Guillaume Galvez: the story of this French chef who fell in love with Morocco (video)

In this palace, Guillaume, with more than 100 people under his command, works to satisfy a luxury clientele. "My work is a bit like that of a conductor, I would say, where we really try to make sure that everything goes well, that everything is fine, that the timings are respected, that the products are well cooked, that the seasonings are there, that the waiting time is reasonable, etc. There are really a lot of things to manage all day long," explains the chef to the microphone of France 2, which dedicated a report to him in the "13 heures".

Guillaume Galvez prepares his dishes with the spices he buys at the Marrakech medina. "In Morocco, it is a country that is very rich in culture, rich in history. And for a cook, there are really a lot of products that are super interesting, like spices, seafood... So it makes it an ideal destination," he explains. And he adds: "It’s more interesting to come and get the product at the source. And really, it allows you to have freshness in the spices."

The French chef has a soft spot for Moroccan couscous. "We would like to prepare a couscous! Can we make a meat couscous?" asks Guillaume, who is curious to know the recipe for this mythical Moroccan dish. "I really want to know what the secret is and what spices they use." "In reality, the spices for the couscous are always the same in Morocco. And the secret is in the proportions and the chef’s touch," explains a Moroccan chef.

Guillaume offers this revisited dish every Friday to his clients. "We have the chickpeas, we have the tfaya, the semolina underneath. And the most interesting thing is the power and the taste of the broth that is there. The only thing we want to do is to dig into it and start eating," he says. Moroccan cooks also go to the French chef’s school. "It’s great in the kitchen to mix our Moroccan traditions with his French traditions. The dishes are of better quality," says a Moroccan cook by his side.

Guillaume’s next challenge is to offer new dishes with a Moroccan touch. "I’m preparing a tomato tart, with spices we found in the souk..." specifies the chef who is experiencing this Moroccan experience "to the fullest". "It’s a passionate job. So I love what I do. I’m lucky to work in a very nice establishment with great teams," he rejoices.