Gastronomy : the season for game
The region isn’t wanting for game, nor chefs to make the most of them !
Pheasant, partridge, hare and boar… The region isn’t wanting for game, nor talented chefs to make the most of them !
Experts all agree : game is a strongly-flavoured meat requiring a minimum of know-how and experience. Only then will it unfurl its savours to enchant the most discerning palates. Also decided on a unanimous basis, boar is the least popular due to its very strong taste. At the Relais Martinez, Christophe Patenotte nevertheless daringly proposes a succulent stew of wild young boar with turnips and glazed chestnuts “en dolce forte”. But the winner of the most votes is definitely venison. At the Bastide Saint-Antoine, Jacques Chibois, an artist who sets seasonal fare on a pedestal, never fails to include game on his menu for the fall. He thus proposes a haunch of venison in a flaky concoction of vegetables with a thread of blackcurrant juice. For Bruno Oger, chef at the Villa des Lys, there’s no way one can “give it a miss”. Game therefore, in moderation, but also with talent : his back of venison roasted in the oven with Colonnata bacon and accompanied by braised potatoes and “Grand Veneur” sauce is certainly not to be missed : a combination of culinary tradition and personal inventiveness. One of the region’s most discreet chefs goes by the name of Jean-François Issautier. Away from the bustle on the coast, he has manned his ovens at the restaurant which bears his name for over 25 years. And throughout this quarter-century, he has avoided fads to focus on authentic cuisine rich in gustatory subtleties. Chez Issautier, the end of the year inevitably celebrates game with homemade pâtés and a classic in its kind : a “filet mignon” of venison served with “Grand Veneur” sauce. Or an (original) steak of roebuck venison with pepper, and a venison stew with creamy polenta and Parmesan cheese (tasting this is like deliberately committing the sin of greed). And what about our feathered friends ? Have they lost their afficionados ? Jacques Chibois simmers a fillet of duck with tender green cabbage to be served with charlotte potatoes. At the Chèvre d’Or, Philippe Labbé re-awards letters of nobility to the partridge, the “grey claw” that comes from Bologna. Just lend an ear : the partridge is oven-baked in vine leaves with a “forestière” of autumnal fruit and vegetables, the legs in marmalade and a few “trofies” with chestnut flour and “magnatum pico”. There’s another version at the Réserve de Beaulieu, in which the partridge is presented roast on the spit in its seasonal robe, with the first canterelle mushrooms, a purée of pumpkin and potato soufflée. Whether you’re a hunter or not, in November, game is an absolute must !
Jean-François Issautier, Saint-Martin-du-Var (04 93 08 10 65). Menus : 40 to 100 €. A la carte : approx. 105 €. La Bastide Saint-Antoine, 48 avenue Henri-Dunant, Grasse (04 93 70 94 94). Menu (lunchtime) : 53 €. Menu « Senteurs » : 130 €. A la carte : approx. 100 €. La Villa des Lys, 14 boulevard de La Croisette, Cannes (04 92 98 71 41). Menu « Terre et Mer » (for 2 persons) : 125 €. Menu « Epicurien » : 65 € and « Découverte » : 95 €. A la carte : approx. 170 €. La Réserve de Beaulieu, 5 boulevard du Général-Leclerc, Beaulieu-sur-Mer (04 93 01 00 01). Menu : 120 €. Le Château de la Chèvre d’Or, rue du Barri, Eze (04 92 10 66 66). Menu (lunchtime) : 85 €. Menu « Accors et mets) : 120 €. Menu (evenings) : 168 €. A la carte : 160 to 200 €. Le Relais Martinez, 73 boulevard Croisette, Cannes. Daily special : 17 €. Menu of the day : 31 €. Menu (starter + main course or main course + dessert + 1 glass of wine and coffee) : 27 €. A la carte : approx. 40 €.
By Cécile Olivéro - photos : press
