In July 2007 at "Ikarus":
Jonnie Boer
"De Librije"
Zwolle, Niederlande
On the up and up
On the up and up
Over the last few years, The Netherlands has rapidly yet quietly become an attractive destination for connoisseurs. As recently as five years ago, the Michelin Guide didn't consider a single Dutch restaurant worthy enough to carry three stars. By 2006, there were already three - which means that the Dutch now have the same number of three-star chefs as Belgium, with its rich gourmet tradition, and the more recently lauded Brits. One of the rising stars of the Dutch culinary world is Jonnie Boer, who as guest chef at the Ikarus in July will be cooking up a treat the Dutch way.
Jonnie Boer is regarded as the most popular chef in The Netherlands, not because of the three Michelin stars, but because of the remarkable modesty he shows towards his accolades. Despite his success and the media attention that goes with it, Boer's feet have remained firmly on the ground. The 40-year-old, who grew up in the country, studied for three years in Amsterdam before turning his back on big city life again to work as a chef in Zwolle - at De Librije (“the library”), where he had already worked as an apprentice. "I feel at home here, and this is also where I belong," says Boer. He had no time for apprenticeships or stints with the big culinary maestros of this world – usually a must for award-seekers. After all, he first had to rebuild and then build up his own restaurant. And was rewarded with success: in 1993, he was awarded his first Michelin star, in 1999 the second and in 2004 the third. What's more, the Gault Millau gave De Librije a spectacular 19.5 out of a possible 20 points.
Boer is one of those chefs who has his roots firmly planted in his region. Which also applies to his cuisine, especially to his ingredients. The star chef has built up a local network of producers who supply him with the freshest products. But just as De Librije is no public house, but a very distinguished restaurant, the products are not meagre, but of the highest quality and correspondingly priced. Whether he buys his lamb from France or the neighbouring village is more or less irrelevant as far as the price is concerned, says Boer. "But I can choose local lamb myself and therefore give my guests more information - because I know everything about the lamb." Boer uses local ingredients to create ingenious dishes such as tartar of langoustine with sherry, yoghurt, preserved cucumbers on warm Pata Negra ham with young spinach and mature farmhouse cheese or sea bass with wild oysters, parsnip mousse on lemongrass sauce with curry and coconut. Connoisseurs are impressed and describe Boer's style of cuisine as varied, bold, fearless. Boer himself says: "Simple, honest, natural, pure." “Pure” was also the name of his first cookbook, “Purer” the name of the second. So what will the third one be called? “Purest”, of course.
Jonnie Boer
Roland Trettl @ Jonnie Boer
Trettl in Zwolle - Doubly cool
Jonnie Boer is Dutch, he didn’t loose much time over learning but drives the most critical gourmets insane with his cooking. They are lucky to have found him in the provinces.
by Christoph Schulte for essen & trinken
I am cruising quite relaxed next to Jonnie Boer on one of his Harleys over the plains. That is, until the slightly corpulent Dutchman suddenly jams on the brakes. He gets off and comes back grinning. In his hands some rare herb suitable for cooking.
I’m familiar with the car stickers “ I brake for animals too”, but this was something completely new to me. Bu that wasn’t the only novelty.
Our Ikarus-Concept at the Hangar-7 is precise and clear: each month a new guest chef and each guest chef, a highlight. The same goes for my job: Traveling worldwide to get to know and welcome a new top-chef. They all belong to the top of a pyramid of excellent people. That’s why it hits me all the more when a colleague adjusts my preferred coordinate system. Now to make it short and shrift, without my wanting to set back the numerous other colleagues: The 42 year old Dutchman Jonnie Boer and his De Librije from the cookie-cutter town Zwolle are an absolute hit. The top of the pyramid, so to speak.
Normally, it’s enough for me to photograph the dishes, which I would like to reproduce during their preparation. If it gets really tricky I use the video camera. With Jonnie Boer I often had to take that video camera in hand. For instance, when Jonnie arranged the
sole served with ravioli of oyster, lemongrass, curry and coconut , spiny lobster -gelatine-soup and confit of onions to rolls of eel filled with goose liver, accompanied baby fennel stuffed with mousse of eel, aspic of orange and gingerbread chips. And on one parallel plate – always according to Boers’ concept, to serve one dish warm and cold – goose liver, eel and “Mac Vin” cold-warm, the latter to counterbalance the intensity of the main products. Also exceptional, crisply fried langustinos covered with a sweet sour celery batter served cold: langustinos mariniated in lime juice, covered with a grid of lardo and Pata Negra.
Jonnie likes to resort to his bag of tricks with his creations. Some of his sophisticated ingredients have names like agar agar, Activa or alginate, names, which remind us of the Adrià school of cooking. And that is exactly what Jonnie Boer is all about: I know of absolutely no-one worldwide, who is able to incorporate the ideas of a Ferran Adrià in such an independent way and also by emphasizing the products. At Adriá I eat brilliant ideas, at “Boer” I eat fantastic products, modernized in such a unique way so that a completely new style is created.”
Three Michelin stars, the last was awarded in 2003, is naturally quite a feat. Especially considering that they were not achieved in France, but in the fries and pancake diaspora of Holland. And that the three stars were achieved by a cook who had spent brief two year apprenticeship in Amsterdam, only to return immediately to Zwolle to a village inn, could almost be considered a daring adventure.
The adventure has two main pillars, on which Jonnie, with all his perfectionism can truly rely. The first is his wife Thérèse, the driving force behind the wine and service. The two have been married for 21 years and even an outsider can still feel the vibrations between them. Totally enviable. The second pillar is called Sidney Schutte and is Boer’s chef de cuisine, who reminds me of my young chef de cuisine Martin Klein: technically perfect and personally absolutely loyal.
The atmosphere in Boer’s kitchen corresponds with his performance. The whole brigade begins each working day at nine with a mutual breakfast. Each person has a four-day week. A sworn-in troop, which reacts with suspicion to curious strangers to their realm. On my first day I ran around being much too inquisitive. The gardemanger thought I was still in training, “ Please cut the orange peel Julienne quickly”, he instructed me. I really tried my best.
Very important for Boer’s extremely sparkling vaulted kitchen are the endless number of heating- lamps. This is the only way that he can arrange his elaborate plates.
I promised Jonnie, that we would increase the number of additional lamps, so that he would not lack anything during his guest performance. Jonnie can be absolutely sure that I will keep my word. For a chef like him I would even consider converting the whole kitchen.
For his restaurant project Hangar-7 at Salzburg Airport, executive chef Roland Trettl (right) flies around the whole world in search of top-ranking chefs. In order to meet Jonnie Boer, Trettl had to saddle his horse – so to speak. Because the 42-year old Dutchmen could not be kept in Amsterdam where he trained.
He was happier to open an inn in Zwolle. The De Librije is considered to be the best restaurant in Holland. Boer has cooked his way to three Michelin stars within a short period of time. His credo: „puur natuurlijk“
Best molecular cuisine à la Jonnie Boer: ravioli of pumkin with goat cheese , roll of noodele with bellpepper aspic, mixed pickle with alginate horseradish, variation of lamb with cucumber, horseradish and “Pandan” rice
During the first few years of being self-employed Jonnie Boer stood from eight in the morning till three at night in kitchen of his “Library”. “It’s really true!”, he assures. He is a relentless perfectionist, worker and charming chef.
Jonnie Boer set up his restaurant De Librije (in English: the library) in the halls of a former convent. He loves old masonry – soon he will be opening a 25-room hotel within the walls of a former women’s prison.
Video
Jonnie Boer's
Guest Chef Menu at Hangar-7
Menu 1
Appetizer
Lollypop of duck confit
***
2x rice
Crispy risotto of tomatoes with garlic and sepia rice cracker
***
Anchovy ice cream and crispy Quinoa
***
Goose liver, eel and „Mac Vin“ COLD - WARM
***
2x Langostinos with Pata Negra, celery and vanilla
***
Sole served with ravioli of oyster, lemongrass, curry and coconut
***
Confit of black cod with asparagus, morels and potato souffle
***
Cheeks of suckling-pig and “Imperial” caviar, beetroot and sour cream ice
***
Variation of lamb with cucumber, horseradish and “Pandan” rice
***
Epoisse cheese, dates, potato brew and star-anise
***
Mango, yogurt and basil
***
Chocolate with pineapple and licorice
Menu 2
Appetizer
Lollypop of duck confit
***
2x rice
Crispy risotto of tomatoes with garlic and sepia rice cracker
***
Anchovy ice cream and crispy Quinoa
***
Goose liver, eel and „Mac Vin“ COLD - WARM
***
2x Langostinos with Pata Negra, celery and vanilla
***
Confit of black cod with asparagus, morels and potato soufflé
***
Variation of lamb with cucumber, horseradish and “Pandan” rice
***
Chocolate with pineapple and licorice
De Librije
Broerenkerkplein 13
8011 tw Zwolle
Tel.: 0031 38 421 20 83
Fax: 0031 38 423 23 29
info@librije.com
www.librije.com
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