Guerlain perfumer talks Arab perfume traditions in Riyadh 

DUBAI: When German pastry chef Jonas Plangger first accepted the offer of a job in Saudi Arabia from Amro Bagedo, founder and CEO of Kraiv, three years ago (a job that has since involved overseeing the launch of the pattiserie and “all-day dining concept” Myra Jeddah, where he is the executive pastry chef), it nearly ended his marriage.  

Plangger, no stranger to travelling abroad for work, took the job, he says, because his “gut feeling” once presented with the challenge made him say yes. Before he checked with his wife, who wasn’t especially impressed at not being consulted.  

Fortunately, the move has paid off personally and professionally for Plangger and his family, who have now settled happily into life in the Kingdom.  

And Myra, he says, is thriving. “Breakfast trade is extremely strong. The lunch trade is extremely strong. And then the evening trade is where the most people eat cake,” he tells Arab News. “So we have a very strong customer base throughout the whole day.” 

It’s a customer base he describes as a tough crowd.  

“The Saudi customer is very, very challenging,” Plangger says. “Wants everything, wants it now, is very picky… but once convinced is the most loyal customer you can experience. 

“We’re ready to transfer the brand to Riyadh. That’s the next step. I’m really looking forward to this. The company is growing. It’s really exciting times. My staff, they’ve all been with me from the beginning. I’m really proud of them. They’re really, really strong pastry chefs. We are proud of what we’re doing. If you compare what else is on the market, I think we can put our chests out a bit.” 

What’s your top tip for amateurs? 

The secret to all cooking — at home, in a professional kitchen, wherever — is to plan ahead. Take a piece of paper, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and follow those steps. What (inexperienced) chefs do, what I did myself… You want to do everything right now, everything all together. But that doesn’t work. The to-do list is crucial. Work clean and organized, have an idea of what you’re doing. Plan it through. Is the oven ready? Do I have my bowls? Do I have my sieve? Do I have my ingredients? Because when you suddenly need the flour, and it’s in a cupboard somewhere, and you need to call your mom, it ends in disaster.  

What one ingredient can improve any dish? 

For me, vanilla bean. I think it’s the turbo for every dessert, it gives everything an elegant touch — a bit of luxury. I’m obsessed with it. It’s an expensive ingredient, but it just adds another layer of flavor to everything, 

And what’s the most underrated ingredient? 

Probably cinnamon. Everyone knows you’ll have it in an apple crumble or a cinnamon roll or whatever, but, especially in the Middle East, cinnamon is used for so many different things. Even in pastry, or just a normal vanilla sponge, you add half a gram of cinnamon and it just lifts the whole thing up, without tasting of cinnamon. It’s very nice and very, very underrated. 

When you go out to eat do you find yourself critiquing the food? Or are you able to switch off your ‘chef brain?’  

No, I can’t. I’m really pleased if I like something on a personal and a professional level, it makes me very happy. But of course I start nitpicking. It’s normal. But it goes both ways. Yes, (chefs are) more critical, but if I find someone who puts effort in and the service is good and the food is good and the whole experience is good then I love praising people.  

And what’s the most common issue that you find in other restaurants?  

Lack of seasoning. I can forgive a lot, you know? Like it might be a busy restaurant… so service (might suffer). Maybe it’s not to your personal liking. But if the food is bland, that’s just a lack of care. Because it means the chef didn’t taste his food.  

What’s your favorite cuisine?  

Italian. It’s the simplicity of it. Simplicity and flavor. I absolutely love pasta. I was in Italy recently and it’s a different game. It’s, like, four, five, six ingredients. I love it. 

What’s your favorite dish to cook?  

Black Forest gateaux. I’m from the Black Forest. We take that very, very seriously. It’s a joy to make. It’s where I come from. It’s my identity. That’s why I really enjoy doing it. 

I’d imagine that’s quite a lot of pressure the first time you make one? 

To be fair, at the bakery where I was an apprentice, we made like, 80 a day. I really learned it from scratch in the Black Forest.  

What customer behavior most frustrates you? 

When someone seasons the food without trying it. Yeah, I can’t deal. I think it’s very rude. It disrespects the chef. At least try it. 

What’s the most difficult dish for you to perfect? 

From a chef’s point of view, the most difficult is anything that is very clean and very neat, and you don’t have a lot of flavors going on. You have nowhere to hide. Obviously, pastry chefs are very good at hiding (things) by chocolate. I think sushi is one of the most difficult to get right, because you have rice and you have fish. That’s it. If the rice is not spot on, or the fish is not spot on, or the technique is not spot on… see you later. In the pastry world, I think that goes more for baking, like, a croissant, say. You make a simple mistake there, in the lamination or in the proving… People don’t understand how much effort goes into a single croissant. 

In the kitchen, what are you like as a leader?  

Firm but fair. I’m very passionate. Extremely passionate. Things get a bit wild. But I love to lead. I love to teach to let people grow. Discipline is crucial. I have a big Michelin background, and without discipline… don’t even start. My team is from all parts of the world, but we all have one common path to guide us; that’s the discipline.  

Chef Jonas’ fruit madeleines 

WARNING: You’ll need a madeleine baking pan (pan with small shell-shaped molds) and a piping bag. 

INGREDIENTS 

For the madeleine batter:  

3 eggs; 10g honey; 100g sugar; 5g baking powder; 120g all-purpose flour; 1g salt; 2g vanilla essence; 110g melted butter 

For the fruit mixture (all fruits should be dry): 50g dates; 50g apricots; 50g cherry; 50g mango; 50g raisins; 1 vanilla stick; zest of 1 orange; 3g cinnamon; 300g stock syrup 

INSTRUCTIONS:  

1. Mix the eggs, honey and sugar in a bowl or processor for 3 minutes. Set aside. 

2. Sieve together the baking powder, all-purpose flour and salt and fold under.  

3. Add melted butter and vanilla essence. 

4. Combine both mixtures together and mix until it becomes firm.  

5. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but ideally for 12 hours. 

6. In a separate bowl, put all the ingredients for the fruit mixture, including the syrup, and allow to soak for at least 2 hours, but ideally for 12 hours. 

7. Combine the batter with the fruit mixture, put in a piping bag. Line your madeleine molds with grease and flour. Pipe the mix into the molds. 

8. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 165 C for 11-13 minutes.