For the coming months, passengers traveling in Air France’s business class on long-haul flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport will enjoy an in-flight dining menu developed by three-Michelin-star chef Guy Martin.
Chef Guy Martin, celebrated for his historic Paris restaurant Le Grand Véfour, created a selection of dishes for Air France that showcase refined French techniques and bold flavors. Highlights include sautéed shrimp with pasta shells and zucchini caviar in a coconut-Espelette chili sauce; roasted breast of duckling with fennel and mango compote; orecchiette pasta with calamari and arugula on a coriander-scented tomato sauce; and sautéed chicken with orange and maniguette pepper, paired with endive and pearl onions.
While dining on board, travelers can learn more about French culinary traditions by tuning into Epicerie Fine, a program produced by TV5MONDE in which Chef Martin explores classic dishes and regional specialties of France.
If you can’t wait to experience these dishes in flight, try these recipes adapted by Chef Martin for home cooks. They reproduce the spirit of the cabin menu while remaining achievable in a home kitchen.
Breast of duckling with fennel and mango compote
Serves 2
Tender roasted breast of duckling is presented Provençale-style with a fennel-infused jus. A mango compote cooked with cider vinegar and acacia honey adds a sweet-and-sour contrast that complements the licorice notes of fennel.
For the duckling:
2 duckling fillets
10 grams soy sauce
6 grams sake
3 grams mirin
Salt and pepper, to taste
Score the skin of the duckling fillets in a lattice pattern and season with salt and pepper. In a dry sauté pan, brown the fillets skin-side down for 5–6 minutes until the fat begins to render. Flip and cook 1 minute more. Remove to cool slightly, then steam briefly with soy sauce, sake and mirin. Drain on paper towels before plating.
For the fennel:
1 fennel bulb (about 300 grams)
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
Sea salt, to taste
Cook the fennel in salted boiling water with the thyme and bay leaf until tender. Remove, cool, and cut the bulb into six equal wedges.
For the pickled zucchini:
3 zucchini
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt, to taste
½ teaspoon wine vinegar
3 fresh mint leaves
Slice the zucchini into rounds. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil to medium-high and quickly fry the slices until lightly golden. Remove and season with salt, the remaining olive oil, wine vinegar and shredded mint.
For the mango compote:
5 grams acacia honey
10 grams cider vinegar
100 grams diced mango
Salt and ground pepper, to taste
Caramelize the honey in a sauté pan to a light brown color, then deglaze with cider vinegar. Add the diced mango, season with salt and pepper, and cook over low heat until the liquid evaporates and the mango is tender. Adjust seasoning to taste.
For the fennel-seed jus:
2 grams olive oil
1 gram fennel seeds
100 grams water
10 grams veal stock
Warm the olive oil in a pan, lightly toast the fennel seeds, then add water and veal stock. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for about 3 minutes. Season, strain and reserve the liquid as the jus.
Presentation: Slice the duckling fillets and arrange them on plates. Add fennel wedges and a spoonful of mango compote. Finish by drizzling the fennel-seed jus around the components.
Orecchiette pasta with calamari and arugula served over tomato sauce with coriander
Serves 2
Orecchiette with tender calamari and peppery arugula rests on a light tomato sauce infused with coriander seeds. Shaved Parmesan adds a savory finishing touch.
For the calamari and pasta:
100 grams dry orecchiette
130 grams calamari, cleaned and ready to cook
30 grams olive oil, divided
3 grams chopped parsley
40 grams arugula
10 dried tomato wedges
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the orecchiette for about 12 minutes or until al dente. Drain and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
Season the calamari with salt and pepper. Heat a portion of the olive oil in a sauté pan and cook the calamari quickly for 1–2 minutes until just opaque. Remove and toss with chopped parsley. Season the arugula with salt and pepper, then briefly sauté in the remaining oil to wilt slightly; drain any excess oil and cool.
For the tomato sauce with coriander seeds:
20 grams ripe red tomatoes
2 grams coriander seeds
4 grams olive oil
6 grams tomato paste
Salt and ground pepper, to taste
Dice the tomatoes into roughly 1 cm cubes. Lightly sauté the coriander seeds in olive oil for about a minute without letting them brown, then add the tomatoes. Cover and simmer gently over low heat for about 10 minutes. Blend or strain if desired, then stir in the tomato paste and adjust seasoning.
For the garnish:
10 grams grated Parmesan cheese
10 dried tomato wedges
Presentation: Spoon a portion of the tomato-coriander sauce onto each plate and top with the orecchiette. Arrange the calamari and wilted arugula over the pasta, then finish with dried tomato wedges and shaved or grated Parmesan.