Olivier Bellin's signature dishes, absolutely worth the detour

At Olivier Bellin, dishes are never created by chance. They are the fruit of a story, a memory, a landscape or a product that has long been looked down upon. at theAuberge des Glazicks (4 toques), Brittany is not a setting but a living, nourishing material, sometimes rough but always sincere. Some dishes have been there for fifteen years, having evolved without ever losing their soul. "They're plates that tell the story of where I come from, what I ate as a child, and how I learned to transform those memories into cuisine. Five dishes as beacons for understanding a cuisine that's both earthy and seafaring, instinctive and masterful.

Cauliflower chaud-froid with cuttlefish ink sauce: the undisputed amuse-bouche

Served as an amuse-bouche for nearly fifteen years, this dish has become a true signature. It has evolved over time, but the base is still the same: cauliflower, an emblematic Breton product that has long suffered from a bad reputation. "For a very long time, people said it didn't smell good, that it wasn't good. But in reality, when you master it perfectly, it has a very rare subtlety", assures Olivier Bellin.

at the Auberge des Glazicks, the vegetable is raised in elegance. A fine cauliflower purée, whipped to a light mousse with cream, is served with a crème glacé au chèvre ultra-frais, from a small goat farm located three kilometers from the auberge. "It faces the sea, so the sea spray hits the grass, giving the goat's cheese an incredible salty taste," says the chef. Slivers of raw cauliflower, followed by a very marine squid ink sauce, complete the dish. Three elements, three textures, for a subtle encounter between vegetables and iodine.

Boiled oats with cockles and beaten butter: a peasant dish turned gastronomic

This dish takes you back to rural, agricultural Brittany. Boiled oats are an ancestral product, long consumed in the countryside. "Oats or buckwheat were cooked in water for two hours. It was nourishing, thick and not necessarily very tasty, but it held the body," recalls Olivier Bellin. Around the table, the cauldron was placed with a large knob of butter in the center. "The butter melted, bringing softness and roundness.

The chef transforms this rustic porridge into an elegant dish: cooked for a long time, then emulsified until very creamy, enriched with a hazelnut butter for depth. A few cockles just opened in a sauté pan, a little ginger for freshness, beaten butter added at the last moment. "We've turned it into an amuse-bouche that tells the story," he sums up.

Lobster and black pudding: a childhood memory

This dish is a childhood memory. "When I was a kid, depending on what was in season, I'd have pasta with a shellfish or a crustacean, but also with a sausage," Olivier Bellin tells us. This meeting of land and sea has become a natural part of his cooking.

The lobster, supplied by his wholesaler Laurent Daniel based in Le Guilvinec, is barely cooked in semi-salted butter, seared over a high heat to keep it raw to the core, crunchy and iodized. Opposite, a homemade black pudding, made with pork blood, candied onions, pig's trotters and diced fat, thickened at low temperature. "Once poached, cooled, sliced and snacked, the boudin accompanies the lobster, topped with a buttery lobster sauce. "A direct tribute to his mother and her everyday cooking.

Oyster, pig's head and vinegar sabayon: a daring marriage

Another unlikely encounter. "Theidea is simple: to marry two products you wouldn't necessarily think of," says Olivier Bellin. The oysters are served raw, simply opened and cut. "I don't like cooking oysters", says the chef. The pig's head is braised for a long time, then worked into a clean square, brushed with juice, rolled, frozen, sliced and steamed. "Pig's head is much finer than calf's head, and less gelatinous", says the chef, who is keen to showcase products from his region.

A hollandaise-style sabayon, seasoned with gherkin vinegar and braising juice, brings the dish together, accompanied by chopped gherkins, sea herbs (samphire, wild sorrel, purslane), grated lemon and small fried croutons."We've got the raw, the candied, the power, the creaminess, the acidity, the freshness."

Roasted pear with three spices: fruit cooked like meat

This dessert, launched fifteen years ago, has now reached full maturity. The pear is first gently poached in a light syrup, flavored with lemon zest, Breton vanilla and a hint of cinnamon. It is then roasted in semi-salted butter "like meat", seasoned on each side with ground coriander, cinnamon and nutmeg. "It's a surprising way of cooking," says the chef. Deglazed with its own cooking water, the pear is glazed, caramelized and adorned with a coat of spices.

Surrounding it, an iced and reduced ribot milk, orange jam, a few crunchy flower-shaped tuiles, a pear and black garlic gel. "A dessert that's both simple, technical and deeply gourmet.