FRENCH CHEF CHANTAL MORITZ WAS LOOKING FOR THE `PERFECT KITCHEN’ AND FOUND IT WHEN SHE DECIDED TO DOWNSIZE AND MOVE INTO GEMLIFE WOODEND OVER-50S LIFESTYLE RESORT A YEAR AGO.
“It is true a good chef can cook anywhere but I could not have been more delighted with the space and facilities, including a beautiful gas cooktop and quality oven, I have here in my own home. It’s perfect,” said French-born Chantal, 69, who is the fifth member of her family and the first woman to take up the profession.
Born and raised in Paris where her family owned restaurants for many years, Chantal was inspired to cook by her father who she says was a brilliant chef. At age 16, she remembers cooking her first slow-cooked French chicken dish.
“It took a few hours because the French favour slow cooking to give enough time for the dish to take in all the beautiful flavours of each ingredient. The sauce, which is so important, was difficult to make but when dad tasted it, he said it was delicious. From then on, I cooked with him a lot and have always loved it,” she said.
At the age of 30, Chantal moved to Australia where she spread her passion for French cuisine by running a catering business and hosting annual tours to the many world-famous wine and food regions of France. She also returned with her Australian husband for three years to run her own restaurant in the village of Puget-Rostang in the country north of Nice.
“Often, when hosting tours, I would cook in the kitchen of one of the French chateaus we visited. Some of my group would cook with me while others preferred to just eat.”
Chantal says she specialises only in French cuisine and has never needed to buy French pastries such as profiteroles, macaroons and tarts.
“I always make my own. I have always used the same family recipe which dates back more than 100 years and people seem to love them,” she said.
The talented chef’s skills with French cuisine such as beef bourguignon, chicken breast with Grand Marnier sauce, duck with blackberries and port sauce, and a host of mouth-watering pastries, continue to be admired by all who know her. She says the secret to being a good French cook is “to respect the ingredients and cook from the heart”.
Chantal added that France is also known for its delicious sauces, many of which take a long time to create but make a huge difference to a dish.
“The sauces, which also often showcase our wines, have become a standout feature of French cuisine,” she said.
A Woodend resident since the mid-1990s, the talented chef also taught French at Braemer College for 22 years.