Learn to cook like a Chef… at Cuisine Centr’Halles

Nestling at the heart of Avignon’s historic food market Les Halles, Cuisine Centr’Halles is a paradise for foodies and budding chefs alike. Its cookery classes, courtesy of Californian Chef Jonathan Chiri, welcome the public every morning. Simply succulent!

Spellbinding Provence

Vaucluse, a fountain of inspiration for a passionate chef

Chef Jonathan Chiri’s Provencal adventure began in 2002 at the restaurantLa Mirande in Avignon, then at Château de Massillan in Uchaux. A fervent foodie, wine buff, traveller and cyclist, Jonathan has fostered numerous projects outside his kitchen, including Gourmet Cycling Travel, an experience combining cycling and gastronomy. Today, the Chef has set down his cooking utensils at the unique Cuisine Centr’Halles, at the heart of Avignon’s historic food market, where he hosts a fabulous line-up of fine wine tasting, friendly cooking demonstrations and fun classes. Welcome to a flavourful voyage into recipes from the four corners of the world…

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Lunch with scents of the South!

100% local: the taste of togetherness

Jon Chiri is madly in love with Provence and the colourful and flavourful local produce that inspired him to create Cuisine Centr’Halles, a place made for sharing: “I’m ideally placed to offer cookery classes at Les Halles and I love meeting and welcoming people.” The Chef owes his creativity to the market stalls piled high with goodies that surround him every day. “My menus change every two to three days! The recipes evolve according to what’s on offer at the market, where I purchase 95% of my ingredients. I work with seasonal produce, but I have my special favourites too – like asparagus or pigeon. I can’t wait for them to be back again this year!”

The Chef’s recipe: Roast Vegetables, Parmesan Cream, Creamy Polenta & Black Truffle

Prepare the veggies!

Ingredients for 4 people:

Cauliflower

Carrots

Turnip

Sliced red onion

Roughly cut Kale

Mushrooms

Fresh herbs

Cut the cauliflower into florets
Peel the carrots, then cut into long, diagonal slices
Wash the turnips and cut into quarters (leave the skin on)
Coat the vegetables with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast at 220°C
Once caramelized, add the onions, mushrooms and a handful of fresh herbs
Roast until fully cooked then add the kale at the last minute

Cook the polenta

Ingredients for 4 people:

200 g polenta (roughly ground)

2 cloves of garlic and 1 chopped shallot

1 L milk

25 g cream

100 g butter

25 g grated parmesan

Salt & pepper

Bring the milk to the boil and season with the garlic, shallot, salt & pepper
Stir in the polenta with a wooden spoon and cook over a low heat for 40 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes
When the polenta is cooked, add the Parmesan, cream and butter

Prepare the Parmesan cream

Ingredients for 4 people:

1/2 finely-chopped yellow onion

1 finely-chopped clove of garlic

200 g single cream

50 g grated Parmesan

1 sprig of rosemary and 1 sprig of thyme (chopped)

Olive oil

Cook the onion in the olive oil over a low heat until transparent
Add the cream and cook until reduced by a quarter
Add the Parmesan and herbs and mix with a whip
Season with salt & pepper

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Let’s eat!

Chef’s tip: grate the truffle over the dish just before serving. Bon Appétit!

“I love this recipe because its simple and comforting. It’s ideal for a casual winter dinner with family or friends and you can really appreciate each individual flavour.”

Discover Jon Chiri’s secrets

Treat yourself to a cookery class

Jon Chiri particularly appreciates the togetherness fostered by his cookery classes. “While I was working at Le Marmiton – La Mirande’s cooking school – I discovered that I loved chatting with participants. It was quite a revelation! Since then, never a day goes by without the human contact I enjoy so much. The classes are divided into several parts. We all meet up at Cuisine Centr’Halles before heading to the market where we concoct the day’s menu. My favourite moment is the tasting session after the class. Lunch is included – and of course, it’s much more fun when you can savour a dish you’ve just cooked together.”