Philippe URRACA the Gers pastry chef who conquered the world!

Auch and the Gers are a land of gastronomy; a land of talent! Great chefs promote French gastronomy in France and around the world: André DAGUIN, Michel SARRAN are probably the most publicized examples of this. Today we met a pastry chef Philippe URRACA.

Short biography

Philippe URRACA - portrait

Born in Labéjan, a rural town at the gates of Auch, he launched himself very early into the pastry by opening, at the age of 19, his first business.

Passionate and full of talents, he becomes Best workers in France (MOF for connoisseurs) in pastry in 1994. He chaired the “MOF Pâtisserie” committee from 2003 to 2017.

Officially retired, but still very active, he took a few minutes to answer us and offer you a recipe...

The encounter

A Gers around the world

In a few moments, we travel around the world: Barcelona, ​​Bali, Reunion, Japan or China. Today consultant for the dessert company, Philippe URRACA trains pastry chefs and promotes French know-how.

If French gastronomy is very famous in the world, its cuisine is in competition with many other countries which have been able to offer gourmet cuisine.

This is not the case with pastry, says Philippe!

Certainly, there are very good things all over the world. But, French pastry is the result of an analysis and documentation that allows to transmit and share its quality and excellence.

In every corner of the world, if you eat a delicious pastry, it means that a Frenchman is in the kitchen, or that the pastry chef was trained in France.

The country pastry chef

Born near Auch, he did his apprenticeship in Nogaro, in Bas Armagnac. It is therefore at the heart of Gers soil, and its products of excellence, that it made its ranges and drew its inspiration. His friendships with winegrowers and producers led him to take in his suitcases (in the first sense of the term), the products of the Gers to share them all around the world : Armagnac, Floc de Gascony ou foie gras !

You should also know that a MOF pastry chef must also cook savory dishes as part of his competition.

Philippe URRACA therefore proposed a foie gras crisp !

Another anecdote quoted:

in China, I proposed a revisited quiche with dried duck breast. Why put bacon!?

In November 2021, he was still in Eauze as a jury for the Grandes Eaux de Vie d'Armagnac competition, to select the President of the Republic prize!

Proud of his roots, it's also his southern accent which distinguishes it. One more asset that had convinced France 2 to entrust him with the role of jury in the program “Who will be the next great pastry chef? ".

Honey Profiteroles

One of Philippe's great passions is profiteroles. Moreover, he dedicated a shop just to them for a few years in Paris!

Profiteroles pruneaux Armagnac par Philippe URRACA
Profiterole prunes Armagnac, by Philippe URRACA

It is therefore recipe for "gersoise" profiterole with Armagnac which he kindly agreed to share.

The taste of transmitting

With his business in Auch, André DAGUIN – then 2 Michelin star chef at theHotel de France – calls on him to act as a consultant. Arrived on tiptoe, he ensured this mission for nearly 18 years. From this experience, he keeps a great friendship for André DAGUIN "a second father" who pushed him to excellence and took him around the world.

In turn, Philippe ensured the transmission of his passion and it is now his main professional occupation. Many are the pastry chefs who have seen their career stop by Philippe's laboratory. In the Gers, he quotes:

Some books

In any good bookstore, you can find thehe books of Philippe URRACA. His step-by-step pastry lessons exist for adults and are available in a special edition for children.

It is indeed 40 years of experience that he shares in this bestseller. You will find how to make very good desserts while having fun (and being rigorous).

Gastronomy

. Armagnac. French pastry chef. URRACA pastry chef. desserts. Gastronomy
spechcontal

Silvan

The 2 February 2022