
Michel Roux Jr
Columnist
Michel Roux Jr was born in 1960 in Pembury, Kent, where his father Albert Roux worked as a private chef for the Cazalet family. His earliest food memories are the smells of the Fairlawne kitchen – pastry, sugar caramelizing and stews – where he played under the table while his father and mother Monique prepared the meals. After deciding to follow in his father’s footsteps, he left school at 16 for the first of several challenging apprenticeships at Maître Patissier, Hellegouarche in Paris from 1976 to 1979. He was then Commis de Cuisine at Alain Chapel’s signature restaurant at Mionay near Lyon, Michel’s biggest influence. His military service was spent in the kitchens at the Elysée Palace at the time of Presidents Giscard d’Estaing and François Mitterrand. He also spent time at Boucherie Lamartine and Charcuterie Mothu in Paris, and the Gavers Restaurant in London. After a stint at the Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong he returned to London and worked at La Tante Claire before joining the family business. He took over running Le Gavroche in 1991, gradually changing the style of cooking to his own – classic French with a lighter, modern twist. Michel opened Roux at Parliament Square in May 2010 with Restaurant Associates, part of the Compass Group UK and Ireland. And in November 2010, he opened Roux at The Landau at London’s prestigious luxury hotel, The Langham. Michel was a judge and presenter on the BBC’s popular prime time show, MasterChef: The Professionals, and presented all series of ‘Great British Food Revival.’ Michel fronted BBC2’s ‘Food and Drink,’ in 2014 and presented a documentary on Escoffier, whose revolutionary approach to fine cuisine has inspired Michel and many others. In the same year, Michel went on a journey to create the perfect chocolate for the Le Gavroche Kitchen. Filmed by the BBC, in Paris he discovered chocolatiers, Cacao Barry and their Or Noir Lab. In 2013, Michel launched his most recent cookbook, ‘The French Kitchen’. Focusing on traditional French home cooking, this is the fifth solo cookery book from Michel. He is involved with the Roux Experience courses at the ‘Cactus Kitchens’ cookery school, with the Executive producer of Saturday Kitchen, Amanda Ross. Cactus Kitchens offers people the opportunity to learn to cook within small intimate groups from some of the UK’s finest chefs, on site above the Saturday Kitchen studios. Michel has fronted a brand new four-part Channel 4 series, ‘The Diner’, exploring the hurdles faced by people with disabilities and mental health issues when finding employment. Michel also recently presented a new program on his first ever project with the Disney Channel. ‘First Class Chefs’ which launched in June 2015, is a show where kids aged 9-11 compete to showcase their restaurant skills.
Follow Michel
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BBQ flank steak with wines to match - Michel Roux Jr
Ideal for a late summer barbecue...
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Squid ink linguine with wines to match - Michel Roux Jr
Roux Jr matches squid with wines...
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Passion fruit pavlova with wines to match - Michel Roux Jr
Impress your guests with minimal work...
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Veal steak with wines to match - Michel Roux Jr
Michel Roux Jr gives up more trade secrets...
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Crab and vermicelli salad with mango & red chilli
This simple summer recipe is full of character and bold flavours...
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Whole roast pigeon with peaches, turnips and sage
This recipe is bursting with bold flavours and original combinations...
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Crispy sweetbreads, asparagus and almond purée - recipe by Michel Roux Jr
This dish will definitely get your taste buds going....
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Recipe with quinoa and wines to match - Michel Roux Jr
See Michel Roux Jr's quinoa tartelettes and wines to match
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Brownie, raspberry sorbet and crème anglaise - recipe by Michel Roux Jr
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White chocolate and mascarpone mousse - recipe by Michel Roux Jr
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Roasted rabbit, with cherry tomatoes, baby artichokes and roast pepper puree - recipe by Michel Roux Jr
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Chocolate and salted caramel tart with pecans - recipe by Michel Roux Jr
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Bucatini and watercress pesto with wines to match - Michel Roux Jr
A great vegetarian recipe, perfect for summer.
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Smoked and roasted eel with tea consommé - recipe by Michel Roux Jnr
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Pan seared squid & fregola risotto - recipe by Michel Roux Jr
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Individual cherry rolls served with rum Chantilly – recipe by Michel Roux Jr
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Marinated lamb chops with garlic and herb sauce - recipe by Michel Roux Jr
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Stilton salad with fennel and pine nuts - recipe by Michel Roux Jr
How to prepare it, and wines to match...
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Seared and marinated tuna with roasted kale - recipe by Michel Roux Jr
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Pigeon, celeriac spaghetti and parsley condiment – recipe by Michel Roux Jr
See how to make this delicious recipe...
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Pork loin, carrot spaghetti, roast parsnip and coriander condiment – recipe by Michel Roux Jr
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Traditional rice pudding with poached peaches – recipe by Michel Roux Jr
Re-assess rice pudding with this recipe from Michel Roux Jr...
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Spelt risotto, sprouting broccoli and parmesan crisp - recipe by Michel Roux Jr
See this delicious spelt risotto recipe with wines to match
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Brioche and butter pudding – recipe by Michel Roux Jr
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Pan seared sea bass with avocado, pak choi & citrus dressing – recipe by Michel Roux Jr
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Lobster tortellini and medallions with a parsley condiment and bisque sauce – Recipe by Michel Roux Jr
This delicious lobster tortellini recipe from Michel Roux Jr is perfect for any celebration...
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Whole grilled squid, red rice and fresh herbs – recipe by Michel Roux Jr
Whenever we spend a few days in the south of France, this dish is invariably on the menu. Everyone is gathered round the barbecue to admire the beautiful colours and smells, it’s simply delicious.
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Canelé – recipe by Michel Roux Jr
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Roasted octopus salad with chilli mayonnaise – recipe by Michel Roux Jr