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Culinary Heights at Ikarus

MOVIE JUNE
ALEXANDRE COUILLON

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Guest chef June 2016: Alexandre Couillon

An island chef making big waves

Alexandre Couillon was just 22 years old in 1999, when he and his wife, Céline, opened La Marine on Île de Noirmoutier, an island in the French Atlantic. Today, with its two Michelin stars, the restaurant is among the best in the whole of France, and its young chef is among those to whom the future of French haute cuisine belongs.

Some restaurant names are completely meaningless. You can’t even begin to imagine what the owner was thinking when he or she came up with it. And then there are restaurants with names that seem to fit perfectly. restaurant La Marine is among the latter. Located at the extreme tip of Noirmoutier Island, a beautiful, untamed Atlantic island just off the west coast of France, the restaurant’s tables offer unobstructed views of the harbour and the sea.
This small, but exceedingly fine restaurant is not just worth a visit for its idyllic location, however. Here you can experience the work of one of the most important ambassadors of the new French haute cuisine. Alexandre Couillon, a student of Michel Guérard and Thierry Marx, opened the restaurant at the age of 22. He had cooked his way to his first star in the Michelin Guide before he had even celebrated his thirtieth birthday. An honour that he managed to double in 2013 when he was awarded his second star.

Long-celebrated as one of the up-and-coming talents of French cooking, he has now finally made it as a serious leading chef.

Together with his devoted team, Couillon takes a straightforward modern approach to French cuisine based on the products that the island and the natural surroundings of the restaurant have to offer him – and that is predominantly delicious fish and seafood.

And so the menu offers what the restaurant’s name promises: scrambled eggs with sea urchin; monkfish served with a wonderful spear of white asparagus, rounded off with a sauce made from smoked eel and pear; cod smothered in a light goat’s cheese sauce, served with courgette and Charentais melon – that is to name just a few of the maritime delights that emerge from Alexandre Couillon’s kitchen.

The menu is always tailored to the catch of the day, which the chef buys from the harbour’s fish market, just 50 metres away.

A great deal of meticulousness goes into each dish to create a masterpiece of flavour that provides a colourful contrast to the modern black and white décor of the restaurant as it sits on the table – perfectly paired with a local wine from the Vendée region. Céline, the restaurant manager and wife of the chef, emphasises Couillon’s efforts with her friendly and unwaveringly courteous manner, providing the guests with a harmonious and homely dining experience.

It is for that reason that a visit to restaurant La Marine offers a pleasant change from the sometimes overlyexcessive French haute cuisine, but without the guest having to compromise on absolute perfection or the highest level of quality.

Cooking is my art form”, emphasises Alexandre Couillon. “With this art I am able to create beautiful things.

Alexandre Couillon

In June 2016, Alexandre Couillon will be exhibiting his modern culinary works of art in Salzburg as guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus in Hangar-7.

Guest Chef Menu – Alexandre Couillon

Snacks

Noirmoutier potato
Seaweed cracker, emulsion of oysters
Smoked fish
Beetroot tart, mussel cream
Backed mackerel praline

Menu Alexandre Couillon

«Mussels & crustacean»
2014 Saumur Blanc “Les Moulins”, Domaine Guiberteau, Loire, France
***
The black oyster «Erika»
2015 Rosé, Roc D´Anglade, Languedoc, France
***
Grilled white asparagus, sprouts and honey vinaigrette
2013 Chassagne-Montrachet “Morgeot“ Premier Cru, Bernard Moreau, Burgundy, France
***
Langoustine with peas and raspberries
2014 Riesling “Escherndorfer Lump“ S., Horst Sauer, Franken, Germany
***
Char, young broccoli, goat milk and blueberries
2011 Sauvignon Blanc “Reserve” Magnum, Domaine Ciringa, Stajerska Slovenija, Slovenia
***
Guineafowl with small carrots and sea urchin milk
2009 Mattassa Rouge, Côte Catalan, France
***
«A walk through the forest of Chaize»
Sparkling Sake, Ninki-Ichi, Fukushima, Japan
***
Strawberries, cucumber and rhubarb
2012 Riesling Eiswein,Markus Huber, Traisental, Austria

€ 170,00

* Wine Pairings Euro 98 (each 1 glass)
Non Alcoholics Pairings Euro 42

Please be advised that the menu can only be ordered per table

ServusTV: Culinary Heights at Ikarus on

Each month at Salzburg’s two Michelin-starred Restaurant Ikarus, a different top international chef creates the menu. For this globally unique concept, Hangar-7 executive chef Martin Klein visits the cream of the crop, takes a look behind the scenes of haute cuisine, and is let in on some exciting culinary secrets. “Culinary Heights at Ikarus” offers a unique glimpse into the world of high-end cuisine and provides an interesting portrait of each guest chef, their culinary philosophy, and the food culture of their country.

Sat 09.03.18:55Culinary Heights at Ikarus - with James Gaag

La Marine

Noirmoutier en ile, France

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Currently at Hangar-7

Currently at Hangar-7

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