Hosted in the grand Gare des Invalides, I traveled to Paris to celebrate 10 years of Krug’s Single Ingredient program, an innovative culinary series that pays tribute to the maison’s dedication to the craft of champagne. The evening begins in a softly lit, Parisian-style living room, where Olivier Krug, director of the house (and sixth-generation Krug), and cellar master Julie Cavil greet me with a warm welcome, and we share a “Santé!” over a chilled glass of Krug Rosé.
Since its inception in 1843, Krug has been driven by an unwavering commitment to quality. Founder Joseph Krug sought to create champagne that transcended the unpredictable whims of nature, delivering a consistent experience each year. This philosophy, as Cavil explains, still guides Krug today: “At Krug, we approach champagne creation in a way that honors each vineyard plot as a single ingredient, contributing its own character to the blend.”
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This meticulous approach is epitomized in Krug Grande Cuvée, each yearly release a blend of over 120 wines from different plots and more than 10 vintages. Cavil, arriving at the event in boots muddied from a day in the fields – harvest season waits for no one – reflects on the process: “Blending wines from so many years enables me to achieve a richness and complexity that would be impossible with a single vintage.” The dedication and expertise that Cavil and her team bring affirm Joseph Krug’s dream as a reality, ensuring Krug continues to deliver its celebrated champagne year after year, despite the challenges posed by climate uncertainties.
After unwinding in the lounge, we’re ushered into the second phase of the evening: We gather around a central wooden table, etched with a map of Krug’s plots across Champagne. Around us, hundreds of vials are illuminated by a soft pink light, each a sample of different flavors and blends. Behind the next door, a futuristic laboratory awaits, where each of the Single Ingredient program’s 10 ingredients takes center stage.
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Fish scales are displayed under microscopes; the scents of three different tomatoes are distilled for comparison. The link between fine dining and Krug’s craft of champagne is made clear – both rely on expert precision and a fine balance of ingredients. It is this hyperfocus on individuality and the relationship between high-quality cuisine and champagne that originally inspired the Krug x Single Ingredient program. Launched in 2015, the initiative invites Krug’s Ambassade Chefs from around the world to create a dish each year inspired by a humble single ingredient (past ingredients included tomatoes, potatoes and, most recently, flowers), paired with Krug cuvées.
Upon entering the dining room, it becomes clear that, for the program’s 10th anniversary, the maison has pulled out all the stops. Ten of Krug’s international Ambassade Chefs – Hiroyuki Kanda (Kanda, Tokyo); William Bradley (Addison, San Diego); Anne-Sophie Pic (Maison Pic, Valence, France); Hélène Darroze (The Connaught, London); Jérôme Banctel (Le Gabriel, Paris); Jan Hartwig (Jan, Munich); Enrico Bartolini (Mudec, Milan); Guillaume Galliot (Caprice, Hong Kong); Esben Holmboe Bang (Maaemo, Oslo); and Arnaud Lallement (L’Assiette Champenoise, Reims) – gather before us, working in a carefully illuminated, stage-like kitchen.
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Seated around the open kitchen in an intimate U-shaped arrangement, we are treated to 10 single-ingredient-inspired courses, each prepared by a different chef and paired with one of five champagnes: Krug Grande Cuvée 171ème Édition, Krug Rosé 28ème Édition, Krug Grande Cuvée 169ème Édition magnum, Krug Rosé 21ème Édition magnum and Krug Grande Cuvée 162ème Édition jeroboam.
What makes the evening truly special is that the pairings don’t stop with champagne; each course is accompanied by a chef’s elaborate discussion of their unique flavors and inspirations. We begin with chef Hiroyuki Kanda’s interpretation of the egg: a steamed egg custard topped with edamame beans, caviar and shiso flowers. Chef William Bradley marries simplicity and complexity with his mushroom dish, presented three ways: shaved raw; grilled and marinated in sesame oil; and concentrated in dashi, with lightly steamed California vegetables reflecting the nuanced delicacy of champagne.
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Chef Hélène Darroze reinterprets the Basque crab dish Txangurro, adding a pink grapefruit and rose foam. Chef Jan Hartwig uses the humble onion to demonstrate how rustic ingredients can pair delicately with champagne, combining the sweet flavor with poached quail egg and parmesan cheese foam. Anne-Sophie Pic, introduced as the world’s most decorated Michelin-starred female chef, remarks on the creative challenge: “Humble ingredients allow chefs to push creativity further.”
The quality – of both the dishes and pairings – is predictably astounding, but equally powerful is the shared respect among the chefs. As chef Enrico Bartolini prepares his beetroot risotto, a hush spreads over the kitchen. The chefs gather around, some even pulling out their phones to record the moment – a testament to Bartolini’s craft. “This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, because we will not all be together again in this room. These are the moments in life where it’s important to celebrate being around like-minded people,” chef William Bradley shares, reflecting on the magic of the night’s events.
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The caliber of chefs and the dedication they committed to the evening speaks to the power and appreciation each holds for Krug. Olivier Krug gushes, “Many of the chefs hadn’t achieved three stars when they joined Single Ingredient. It’s a testament to the program’s prestige that they not only stayed with it but agreed to be part of this 10th-anniversary event.”
Every course, every pairing, every chef brings something unique to the table, but at the heart of Inside Krug’s Kitchen is a shared reverence for precision and creativity. As the final course of Arnaud Lallement’s hyper-realistic lemon dessert melts on my palate and I take my last sip of Krug Grande Cuvée 162ème, I’m reminded of the importance of the single-ingredient approach. “In one glass of Krug Grande Cuvée, you have everything,” Olivier reflects. “It’s a firework of sensations, of emotions. When you think it’s over, it continues.”
This article appears in the 27 Nov 2024 issue of the New Statesman, Winter 2024/25
