What are your childhood memories of Christmas cooking, and how do they influence your cooking today during the festive season?
Most of them are salty souvenirs.
I remember white puddings with apples fried in butter, beautiful poultry from my aunt and uncle's farm in Yvetot-Bocage with a nice stuffing and a few chestnuts, gleaned with my grandfather in the Brix forest.
This influences my vision through a constant search for taste and authenticity.
Can you share some festive recipe ideas for food lovers who want to impress their guests this Christmas?
I'm not one to impress, often the simple things that come from the heart are the best.
I like, for example, a nice smoked salmon from my artisan-smoking friend Lionel Durot with a touch of Corsican clementine jam.
I also like a good foie gras from my friend Francis from "Les foie gras du Ried", a craftsman in Alsace, with a truffle pear jam.
Festive products from passionate artisans!
Which seasonal ingredients do you most enjoy working with over the holidays, and why?
From the end of October, we have our first French citrus fruit arrivals.
For example, the satsuma mandarin produced at La Londe-Les-Maures by Anne Carra, the first Corsican clementines from Jean-Jacques Laurent.
We also have the first exotic fruits such as pineapple victoria and litchis de la Réunion.
Is there a particularly complex or special Christmas recipe that you like to prepare every year?
If so, could you share some tips on how to make it a success?
At Christmas, I particularly like a fine bird, such as a turkey or capon.
The little secret to success is preparation time.
It starts two or three days before New Year's Eve, when I poach the bird in vegetable stock to ensure that it's not dry (there's nothing more unpleasant than a dry bird). The same day, I put it in the oven at a maximum of 130-140°c, basting it regularly.
It can take 4-5 hours, depending on the poultry, to achieve a beautiful finish.
What's your opinion on the use of local and sustainable ingredients during the festive season? How does this influence your menu choices?
When it comes to using local and sustainable ingredients, don't wait until the holiday season to use them.
It's common sense, which I try to pass on to my children. December has never been the time for raspberries and tomatoes!
We're more interested in root vegetables or fruits such as apples and pears, which have been harvested a few weeks before, as well as citrus fruits. It is therefore more logical and economical to eat them at this time of year.
It's hard to come up with a set menu, so we mostly do what the market gardener suggests.
What do you think is the key to creating a memorable holiday dining experience?
The key element is to be surrounded by family and friends, not to make a fuss and to get straight to the point about the products: to have lovely wines like those of my friends Adrien and Guillaume Pire from Château de Fosse-Sèche and, above all, to have lots of laughs.
Can you share a particularly special Christmas memory or career-defining culinary experience that reminds you why you love this season so much?
I have far too many memories to be able to single one out.
If there was one, it would be my childhood Christmases in Valognes, where my maternal and paternal families were reunited for the holidays. There's nothing better than being surrounded by those you love.