“Of the two recipes, one took up the classic combinations that always work very well with watercress, the other was very original to say the least.
“Kept in secrecy, Mikaël Morizot, watercress producer in Vayres-sur-Essonne, will not say more.
This Wednesday May 5, at 11:15 pm on M 6, viewers will discover its green gold cooked by two ex-candidates of the “Top Chef” program.
The opportunity for him to present watercress “other than in soup”.
"Here, we are in the cradle of cress culture," reveals the 38-year-old producer.
The Sainte-Anne watercress farm was created in 1856, it was the first in the department.
At the time, watercress was a medicinal plant.
It was, among other things, used to fight against scurvy.
"
More than 40,000 boots produced per year
Three families have followed one another on this watercress plant of around fifty ares managed since 2008 by Mikaël Morizot.
“I started my conversion to organic farming in 2018,” he continues.
The September production will therefore be entirely organic.
This opened up new markets to me, such as the Herbarium in Milly-la-Forêt and the nearby Biocoop brands.
Otherwise, I sell 85% of my production at the Rungis market (Val-de-Marne).
"
Vayres-sur-Essonne, Friday 23 April 2021. Mikaël Morizot's red watercress, here compared with a bunch of green watercress, was obtained through a selection of seeds.
LP / FG
Each year, Mikaël Morizot produces, with respect for traditions, between 40,000 and 45,000 bunches of 300 grams.
For the needs of the show, the producer provided about fifty of them to the team of "Top Chef: les grands duels".
“The boots were delivered the day before,” he continues.
I provided them with green watercress and red watercress.
"
This other variety with purple and dark green foliage is one of the grower's greatest successes.
“In the family, we use our own seeds.
With selection work, we managed to create this so-called red variety.
In general, with its slightly more peppery note, this watercress is very popular with chefs.
"
Read also Favorite farm of the French: at the Barberons, watercress is a family affair
Since 2019, its watercress has been labeled “Produced in Ile-de-France” and “Valeurs Parc naturel régional”.
It is also through the latter that he was able to offer his production on the show.
Food critic François-Régis Gaudry talks about it on France Inter
"The Federation of Regional Natural Parks of France is in partnership with the M 6 channel," indicates the president of the French Gâtinais Regional Natural Park, Jean-Jacques Boussaingault.
They were looking for a product to represent Ile-de-France.
So we applied and we were selected.
"
This selection propelled Mikaël Morizot in front of the cameras.
“We shot the show last November in a studio in Aubervilliers (Seine-Saint-Denis), adds this father.
The presenter, Stéphane Rotenberg, asked me to present my product, then we tasted the achievements of the candidates with the food critic François-Régis Gaudry.
Seduced, the food journalist even retained the watercress of Mikaël Morizot for his program on France Inter.
"A spotlight on the profession"
“Anything that is not used is used for the
Top Chef
program
,” continues the producer.
That's why we saw my watercress during the Last Chance test of the Restaurant
War
episode
.
And if there is still food that has not been cooked, it is donated to charities.
"
Vayres-sur-Essonne, Friday April 23, 2021. To maintain his watercress, Mikaël Morizot can count on the help of his daughter.
LP / FG
With this media exposure, Mikaël Morizot could benefit from a positive impact on his orders. "It's possible," he evacuates quickly. It is above all a spotlight on the profession and the opportunity to discover watercress other than in soup. With a goat cheese pie or in a smoothie to keep all its nutritional values, it's also very good! "
