Christian Le Squer in 5 courses
Christian Le Squer, chef at Le Cinq restaurant in Paris, talks to Gault&Millau about five emblematic creations from his career, which continue to mark his cuisine with its Breton roots.
Christian Le Squer, chef at Le Cinq (5 toques) at the Four Seasons George V in Paris, is at the pinnacle of French gastronomy, drawing his culinary roots from the sea spray of Brittany and the emotions of his childhood. Here we meet him in five symbolic dishes, combining salty memories, milky sweetness and a love of the right product.
The dish he's most proud of: sea bass with ribot milk and caviar
"The dish I'm most proud of is undoubtedly the sea bass with ribot milk from my childhood, topped with caviar", says the chef, without hesitation. Almost 30 years ago, Christian Le Squer was one of the first to introduce ribot milk - traditionally consumed in Brittany - to Parisian gourmet kitchens. The recipe, deliberately simple, plays on the evocative power of childhood tastes: "We heat the ribot milk with a little liquid cream, snacke the fish, and pour the hot milk over it to finish the cooking." Caviar, a touch of iodized luxury, sublimates the whole. Versatile, the dish adapts to all seasons and different varieties of fish. "The fermented milk adds a lot of sweetness," he concludes.
jean-Claude Amiel
A turning point in his cooking: shellfish cooked in seawater
Back to basics with this technique inherited from Breton culinary rituals: "We fetch seawater and cook our shellfish in it. A strong, almost instinctive gesture, which the chef has sought to reproduce at the highest level, and which is still one of his trademarks today. This is how he prepares spider crabs or even lobster, letting them cool in their cooking water to preserve their iodized character. Subtly worked seaweed extends this saline signature.
louise Marinig
The most popular dish: langoustine mayonnaise with buckwheat pancakes
Created in 1995 at the Café de la Paix, this dish has become a cult favorite. "I wanted to change the recipe several times, but the regulars didn't want to. So we keep it as it is", smiles the chef. This combination of langoustines, mayonnaise and buckwheat pancake appeals to all Bretons, and far beyond. Word of mouth has spread, and some customers come exclusively for this dish. It's our best seller, year after year.
alix Marnat
A recipe linked to a memory: kouign-amann revisited
It's impossible to talk about Christian Le Squer without mentioning kouign-amann, that ultra-gourmand Breton cake. But with him, there's no question of ending the meal on a heavy note. For years, the chef has been revisiting this specialty to offer a lighter version: "I replace the bread dough with a well-caramelized puff pastry."Served warm, with coffee, this end-of-meal dessert often moves guests: "Customers usually say they've eaten too much and won't touch the kouign-amann... before they taste it and eat it whole, of course", Christian Le Squer laughs. A gentle, warm way of passing on his education in taste.
ilya Kagan
His guilty pleasure: little pots of cream
"My sweet tooth is little pots of cream: chocolate, vanilla, coffee... I can eat them all the time," he confesses with tenderness. Often slipped in as a pre-dessert, these simple entremets remind him of the raw milk of his childhood, when it overflowed from the saucepan. "I love all these desserts made with eggs and whole milk."Through them, a deep bond with the land, childhood and the sincerity of cooking is woven - that of a great chef who has never forgotten where he comes from.
