My seasoning tips between Lyon and the mountains
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In LaBouffe, under the Tips tag, I always come back to the same idea: I prefer to enhance a dish with just the right amount of herbs, aromatics and sauce rather than mask its flavour. Since I approach meals at my own pace, between a day’s work as an engineer, a bike ride and the desire to eat something straightforward, I keep my cooking precise and simple. In Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, this feels very natural to me: a good base of garlic, flat-leaf parsley, thyme and bay leaf is often enough to add depth to a soup, a slow-cooked dish or roasted vegetables. When I make gratin dauphinois, I stay true to the local method: a dish rubbed with garlic, cream, nutmeg and a little pepper, without overdoing it, so that the potatoes can speak for themselves. And when I make diots in white wine again, or a mountain dish after an outing near Chamonix or a ride back along the Quais du Rhône, I think first about the balance between richness, acidity and herbs, rather than what is fashionable. I apply my best tips to more everyday dishes as well. For example, I often finish a lentil salad or warm vegetable salad with a Grenoble walnut vinaigrette, a touch of mustard, chives and a few fresh herbs: it adds character without weighing it down. Another very practical approach is to gently sauté onion and garlic, add bay leaf and a little savory, then let it infuse before adding my beans, mushrooms or seasonal soup. I also love the sharper contrast of a persillade on potatoes, mushrooms or melted Tomme cheese, because it immediately livens up the plate. I often think about these details when I cook after stopping by the Vieux Lyon market, spending time along the Quais de l’Isère or returning from a walk near the Parc de la Tête d’Or: I look for honest, vibrant cooking, deeply local in its aromas, but never needlessly complicated. That is where I feel at home: in the right flavour, in well-chosen herbs, and in that small balance that makes you want a second helping.
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Where: Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes