Home made bread is the perfect feel-good food, and taking the time to prepare and knead the dough is a great antidote to the pace of everyday life.
Watch our step-by-step video for how to make Mango Pickle Focaccia Bread.
Category Archives: Culinary
Culinary Festival Bernard Loiseau returns to Mauritius
Excitement is building around the 2013 Culinary Festival Bernard Loiseau at Constance Belle Mare Plage, Mauritius. For guests this is a rare opportunity to sample food prepared by some of the world’s leading chefs all together in one stunning location.
Behind the scenes at 2012 festival
Top chefs, including three Michelin star-holder Patrick Berton and two Michelin-starred Eyvind Hellstrom, are lined up to judge the nail-biting culinary competition which runs from 18-26 March 2013.
A selection of six of Europe’s finest chefs will visit Mauritius to cook alongside six of our island chefs with the challenge of creating an award-winning menu from local produce.
Michelin star chefs at this year’s festival:
- Anita Klemensen – Den Røde Cottage, Klampenborg, Denmark
- Roman Paulus – Alcron Restauran, Prague, Czech Republic
- William Drabble – Seven Park Place, London, UK
- Ezio Gritti – L’Osteria Via Solata, Bergamo, Italy
- Robert Speth – Chesery, Gstaad, Switzerland
- Thierry Fernandes – Le Prieuré, Ambierle, France
Dominique Loiseau
Judges of this year’s festival:
- Dominique Loiseau – President of the Jury
- Patrick Bertron – Chef of the Relais Bernard Loiseau
- Eyvind Hellstrom – chef and formerly the part owner of Bagatelle restaurant, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in the city of Oslo
- Nick Nairn – Restaurateur to celebrity chef, pioneer in theUK food industry
- Pavel Maurer -CzechRepublic’s best known and most influential gourmet
- Patricia Broehm – Editor in chief of Gault & Millau Magazine,Germany
Highlights for guests include:
Guests at both Belle Mare Plage and Le Prince Maurice can get involved throughout the week with cooking demonstrations, special menus created by the visiting chefs and the thrilling prize-giving ceremony.
- Special dinner at Le Prince Maurice on 18 March orchestrated by Chef Hellstrom
- Special dinner at Belle Mare Plage on 20 March created by Chef Bertron
- Morning cooking demonstration by Chef Bertron at Belle Mare Plage’s Citronnelle restaurant on 22 March
- Gala dinner by the Constance chefs at the Deer Hunter restaurant, Belle Mare Plage on 23 March
The week will climax with a cook-off on the final day in which the island chefs will need to put into practice all they have learned from their Michelin-starred mentors to create the winning menu.
Bertron, a former protégé of chef Bernard Loiseau after whom the festival is named, has described the competition as being, ‘In the spirit of Loiseau’s legacy, it’s about sharing, it’s about training and it’s about transmission.’
Beach at Belle Mare Plage
Foodie holidays in Mauritius
Indulge your passion for food and join us for the festival in Mauritius this year. Check availability and book now for Constance Belle Mare Plage and Constance Le Prince Maurice.
Find out more
- Discover more about the Culinary Festival Bernard Loiseau
- Find out more about Nordic cuisine and guest Chef Anita Klemensen
- Read about guest Chef Roman Paulus including some of his star recipes
- Read about 2012 culinary festival at Belle Mare Plage
Romantic dinners at Constance
At Constance, we’re preparing our restaurants for some extra special romantic dining this week.
Constance Lemuria, Seychelles, Beach Bar and Grill
Here’s what’s on the menu at Constance Lemuria and Constance Le Prince Maurice on Valentine’s night.
Constance Lemuria Beach Bar and Grill
Amuse Bouche
Lovers Delight
Lobster & Crab meat salad with sundry cherry tomato confit & Red Fruit vinaigrette
Romantic Sundown
Pan seared scallop with beetroot mousse & local ginger garlic spinach
Love in Paradise
Strawberry sorbet with Takamaka Vodka
Cupid Dream
Grilled lobster tail with tandoori spices and seafood risotto served with mushroom, capers sauce
Love Me Tender
Raspberry parfait with chocolate mille-feuille served with warm wild berries compote
Petits fours
Dinner at Le Barachois restaurant
Le Barachois, Le Prince Maurice
Aphrodisiac delicacies
Oysters from our lagoon, served hot with ginger sabayon
Love on ice
Chilled pumpkin and foie gras soup in ice with rose petals
Burning with feelings
Roasted heart-shaped stuffed chicken, prepared in front of you
Pomme d’amour
Intense red apple with forbidden fruits, galangal flavour and Malagasy vanilla
Delicacies
Recipe: Valentine’s ginger chocolates
Wondering what to give your loved one for Valentine’s this year? Why not surprise them with delicious hand made ginger chocolates.
Try this simple recipe from Constance.
Recipe: Crunchy salad and fresh ‘Basil Blush’ juice
Put a spring back in your step with this healthy salad and delicious fresh juice, both served at Constance Le Prince Maurice. The salad is created by Chef Michael Scioli.
Basil Blush fresh juice, Constance Le Prince Maurice
Juice: Basil Blush with mango and basil leaves
- 20cl fresh mango juice
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves
Blend ingredients together, and serve immediately over ice.
Crunchy green salad with tomatoes and button mushrooms
Serves 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
- 400g tomatoes
- 80g cucumber
- 60g carrot
- 80g celery root
- 60g cabbage
- 120g green salad
- 40g onion
- 30g button mushrooms
1. Prepare the tomatoes, take out the peduncle and mark the opposite side
2. Blanch in boiling water for 20 sec and cool down in ice-cold water
3. Cut half round slices
4. Cut round slices of green cucumber
5. Wash, peel and slice the carrot lengthwise and cut into julienne of 1mm in thickness and 6cm in length
6. Wash, peel and cut slices of the celery root
7. Wash different types of green salad
8. Cut cabbage in half, avoid the hard part and slice finely
9. Wash, peel, rinse and cut into thin slices the onion
10. Wash, clean, and then slice the mushrooms
Prince Maurice’s Dressing
- 2g chopped mint
- 2g peeled ginger
- 5ml lemon juice
- 6g mangos pulped
- 1g seedless red chilli
- 2g salt
- 1g pepper
- 80ml olive oil
Put all ingredients except the oil into a blender. Blend very well, and then empty slowly the oil to get a nice emulsion.
To serve
1. On a plate, with the help of 80mm ring make a rosette of half rounded sliced tomatoes.
2. Fill the middle with mixed salad leaves and other ingredients.
3. Serve the dressing on the side.
Find out more about Constance Le Prince Maurice and our other resorts in the Indian Ocean.
Foodie holidays in Mauritius
Indulge your passion for food and join us for the celebrated Culinary Festival Bernard Loiseau in Mauritius this March.
Delicious food at Constance
The renowned annual festival takes place at Constance Belle Mare Plage from 18-25 March 2013.
This exciting event sees 6 European Michelin star chefs team up with 6 of our island chefs to create outstanding dishes using local ingredients before having a final cook-off competition to see which team wins.
Culinary holidays with Constance
Enjoy one of these special festival packages, and immerse yourself in a week that will be filled with culinary delights and surprises.
Constance Belle Mare Plage
- Prestige Room – Package of 7 nights including a 6 star dinner orchestrated by Michelin star Chefs.
- Single: €2,200 inclusive of Half Board
- Double: €3,000 inclusive of Half Board
- Extra nights will be charged at €360 for Single and €460 for Double
Constance Le Prince Maurice
- Junior Suite – Package of 7 nights including a 6 star dinner orchestrated by Michelin star Chefs.
- Single: €3,600 inclusive of Half Board
- Double: €4,300 inclusive of Half Board
- Extra nights will be charged at € 700 for Single and € 750 for Double
Offer valid for all stays from 18 to 28 March 2013
Book now
Visit our website to check availability and book your holiday at the Culinary Festival Bernard Loiseau.
- Check availability for Constance Belle Mare Plage
- Check availability for Constance Le Prince Maurice
Find out more about Constance Belle Mare Plage and Constance Le Prince Maurice.