“A piece of gastronomic history”: the Président, a dessert invented for Paul Bocuse, makes its big comeback

From this lunch at the Élysée Palace on February 25, 1975, history has mainly remembered the truffle soup , recognizable by its puff pastry dome, which Paul Bocuse , the hero of the day, had created to impress Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, who dubbed him a knight of the Legion of Honor. The dish, still served today during the truffle season in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, was not the only one on the menu. On the sweet side, another Lyon star emerged that day: the President, from the Bernachon house.

Before we get to dessert, let's take a look back at this lunch that became famous among gastronomic politicians, yet was born out of a hoax. In December 1964, Mr. Paul received a letter announcing his upcoming decoration. "In reality, the letter had been sent by some of the chef's joking friends," says Vincent Leroux, general manager of Maison Bocuse. Unaware of the deception, Paul Bocuse, always a joker, replied directly to the Élysée Palace that he would only accept the insignia from the hands...