Jean Sulpice in 5 dishes

Jean Sulpice, chef at theAuberge du Père Bise (4 toques), crafts a cuisine deeply rooted in his Alpine environment. Inspired by nature, childhood memories, sporting endeavors and the produce of the lake, he creates dishes in motion, like pieces of edible landscapes. Here are five dishes that tell his story, his territory and his vision.

The dish that takes us back to childhood: Apple in a meringue shell

Born in Val Thorens, this white meringue ball is much more than a dessert. It evokes childhood, snow and purity: "My culinary expression takes place in a white environment."Inspired by an internship with Pierre Hermé, this playful dessert breaks the meringue shell to reveal a heart of concentrated apple and licorice, accompanied by honey ice cream.

at 2300 meters altitude, the dry air helped to achieve the ideal texture: "What I don't like about meringue is when it sticks to your teeth. in Annecy, on the shores of the lake, humidity complicates the task", but the chef continues to convey the original emotion of this sweet snow, with a touch of antesite that prolongs the experience. "This dessert features in my book 'Altitude 2300m', published in 2003. I'm a real sweet tooth, very sensitive about dessert."

© Jean-François Mallet

The dish that reinvents the mountain: Beaufort mousse

when Jean Sulpice arrived in Val Thorens at the age of 23, he had to face up to some reticence: "I was told that gastronomy wouldn't work here. He responds with a cold Beaufort espuma, which lightly sublimates an emblematic cheese. On top of this cheese cloud, Jean Sulpice recreates the mountain pasture: an explosion of small herbs such as burnet, yarrow, caraway, sucrine or lovage, with a reduction of beet, walnuts and bread croutons. The dish evolves over the years with a walnut praline and a light tartlet, always rooted in the living. "This recipe follows me and hasn't aged a bit."

© Franck Juery

The living dish : La Cueillette

Each season, Jean Sulpice composes a dish like a living bouquet, combining vegetables, fruit, mushrooms, herbs, flowers... In summer, the sabayon is scented with calament des sous-bois, a flower that brings freshness and relief. On the plate: green beans and butter, chanterelles, braised fennel, broad beans, cherries in vinegar, artichoke purée, beet chips... "It's a lively, ever-changing dish. A bit like a bouquet of flowers, in harmony with nature."

© Franck Juery

The dish that brings back memories: La bouchée Mousse des bois

at the Auberge du Père Bise, even the first bite tells a story. "I'm very sensitive. What I like is to revive an emotion, a memory of nature." This bite, inspired by his sporting walks in the forest, evokes humus after the rain.

Jean Sulpice infuses woodland moss into a cream served on a sponge cake. A sensory wink: "What I like is that you get the taste of the smell," says the chef. A suspended, almost magical moment.

franck Juery

The heritage dish: Crayfish tail gratin

When he took over the Auberge du Père Bise, Jean Sulpice chose to preserve Marguerite Bise's signature dish: crayfish tail gratin. But he adds his own signature touch. "I couldn't sit on the history of the place. it was up to me to bring it to life in a different way."

© Franck Juery

Crayfish from Lake Annecy are prepared in a foie gras bisque for a nutty note, with carrots and celery. This is topped with an espuma of Beaufort bisque, au gratin in a cassolette. "Once you put your spoon in, you can't get out."