White Rabbit Moscow's Chef Vladimir Mukhin Visits Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland
White Rabbit Moscow's Chef Vladimir Mukhin Visits Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland
On September 2nd, Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland had the honour of welcoming Russian Chef Vladimir Mukhin to our Le Bouveret campus. During this one-day event Chef Mukhin met and interacted with students in the day and prepared an exclusive 6-course dinner in the evening for VIP guests.
As one of the leading chefs in Russia, Chef Mukhin combines Russian cuisine with the latest trends in gastronomy. He brings his philosophy of using local seasonal produce, modern techniques and new combinations to produce a modern Russian cuisine. White Rabbit in Moscow, helmed by Chef Mukhin, serves classic Russian dishes with unexpected ingredients using ancient techniques and creative plating. This year, the restaurant garnered the 13th place in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, the annual list of the world’s most excellent restaurants. He was also featured in Season 3 of Netflix’s popular series Chef’s Table.
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We are committed to ensuring that our students are prepared for stepping into the industry in the best way possible while studying. Nothing beats learning directly from the industry and having the best chefs in the world to learn from is a testament to our commitment to our students. CAAS looks forward to having more chefs of such high calibre to visit. The campuses are equipped with top-of-the-range culinary facilities to support such events. We are excited to have Chef Vladimir Mukhin to impart his expertise and knowledge to our students,
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commented Tanja Florenthal, Academic Director of César Ritz Colleges Bouveret campus.
Chef Mukhin’s visit started at Apicius; home to the new cutting-edge and multi-faceted culinary training facility at Le Bouveret, that was launched in April 2019. In the demo-kitchen, he conducted a presentation to our culinary students, where he shared personal stories from his career and discussed the evolution of Russian cuisine.
Chef Mukhin then conducted an hour-long demonstration where he re-created some of his signature dishes including Coco Lardo, a dish consisting of young coconut salted with garlic and dill, which is served on thin slices of black bread and topped with black caviar. By salting the young coconut, Chef Mukhin explained how he created vegan fat that tasted similar to Salo, a traditional Russian dish of edible pork fat. Another dish he demonstrated was Okroshka, a soup with white mushrooms. Traditionally prepared with kvass and kefir, he reinvented the dish with a brine base consisting of pickled mushrooms, fresh juice of salted green tomatoes, pepper and garlic.
In the evening CAAS hosted a private event which started with an Apero at Sky Lounge, located on the top floor of Apicius, followed by a specially curated 6-course menu, featuring Chef Mukhin’s signature dishes from White Rabbit. The exquisite and impressive dinner was put together with the assistance of four selected CAAS students and Lavr Kozlov, an alumnus of CAAS who previously completed an internship with Chef Mukhin at White Rabbit in Moscow.
In addition to Coco Lardo and Okroshka, guests had the opportunity to savour Chef Mukhin’s other creations such as Morkovnik consisting of scallops and a traditional Bavarian fermented beverage called voditsa, where he has given a twist to an ancient recipe with carrots and raspberry. One of the highlights of the dinner was Chef Mukhin’s Cabbage Pie – a dish rooted in his childhood. Inspired by his grandmother’s open cabbage pie, Chef Mukhin’s version features cabbage prepared in salt and rye wort, roasted and served with a scallop, caviar and dill oil sauce. The 6-course dinner ended with delectable desserts: black bread with garlic served with ice cream and cream, and Birch Lub, a mousse with birch inner bark and condensed milk.
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I am passionate about reinventing and spreading Russian cuisine to every corner of the globe. Through my work, I hope to show aspiring chefs what it takes to succeed in this industry. In my career, I have been guided by some of the best chefs. I enjoy working with students and helping them discover their potential within.
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Chef Vladimir Mukhin
With this collaboration, Chef Mukhin joins the list of friends of CAAS. They include other top chefs such as Chef Anton Mosimann (OBE) and, the first Swiss female chef to be awarded a Michelin star, Irma Dütsch.
