From the World Food Championships: Crafting Victory- The French Team's Burger Championship Journey

All right , we are now at 30 seconds . 30 seconds remaining . Let's get this final team in . Oh my , hey everyone .

This is such a vicious event the Walk of Time forecast 20 seconds .

You have 20 seconds to get your train on the table , right over at the table 50 , 14 , 30 , 12 , 11 , 10 , 9 , 8 , 7 , 6 , 7 , 6 , 5 , 4 , 3 , 2 , 1 .

The Peace of Resistance is about to be here , guys . We've been waiting for these guys .

I've been studying these guys , following these guys . They are my idols . I have a question for you guys . I've been watching you guys for the last month .

And talking to Chef John Paul from Mississippi , originally from Canada , who is the vacant champion , he's like these are the guys , man , these are the guys who are going to change the WFC , the World Food Championship , and what better way to approach it than in Burger ?

So right here , from France Team France . We have Team France .

Burger . By the way , we have Michelle Richard , correct , joe Richard .

Joe Richard , apologies , been a long week .

And Gil GLAPA .

GLAPA . Sorry , my friend , I need to brush up .

Being that I'm from New Orleans , I should know a lot more friends , but I know that's my fault . But , guys , wow , I mean the fact that you came here , took chances and what a crazy way , a rather intimidating way to me , because you're serving a panel of American judges with an American iconic sandwich , something that was made here .

Now you're mimicking American , so it's an honor for us to have that kind of reversal , but tell us what it was like coming here , coming here ?

two weeks earlier to Dallas correct To train , to find butchers , to find the right produce , to find the right cheeses . It's just amazing to me and I love you procuring all that you tell us about that .

I try by myself and if I can , Of course . So , first , it's an honor for us to represent France in a burger championship . So , because the burger is the dish in America and it's invented by an American , Fletcher Davis . In our first round we make a tribute for Fletcher Davis and we come two weeks ago for meat the butcher .

The beef here is impeccable . It's an impeccable beef . Where did your career start ? Where did you ?

get that first passion to cook ?

At what age ? What were you doing ?

The first thing you tried I tried to cook when I was a young child , because I am a one-yard family . You know wine and and and I I taste a lot of dish in my in my younger age and at the age of 10 or 11 I I begin to cook . So it's it's not my , my favorite patient .

Yeah , when he was drunk .

When he's drunk so the best wines come from france obviously that's debatable , but I'm I my opinion , the best wines come from france the best chefs obviously for so many years , have come from france , right ? In front of the . The first time in the united states is this , this , this , this time , right now .

Nice , you've been here before all right is a short time in uh in united states . First time in united states , no , third , third time .

So tell us about the first time you came to the united states and you had an american hamburger or cheeseburger . Where was it ?

was it just mcdonald's , or did you want to go have in and out , in and out , in and out ?

it's a good one . I tell you in and out . And the second check , check hey wait , wait , wait , wait , wait .

Uh , oh , talk to us . Chef , in albert did you get animal style ?

what animal style I'm of your style .

Yeah , animal , one animal and it's one , two animal style I would love for you guys to come down in the world . So time to try our style of burgers .

I think simplicity is is often the the best , but in a championship we need to explain that we are specialists and we are techniques . And in this round we make burgers with homemade ketchup , homemade Tabasco , homemade topping on the bun , homemade crispy on the ends , homemade all .

What was the ?

topping . What was that topping that you did ? The topping is a crumble of bacon , bacon and onions fried .

So this is a big debate .

It's not smashed , but it's a little peyche . I love smash burger , but sometimes in my restaurants I don't make smash burger because in France there is not this culture and I make a burger with 150 kg in par and in the Pacific .

And it's 5 ounces of beef Do you prefer to cook it on a flat surface , cast iron , or over charcoal .

It gives a flavor on the meat . It's better . It's debatable .

Some people want the fattiness and cooking it on fat . What are you ?

going to say chef , I want to say something about the quality of the ingredients , which is the main thing . Whatever the food you are going to eat , the research , the resource to find the best ingredients for your dish is always the best . When you get the best ingredients , the job is already done at 80% Halfway done .

He comes tomorrow for Luke Power in the competition . It's incredible . This guy is a great person and he takes his time for us and in France they say Texas is a friendship and it's very , very exact , brotherly , that's beautiful .

I know one thing that's important . You know , french people love Americans .

I'm an American On mindset .

I noticed that about you guys , so I lived in Spain for two years and we were going to France a lot , and back then this was in the 90s . French the culture and the people were very much French to what we expected French to be . You know the scarves , the berets , it was still very French classic . And then , when I met you , guys what I was thinking .

I grew up with .

They remind me of my family , they remind me the difference is here is the hospitality you are appear .

Often all is amazing because you are a beautiful person and the smile . In France we have not just my yeah , it's just my every day .

It's very and the mindset .

So burgers is coming to the forefront in Europe .

It has been in the forefront of Europe , but I'm intrigued by the fact that you know , I've been hearing from so many people that , especially in you know , in the EU , all over it and even into the Middle East now .

I think the barbecue could be a barbecue or burger or something like that .

That would be awesome , you know you know , I think to do with a with a fast food business .

A lot of things , a lot that you guys know in .

France . I am a friend champion of burger and friend champion of barbecue too , congratulations , and I love barbecue and I think for me , texas is the best and in second it's Argentina , asado , argentina , and I love the chimichurri sauce with herbs , acidity and America Latina . It's a very , very special flavor too , and the best is Texas and Argentina , argentina .

I agree , I agree my family's got some Venezuelan in it , so we'll come and disagree okay , but it's all good , brother . I love the competition from the competition man .

Um so it was just like we was very .

We didn't have a great time to bond you know , because we were very worried you guys were worried too about the competition . You know there was a lot of anxiety going on , but now I'm so glad it was almost didn't happen because we have to catch a flight out of here tonight and you guys are in the middle of presenting your dish .

I think cooking is only love and and humanity it will .

You know , what proves this food is the universal image . That's right , thank you .

Thank you , there's no there's no border for that you know correct and the world love the burgers . You know one thing you have to tell you uh , in Paris we have the on the chance that is a . We have the . My donors and my don't know . It's the number one fast food in the world from France . You know french people .

They love burgers so much more than they used to love the , the , the sandwich , ham and cheese , now the burgers well , well , I can't remember what part of France that went to , but everyone told me you have to go to France and you know there was a . There's a . There's a mistake because there's a movie . Um , yeah , well , they say the the royal cheese .

We forget to uh , to say this uh , uh , after , uh , later . But uh , it's a tribute to pulp fiction and the cauna burger with peanut butter . With peanut butter , it's uh , it's uh , a little uh got you a little new one , you know , I want them to figure that out .

When I do the scorecard , you don't have to tell them . I think there's some good quality chefs up there judging you that are that don't kind of hear those . See those little hints . Tell us about what you're doing in DC now , bringing France to America . Welcome to Texas .

First of all my kids , the Americans , and my wife's Americans . So I was living in DC , in LA , but before that I was in Paris and I opened a business in Washington DC and we love the city . It's a restaurant .

It's a restaurant . Yes , what's the name of that restaurant ? Chef .

It's called Lavangard .

Our name is sweet in Georgetown . Got you . It's a great place . It's a beautiful and this is .

Well it's great for the food . People are well educated .

They appreciate French cuisine . Great food ingredients . You fool me , I would love to be in DC .

I , especially after LA . I was in Miami before , I was in Miami before , but I love New Orleans . By the way , come on down , chef .

I used to work in New Orleans at the Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans a while ago and I had the chance to eat the Park Williams food Pau Poudon , Pau Poudon Wow , that's you hit me with my heart there . He's one of my idols . Yeah , I know , One of my idols . I know I had the chance to . He really was the spice man to create .

Yeah , that's it . That was something we just had some black and catfish over there earlier . And Ocho His is who created that , and the folklore behind that is is that he left the cast iron pot on too high , I know , and by accident seared it . And then when he tasted that char , he was like this , is it ?

So it's kind of crazy .

It's crazy too , how mistakes you can be classically trained , and when you make a mistake you have the big idea . So it's beautiful , but at the end of the day it all comes down to a scoffier it all comes down to France . So you guys are the nucleus and that's why I'm so proud for you to be here and so honored for you to be here .

You have allies with us , you ever need anything . You guys are awesome . We use the talk media .

We'd love for you guys to listen in France . We'd love for you guys to be a part of our community and part of the food fam , the culinary community , because this is what it's all about . Next year I want to see you here . Hopefully you bring your families here . You know , we really make this a good event surrounded about food .

The world today is a lot of hate a lot of stuff going on , but food can bring us together .

And it's a common denominator , you know .

Absolutely . Thank you for having us .

Thank you so very much . I appreciate you guys , you guys are fantastic , thank you .

Thank you , guess what ? That's it . That's it , ladies and gentlemen . We are out .

Jeffrey , I don't even know if you have a voice anymore . Nope , Carl is over there with stomach pains because he's eating so much . What a lucky guy . I'm still waiting to judge . Dude , we're out of here . Man , this is shoot , Jeffrey . I love you . Thank you for this honor , this privilege , Carl . Thank you for this honor , this privilege .