The Fine Cuisine of Residential Chef Thierry: Lunching for 6 Weeks in Libreville, Gabon, Equatorial Africa

From December 29, 2021 to February 6, 2022, Annette and I spent almost 6 weeks in Libreville, Gabon. Our daughter Cornelia lives there with her husband Chris and their 2 children Viatrix and Ernst. Chris is the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) at the American Embassy in Libreville, and Cornelia, who has a Ph.D. in political science on China and Africa, consults from there all over the world.

We visited Chris and Cornelia right in the middle of the Corona/ Omicron wave. As a result, Annette and I limited our in-country trips and stayed most of the time in Libreville, enjoying quality time with our grandchildren and the pool at the residence of Chris and Cornelia as well as the pool at the American compound. In addition, due to a medical problem of Christian right at the beginning of the visit, we reduced our wine consumption to zero.

Reflecting the duties a DCM has in terms of hosting and representing the country, Cornelia and Chris are provided with a residential chef. As a result, for most of the time of our stay, Annette and I were pampered by Chef Thierry with equisite lunches. Chef Thierry, who hails from Togo, put a focus on French classics and Africa dishes. At the request of Cornelia, they were always light.

I am releasing 3 posts with regard to our visit.

Enjoying 6 Weeks of "Africa Light" in Libreville, Gabon, Equatorial Africa

The Fine Cuisine of Residential Chef Thierry: Lunching for 6 Weeks in Libreville, Gabon, Equatorial Africa

Paying Respects to one of the Last Century's Great Heroes - Visiting the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon, Equatorial Africa

Lunching with Chef Thierry

Gazpacho et soufflé au fromage

By Chef Thierry

Senegal Souvenirs - Thieboudienne, the national dish of Senegal, where Chris and Cornelia used to be stationed before moving to Gabon, is a boldly flavored rice-and-fish platter.

Originating from the city of Saint-Louis in the Northern part of Senegal, today you find it all over West Africa. Thieboudienne was added to food-related items on the UNESCO list in December 2021, which includes dishes such as pizza from Italy and couscous from the Magreb.

Traditionally it is eaten in a large communal dish with the hand. It is also the symbol of Senegalese terranga (hospitality): Family, visiting friends and guests gather around a single dish (called a bolus) from which everyone eats using a spoon (couddou Pulaar) or a piece of bread.

Chef Thierry`s take of Thieboudienne was a more refine version, but as boldly flavored as it is in the home of a Senegalese family.

I brought a coconut from the beach, which inspired Chef Thierry to prepare a "Soupe Thaïlandaise de Poulet au Lait de Coco"/ Thai Chicken Soup with Coconut Milk for lunch today. With the coconut meat left-overs he made coconut sweets.

Merou Sauté aux Pousses d` Epinard - Grouper sautéed with baby spinard.

Merou avec des legumes - Grouper with vegetables.

At my request, residential Chef Thierry prepared an African dish today for lunch. He chose Gboma Dessi, a spinach stew that is typically served with meat, shrimp, crab or smoked fish. It is one of Togo`s signature dishes. Togo is a small country in West Africa. Chef Thierry hails from Togo. Togolese cuisine is a combination of African, French, and German influences.

For lunch today, I asked Chef Thierry to prepare a French classic for us: Salade Niçoise.

The best place to eat Salade Niçoise is of course in a brasserie in Nizza in the Provence, with a Rosé de Provence. Annette and I eat it quite regularly in McLean and Frankfurt. From time to time Annette serves it with pan-fried fresh tuna. And she always puts lots of green beans. I noticed that Chef Thierry left out the olives.

Residential Chef Thierry was back behind the stove today after the long weekend and he prepared a delicious gambas meal for lunch for us.

Gambas are large shrimps. Shrimps are small crustaceans that have ten legs and long antennae. Shrimps have a thin-segmented shell covering a tapering body, and a large head about the size of the body. Caught in great numbers and the most popular seafoods. Shrimp is the English/American name of this creature and Crevette the French; large shrimps are called Prawns in the UK and Langoustines in France. In Germany, shrimps are called Garnelen and the very small Garnelen from the North Sea are called Krabben. When they are larger, they are called Scampis in Germany. In Spain, shrimps are called Camerones and the large versions Gambas. The Italians call shrimps Gamberettis.

See: Schiller's World of Seafood

At the suggestion of Annette residential Chef Thierry prepared lamb chops for lunch today. That completed a week of wonderful meals prepared by a gifted chef.

Poulet farcie au couscous

Merou avec des légumes

Nouilles chinoises aux légumes et aux épices

Filet mignon de porc en croûte

Annette, Cornelia and Viatrix + Ernst went on an overnight trip. So, today Chef Thierry prepared lunch only for Chris and me: Merou (fish) and a vegetable puree.