CANAL+ – THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 5 AT 10:50 PM – DOCUMENTARY
Frédéric (aka Fred) Chesneau (aka “the globe-cooker”) is known for his culinary adventures broadcast on Canal+: he traveled the planet as part of the “Nouveaux eExplorateurs” (2007-2014), visited the Parisian arrondissements in search of restaurant and food store brands from around the world (“Les Paris du globe-cooker”, 2016 and 2018) or explored the French regions (“Les Terroirs de Fred Chesneau”, 2022).
He invites himself to the locals’ homes, learns their traditions and cooks with them, all with the friendly enthusiasm and smiling kindness that we know him for. In this new series for Canal+ “Cuisines hors de portée”, the cook undergoes a literal immersion by joining the crew of marine firefighters of the Terriblea nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine of the French Navy.
Reports have already shown the life of submariners and, in particular, the organization of the quartermaster’s department (the YouTube channel of the French Navy has put online some reports in the bowels and kitchens of submarines). But, as far as we know, it is not ordinary for a film crew to spend eight days on board and for a “guest” cook to take charge of the entire menu of an exceptional meal.
Oxygen masks
To do this, the “globe-cooker” underwent ad hoc physical training and was introduced to the alert exercises that firefighters regularly undergo in the event of an area polluted by smoke: while the safety procedures are activated, the cooks (two chefs and a baker-pastry chef) remain at their stoves, equipped with oxygen masks.
During this long-term report, everything is considered, from loading food to dropping perishable waste in biodegradable plastic bags. And we see that the small size of the pantry (6 square meters!), the “plate picking” and the rolling do not prevent a varied cuisine and fresh bread at every meal.
Meats, fish (and even Breton lobsters brought on board by Fred Chesneau and settled ” on [s]the kitty »he specifies): almost everything is consumed, except the animal whose name must not be pronounced on board (marine superstition), a “big-eared beast otherwise called Oryctolagus cuniculus “, as stated on the French Navy’s Facebook account.
The menu is the same for the crew and the captain’s mess (only the service, plates and cutlery differ). And Fred will treat everyone at the end of his stay, preparing a refined menu for 130 people, taking advantage of the kitchen at the rare times when it is not in service (the crew must be fed in two courses at each meal).
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To do this, the “globe-cooker” is helped by the two cooks and the baker-pastry chef, who remind us that they are “craftsmen among technicians”. Because, despite the excellent mood on board, this highly technological submarine is always ready to “show the muscles” and to trigger a “implementation of nuclear deterrence” by order of the President of the Republic.
“Kitchens out of reach: nuclear submarine”, documentary by Fred Chesneau, directed by Olivia Chiché and Julien Fouilhé (Fr., 2023, 57 min). On replay on MyCanal until December 31, 2027.
