Chef Biography
Rene’ Bajeux was born and raised on a farm in Alsace-Lorraine, France. He went on to obtain his culinary degree and then circled the world, cooking in acclaimed restaurants including Chicago, where he was a partner and chef at Bistrot Zinc. Chef Bajeux was designated as a “French Master Chef”, only one of 50 in the United States.
He then went on to a 5-year stint at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles, then Maui, and finally in 1997, to New Orleans’ Windsor Court Hotel’s Grill Room. Great Chefs Television filmed Chef Rene’ in the Grill Room in 1999 preparing several dishes: Duck Paquet (in Great Chefs of America, episode #140) and Banana Fritters (in Great Chefs of America, episode #134).
In 2001 he opened his own restaurant “Rene’ Bistrot” and later, a second Rene’ Bistrot in another Renaissance Hotel in New Orleans. Both were destroyed in Hurricane Katrina. After a bit of traveling and working in restaurants in the Caribbean and Texas, Chef Rene’ returned to New Orleans in 2015. He was asked to join the Dickie Brennan Group as Chef in Residence at the Palace Café on Canal Street, where he instructed rising culinary talent in the company and directed its charcuterie program.
In the Summer of 2018, Chef Rene’ was named executive chef at the Reunion Golf and Country Club outside Jackson, Mississippi.
Chef Rene’ Bajeux died on September 10, 2018 in Jackson, Mississippi.
Recipes
Duck Paquet
Serving: 2 Print Duck Paquet By Great Chefs October 2, 2015 Pretty golden brown pastry packets reveal marinated, sauteed duck with mushrooms and goat cheese. They are surrounded by a circle of rich red wine sauce with truffles and truffle oil. Brik is a thin French pastry dough similar to phyllo. It can be used […]
Sugar Cane Banana Fritters with Mango Crème Anglaise
Serving: 4 Print Sugar Cane Banana Fritters with Mango Crème Anglaise By Great Chefs October 1, 2015 Living in New Orleans, Rene Bajeux can easily find cane stalks for this creative dessert of tempura-dipped fried banana “popsicles” with mango crème anglaise. If your store doesn’t sell such things, use regular popsicle sticks. The bananas are […]