What's cooking: Christian Herbulot

Christian Herbulot takes great pride in his patisserie creations. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

French patisserie chef Christian Herbulot has been working his magic at Austin's catering company for the past year.

Herbulot has put his creative skills to good use, making stunning pastries and desserts to complement Austin's fine-dining menus.

Since graduating from Ecole des Metiers de la Table school of patisserie in Paris in 1983, Herbulot's career has taken him around the world.

His first job was at the Paris Opera House.

From there he moved to Bali to open his own French restaurant.

He then moved into producing pastries on a large scale, always maintaining the high standards he was taught in France.

Herbulot, who loves the creative side of his work, describes himself as a perfectionist.

As far as trends go, his days of serving a large dessert to finish a meal are over.

"Sweet-treat tasting platters are in fashion, filled with an assortment of bite-size treats to satisfy every taste and palate. The dessert has become the finishing touch to a meal instead of another whole course."

What is the first thing you cooked?

A fried egg, when I was about 6 years old. Then, as a young pastrycook, it was profiteroles - I still really enjoy making good choux pastry.

What is your favourite meal?

Saka saka is my favourite dish. It's originally from the Congo, where I come from. It's made of vegetables with beef or fish and cooked in palm oil. You eat it with rice. I guess it also has a kind of sentimental value because for me it's the meal that has been around since I was very young.

What is the best meal you've had overseas, and why?

That was in Italy five years ago - eggplant parmagiano. My God, what a pleasurable moment that was. That meal was just full of soft but strong flavours, and the location of a restaurant on top of a valley behind the French border, three hours from Monte Carlo, was amazing.

What is always in your fridge?

Butter, tomato and eggs. I never run out of those.

What do you always have in your kitchen cupboards?

Spice, rice and pasta.

Is there anything you refuse to eat?

Not at all. I eat everything with no distinction. The only time I'll refuse a meal will be on a day when I don't feel like eating that kind of food.

What is your idea of perfect pastry?

Croissant made with lots of butter, light (about 60/80g), fluffy with air bubbles inside - like gruyere cheese - when cooked. That's because a croissant is pretty much the indication of the quality of the patisserie shop and a croissant should just kind of melt in your mouth when you eat it, with the outside lightly crunchy.