Arnaud Lallement in 5 dishes

at the helm of L'Assiette Champenoise in Tinqueux, Arnaud Lallement embodies the excellence of French gastronomy. Crowned Chef of the Year in 2014 by Gault&Millau and awarded five toques, this passionate chef carries on the family legacy with his wife Magali and sister Mélanie. In this emblematic house, founded by his parents, he celebrates a cuisine d'auteur, at once technical, refined and deeply rooted in his Champagne terroir.

Today, he opens the doors of his world to us, unveiling five signature dishes that bear witness to his career, his exacting standards and his love of the product. Five dishes that have marked his career and shaped his reputation, between audacity, finesse and homage to family roots.

His proudest dish: Turbot Breton with yellow wine sauce

If there's one dish of which Arnaud Lallement is particularly proud, it's his plank-roasted turbot breton, accompanied by a yellow wine sauce. This exceptional fish, line-caught and carefully selected - 10 kg specimens with thick flesh - is worked with remarkable precision.

"The sauce is the soul of the dish," insists the chef. Indissociable from French gastronomy, it lies at the heart of culinary emotion. The intensely concentrated yellow wine sauce sublimates the turbot with its unique aromatic depth.

The dish has evolved over the years. originally accompanied by gnocchi, it has been enriched by various garnishes to reach its current balance, with onions confit in hazelnut butter and turbot meticulously prepared. Before cooking, an initial marinade creates the perfect contrast between a crispy crust and a translucent, soft heart. A true play of textures, the chef's signature.

The dish that marked a turning point in his career: royal langoustine

Among the dishes that have marked a turning point in Arnaud Lallement's career, the langoustine royale occupies a special place. More than a dish, it's a revelation: that sobriety can coexist with impeccable technique.

It's all about the purity of the product. Each langoustine, of exceptional calibre - around 450 g each - is shelled to the minute and grilled with extreme precision: only one side is seared, leaving the other raw, for a melting texture and intact flavour.

The sauce, an essential element of the chef's cuisine, is made from the inside of the heads, worked to obtain an almost foamy texture, unctuous and intense in flavor. A subtle balance, where freshness, cooking and seasoning come together in perfect harmony.

A tribute to a memory: blue lobster

For Arnaud Lallement, blue lobster is much more than a dish: it's a childhood memory, a tribute to his father, who passed away too soon at the age of 50.

A devoted chef, his father was part of a generation that worked tirelessly all year round, giving himself just one evening off on December 24. That evening, he prepared a simple but unforgettable dish: a lobster casserole, simmered in a generous sauce of cream and lobster carcasses, served with large potatoes. The family would gather around this comforting dish, in a moment of sharing that could last several hours.

Today, Arnaud Lallement perpetuates this tradition by reinterpreting this recipe with his own chef's eye. He retains its DNA: the cooking, the sauce, the garnish, while adding a more contemporary touch. An emotionally-charged dish, where each bite tells a story of transmission and love for the product.

Our most popular dish: caviar, haddock and potato jelly

Some dishes are self-evident, not because the chef wants them to be, but because customers love them. That's exactly what happened with Arnaud Lallement's caviar, haddock and potato jelly.

Created in 2013-2014, this dish was initially only an ephemeral proposition, remaining on the menu for less than a quarter. However, customers kept asking for it. Touched by this craze, the chef put it back on the menu for six months, before attempting a variation. But with each withdrawal, the requests came flooding back. "It's not us who decide that a dish becomes a classic, it's the customer. We're here to cook for everyone, so you have to know how to listen."

Over time, Arnaud Lallement has made the dish his own, and today it reflects his culinary identity. A subtle balance between the iodine of caviar, the depth of smoked haddock and the comforting sweetness of potato jelly. A dish where apparent simplicity hides a work of precision and elegance.

The latest creation: fermented vegetable tartlet

Every new dish tells a story, and this one is particularly dear to Arnaud Lallement's heart. A few months ago, his son Brice joined the kitchens of L'Assiette Champenoise, carrying on the family legacy. And one of his creations has already made a name for itself: a tartelette with fermented vegetables, confit vegetable condiment and shellfish coral emulsion.

This dish plays on subtle balances: acidity, vegetables, iodine, a hint of bitterness, each element finds its place in a controlled harmony. When he tasted it for the first time, Arnaud Lallement was blown away: "I didn't have much to rectify. It's exactly what we're looking for today."

But while Brice already embodies the house's vision, he has yet to prove himself and immerse himself in the demands of an address that has been around for 50 years. A fine promise for the future, and a first dish that already marks the beginning of his mark on the history of L'Assiette Champenoise.