Paris (AFP)
He defines himself as a fisherman and a cook. Defender of sustainable and artisanal fishing, his passion, Christopher Coutanceau is now part of the very closed circle of French chefs triple-starred thanks to his cuisine magnifying the products of the sea.
"His admirable cuisine is the continuation of this commitment, a real bouquet of marine scents, an ode to the living and impactful ocean. The most beautiful seafood is magnified with tenderness and a lot of imagination: the dessert is a delight, "said Michelin, before even assigning it its 3rd badge on Monday.
This reward, he had hoped for a long time. At the helm of a gourmet restaurant with two stars since 1986 and a seafood bistro in La Rochelle (west), the forties in the rugby physique had to settle for the prize for sustainable gastronomy, newly created, during the 2019 Michelin ceremony.
Introduced to this hobby from the age of four by his grandfather, Christopher Coutanceau (born in 1978) still fishes regularly on his 6-meter semi-fast.
The opportunity to become aware of the scarcity of sea resources and to go to the front. At the end of 2017, he was asked by the NGO Bloom, which fights for the protection of the oceans, to mobilize against electric fishing. He contacts other chiefs, they will ultimately be around 350 international signatories. And in January, the European Parliament voted against the development of this controversial practice, used mainly by Dutch fishermen.
In the kitchen, this depletion of the ocean has consequences, argues this chef, with fish or crustaceans that are becoming scarce, and others that return.
- Sea urchins, sardines ... -
He only cooks seasonal seafood, caught locally and by line. In its chic establishment, on Competition Beach, you can eat sea urchins, candied beetroot, crisp pike eggs, squid with black truffle, Île de Ré saffron, sardines, from head to tail, crusted fennel salt and seaweed ...
The restaurant was opened by his father Richard in 1984. Two years later, he won two Michelin stars, an award he has kept since.
Christopher joined the establishment in 2002 and joined in 2007 with the sommelier and head waiter Nicolas Brossard to direct it.
The Coutanceau house, renamed by the name of the chef, has had a makeover in recent years, with a decoration paying homage to the marine world: a ceiling inspired by the ocean floor and sand-colored walls.
With the assumed goal of one day obtaining the grâal of gastronomy, says the chef who judges hypocrites "those who say, + no, I don't want the third +". "Have you ever asked a Top 14 rugby player if he doesn't want to win the championship?" He said to Liberation.
In 2018, Christopher Coutanceau opens a stone's throw from his flagship a bistro by the sea, "La yole de Chris", with a terrace overlooking the Atlantic.
A course today hailed three stars for a chef who, on Monday on the scene, wanted to greet his teams and thanked "our wives who carry us and support us".
© 2020 AFP