in 1991, he was named Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur in 2006, he has been awarded several Michelin stars and in 2016 achieved the title of “Romand de l’année” with a score of 18/20 in Gault et Millau. Throughout his career, Roth has worked alongside the greatest French chefs and in prestigious establishments such as L’Espadon at the Ritz on Place Vendôme in Paris and the Grand Hôtel Président Wilson in Geneva. In 2020, he opened a new Parisian restaurant, La Table Cachée by Michel Roth, in the BHV Marais. Since 2022, he has also taken charge of the Baron restaurant at the Château de Ferrieres, in the east Paris region.
About Anne-Sophie Pic
After studying management, Anne-Sophie Pic returned to her hometown of Valence, where she decided to devote herself to her true passion – cooking. In 1991, she took over her father’s gourmet restaurant, La Maison Pic, a three Michelin starred restaurant. She owns other restaurants, which together make her the most starred female chef in the world with 10 Michelin stars. Pic’s culinary creations are based on three values: respect, flavour and simplicity. In addition to her numerous Michelin stars, these values have won her several awards such as the Veuve Cliquot 2011 and San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards, which named her the best female chef in the world.
