Hell’s kitchen? This was heaven

The buttery crunch of puff pastry, the rich velvetiness of warm banana, the delightfully sweet tang of caramel followed by the warming hint of vanilla. Finally, the icy smoothness of homemade ice cream.

Jean-Christophe Novelli certainly knows how to make a girl swoon.

Aside from his immensely likable Gallic charm, the fact his eyes are the perfect shade of chocolate to melt into and he oozes sex appeal, this man can cook.

"Close your eyes," he instructs as I prepare to taste the caramelised baked banana tatin he has placed before me. "You need to let all your senses focus on the flavours."

"How is it?" he asks.

I want to respond by saying it's as divine as him, but my last vestige of professionalism only allows me to say "delicious".

You haven't stumbled into my own fantasy world, though. I am in this privileged position thanks to the newly renovated Maxims Casino, in Westcliff.

The celebrated Michelin starred celebrity chef cooked up a storm there on a visit last week.

He has teamed up with casino bosses Genting Stanley to create a signature menu in Maxims' restaurant, and he arrived on the venue's opening night to ensure the kitchen staff he has nurtured were up to speed on the range of dishes he has put his name to.

The chefs, including Maxims' head chef Antonio Aneiros, have all visited Jean-Christophe's academy in Hertfordshire - voted one of the top 25 cookery schools in the world - and will return for regular refresher training as part of the deal.

While Jean-Christophe Novelli, who first came Britain 25 years ago, admits many of his contemporaries would shy away from such a venture, he sees it as yet another challenge in an illustrious career which saw him open his first London restaurant in 1996.

"When I saw people standing outside Maxims', I can see they are the same sort of people you would see outside the Ritz," he insists. "They have dressed up for the occasion.

"Senses are important to me and what I can smell here is quality perfume. It excites me to bring my food to a different audience within the leisure industry."

"I know very well some people think casinos are wrong, but this is more than just a place to bet and gamble. It is a place to socialise, to enjoy good food and wine."

"Here you have chefs that have been working in this kitchen for 20 or more years. Where do you get that sort of loyalty these days? It is an honour to work with such people.

"I am not here to impose, but to advise and offer that little je ne sais quois'," he quips, with tongue firmly in cheek.

But how does he think the people of Essex will react to his food?

"It is the sort of food that goes down well in LA, in Dubai, across the world, so I think the people of Southend can cope," he laughs.

Jean-Christophe Novelli, aside from the revered Michelin star, has many accolades to his name - including 5AA rosettes, AA Chef's Chef of the Year, European Chef of the Year finalist representing Great Britain and the prestigious Egon Ronay Dessert of the Year.

He has won restaurant of the year several times and was also recently awarded an honorary doctor of art from Bedfordshire University for his 30 years in the trade and achievements in cooking.

He is only the third chef in history to achieve such recognition. There is no doubt he can cook but while the man himself is assured of his talent, he is not arrogant.

When I ask how he feels to be a hero to many in the kitchen, he dismisses the notion.

"I am not a hero," he says. "A hero is someone who does not have a choice. I had a choice and chose to do this, and I am very fortunate to have been able to achieve what I have and be recognised for it."

Jean-Christophe began his career at 14 as a baker in his home town of Arras, in northern France, becoming head private chef to Elie de Rothschild in Paris before he was 20.

His life changed completely when he arrived in Great Britain in 1983 and spent a year helping his mentor and best friend, Keith Floyd, taking care of his pub as head chef while Keith was filming his infamous TV show.

Despite his continental roots, he is a great advocate of British grub - refuting the notion we Brits are backward when it comes to cuisine.

He says: "In this country there are great regional dishes which are only really starting to be celebrated again.

"But a lot more people are now looking at the notion of fresh produce and farmers' markets being run as proper businesses, rather than just a gimmick which is pleasing."

So what, according to Jean- Christophe, makes a good cook? "You have to have passion and a love of food," he says. "There is nothing scary about cooking. It is not like learning Japanese, for example," he laughs.

"But one of the most important things is learning to season. Using herbs and spices for flavour can make such a difference. You do not have to use extreme ingredients like foie gras and cavier.

"Think of putting different things together, like vanilla with sea bass, or orange and cardamom with scallops."

With a new book out, called Everyday Novelli, Jean-Christophe has lots more tips to bring out the chef in us all.

But he says: "I do not have a favourite food. I love all food. To ask me to pick a favourite dish from my menu is like asking a parent to pick their favourite child. He does, however, admit to being something of a strict parent as far as his cooking is concerned.

He says: "If you look at my book, all that is photographed has been cooked by my own hand for my art.

"I would not allow an economist to organise it and that is the control freak in me. I never stop looking for a challenge through my career." he says. "Without a challenge there is no point."

Teaching an Echo reporter to whip milk for the cappuccino topping in his pea soup may just have been a challenge too far, though.

"You do not need to attack it," he laughs. "Just move it from side to side to create the froth."

While I may not quite make the kitchen grade, I am more than happy to continue my role of chef taster in his presence for the rest of the evening. And as I leave he hands me a copy of his book. Inside, it is inscribed "if a kiss won't do it, the cooking will".

Luckily, I got to experience both from Mr Novelli, and can confirm they are as intoxicating as each other.