Le Grand Dakar
If you’re in the mood for Contemporary West African cuisine, you simply must head to Le Grand Dakar in Brooklyn. Never had it, imagine rich grains, black-eyed peas, peanuts, tropical fruits all made to perfection by Chef (and author) Pierre Thiam. He has adapted the techniques he picked up at Two Rooms and Bang in Miami, Boom in NY and Jean-Claude to bring to Brooklyn the complex, healthy and flavorful dishes of Senegal. Here’s what he told us during his interview.
FriendsEAT: Did you grow up cooking?
Chef Pierre Thiam: No I grew up in a culture where cooking “belonged to women”. However, my mom was a real foodie and had an amazing cookbook collection. I grew up drooling over her books and enjoying her delicious meals.
FE: And who has played the biggest inspiration in your cooking?
CPT: Two people inspired me. My mom with her blend of traditional senegalese and French cuisine, and my godfather, Tonton Jean, who was of Vietnamese origin. He was the only man I’d seen cooking. Tonton Jean was a sort of “alchemist” growing his own herbs and vegetables in his garden and making magic with it in the kitchen. His style was different, his flavors bold and fresh. Growing up exposed to these two different and delicious cuisines triggered a keen interest in food .
FE: And what was the catalyst that made you decide to become a Chef?
CPT: Circumstances. I had come to America with a student visa (as a physics and chemistry student). I needed to work after much of my money was stolen and I ended up in a kitchen. 20 years later I am still in a kitchen.
FE: What misconceptions do you encounter when talking to budding chefs?
CPT: People often think of chefs as this glamorous thing because of the “celebrity chef” phenomena. In reality cooking can be very humbling and exhausting. It requires long hours of physical and mental awareness. Not to mention the cuts and burns.
FE: And what is your best advice for them?
CPT: Keep it simple. The best meals are the simplest.
FE: What are three cooking tools you just can’t do without?
CPT: Spoon, Mortar and pestle, cast iron pot
FE: Can you tell us the funniest thing that happened to you while cooking?
CPT: When my sous-chef messed up a mousse that was to be presented as part of a dessert for a TV shoot. I only had a few minutes to turn it into a sauce with leftovers from papaya and fresh vanilla confit. That dessert ended up being the star of the show with many requests for the recipe.
FE: And your favorite food to cook with is?
CPT: Anything fresh. The secret of good cooking is in the freshness of the ingredients. I am happy with any food that comes straight from the farm to the table (or from the sea).
FE: What will we find you eating at home?
CPT: Anything my wife prepares. She is a great cook and i am usually so exhausted after long hours at the restaurant.
FE: What is your favorite cookbook?
CPT: Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child
FE: Is there something in your cooking that you pride yourself in?
CPT: Consistency
Chef Pierre Thiam’s SALATU NIEBE (Black-eyed Pea Salad)
Yield: Serves 8
Black-eyed peas are originally native to Africa. They are an excellent source of calcium, folate and vitamin A among other nutrients.
½ pound cooked black-eye peas
1 tomato, peeled, and diced
1 cucumber, seeded, and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 bunch scallions
½ bunch Italian parsley, roughly chopped
2 limes
1 cup olive oil
1 chile
Salt and pepper
In a bowl, mix the tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, chopped scallion, lime juice, chile, salt and pepper. Gradually pour in the oil while whisking. Pour the dressing over the black-eye peas, folding gently. Allow to sit for one hour. Serve nestled onto lettuce leaves.
Did Chef Thiam make you hungry? Head to Le Grand Dakar
285 Grand Avenue Brooklyn NY 11238 (bet. Lafayette Ave. and Clifton PL.)
718 398 8900
Have you been there? We’d love to know what you think.
Or check out his book, YOLELE! Recipes from the Heart of Senegal
Even better, head to the Senegalese Cooking class Chef Pierre Thiam is holding at The New York Open Center, a month long culinary adventure through Senegal. Both novice and professional chefs will have the opportunity to learn about Senegalese vegetarian cuisine directly from the master himself.
The course begins Tuesday, Aug 4
Tuesdays August 4″25, 8″10pm
Members: $140 / Nonmembers: $155
A materials fee of $20 will be paid directly to the instructor for food and handouts.
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