Raymond Blanc: A Very Hungry Frenchman

Raymond Blanc may be Britain’s most-famous French chef, yet he has never cooked professionally in France. (Born in Besançon, the popular television chef, cookbook author and hotelier has held two Michelin stars for 28 years at his Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Oxfordshire and operates a number of other restaurants as well.) In Raymond Blanc: The Very Hungry Frenchman, a five-part series beginning Thursday, Feb 2 on BBC2, Blanc has the opportunity to show us the country he loves and the French recipes that inspire him. In each episode, the chef explores the distinctive produce and cuisine of a different region of France, from world- famous Burgundy to his less well-known but much-loved home region of Franche Comte, where his 90-year-old mother still lives. We also explore Lyon, German-influenced Alsace and of course, our favorite: Provence. 

In each hour-long episode, Blanc sources the freshest ingredients, shows us how to make the dishes, and then together with his young British protégés, Katie and Kush, cooks a menu of traditional dishes at a local restaurant for one night only.

The Very Hungry Frenchman will be broadcast on BBC2 at 8 p.m U.K. time. The current airing schedule is as follows:

Thursday February 2 - Franche Comte

Thursday February 9- Burgundy

Thursday February 16 - Lyon

Thursday February 23 - Alsace

Thursday March 1 – Provence

There's no word yet on where else or when else the series might be shown but BBC2 often makes its programs available online once they've been broadcast. For more info, click here and here.