The Jura on a plate!
He declares loud and clear on his voicemail that Joël Césari is a "Jurassian chef". With his deep-rooted origins, the chef puts the whole of the Jura on the menu of La Chaumière. His is a close-up on a region that regales as much as it seduces, a veritable open-air pantry.
If Joël Césari claims to be a chef of terroir cuisine, it is because the Jura is so much more than the land where he was born. An unspoilt land of overflowing abundance, “a land where people thrive”, where they are sincere in their hearts and true in their sentiment, the Jura is genuine, beautiful and pure. With its bountiful wilderness, lakes, mountains and forests, it offers the chef a treasure trove of fresh produce, exquisite fish and game, and mushrooms with an earthy woodland taste. “One could almost live in self-sufficiency here.”
At the table ofLa Chaumière, the Jura can be savoured on the tip of your fork in a host of original creations. Pike and pike-perch from its lakes, sausage from Morteaux, asparagus from Ruffey, morel mushrooms, Comté cheese, vinegar from Philippe Gonet in Arbois, vegetables from the Val de Saône, honey from Frédéric Perchat inVillette-lès-Dole - the approach is one of sourcing produce locally from passionate producers.
The snails of Anne-Catherine Bonvalot are served in a delicate parmesan tart, with garlic purée, pan-fried snails, a parsley jelly and emulsion and Haut-Jura gentian ice cream. It really packs a punch and offers a mouthwatering slice of the region. On the poultry side, ducks from Maison Mairet are paired with sweet onions from the Cévennes, rice chips, parsley oil and black garlic condiment. As for the Jura morel mushroom, it is showcased on the dessert menu, with an astonishing creation based around a sugar tube, a Haut-Jura absinthe mousse, morel mushrooms, curry ice cream and a morel caramel sauce. The flavours ring out clear and true. The fish dishes invite you to take a boat trip on the nearby lakes, the game and mushrooms to inhale the fresh air of the dense Jura forests, and the wines to embark on a stroll through the vineyards of Arbois and beyond.
If you ask him to talk about his region, Joël Césari will evoke the fragrance of the Château-Chalon vines and the imperious beauty of the steephead valley of Baume-les-Messieurs. But rather than simply talking about it, why not sample the Jura by tantalising your taste buds at La Chaumière.
