After a one issue break, we return to our series of personal recipes from Michelin-starred chef Stéphane Décotterd. And its key ingredient could hardly be more locally sourced, as it comes from the lake that we look out onto from Glion campus!

What a few weeks it has been for our master chef, Stéphane Décotterd! His signature restaurant on Glion campus retained its coveted Michelin star, and he published his first recipe book, entitled Gastronomie entre lac et montagnes (Gastronomy between lake and mountains).

This lavish, 216-page French language edition showcases a wonderful selection of Stéphane’s recipes, including some that will be familiar to readers of The Insider. This issue’s recipe also features in the book. It’s classic Décotterd, using pike sourced from Lake Geneva.

Stéphane says of this slightly unusual fish choice, “Northern pike is a voracious predator that reigns supreme in the waters of Lake Geneva. It is often unpopular in the kitchen because of its many bones, which is why it is most often found in the form of quenelles. However, its firm, white flesh is ideal for a wide range of dishes and deserves some attention.

“Because of its inverted Y-shaped bones, the pike fillet needs to be incised before it can be boned. This process is rather tedious, but essential if you want to keep the fillet whole. Fortunately, most fishermen sell it already prepared.”

So, head to your specialist fishmonger and see if you can source some pike, then give this wonderful recipe a try.

Buy the book!

Stéphane’s book is now available for international delivery on both Amazon and Fnac retail websites.

And if you’re in Switzerland and would like to purchase a copy of the book directly, simply click here to visit the Maison Décotterd shop.

Recipe (4 servings)

Pike mousseline
– 160g boneless pike fillet
– 6g salt
– 4g sugar
– 1 egg
– 160g full cream
– 50g soft butter

Dice the pike fillet and place in the bowl of an electric chopper. Add the salt, sugar and egg and blend finely.

While still blending, add the soft butter, then the cream. The mixture should be smooth and shiny. Pour into a piping bag.

Stuffed pike roast
– 1 boneless pike fillet (300g)
– Pike mousseline
– Salt

Cut the pike fillet lengthwise to “butterfly” it. Season lightly with salt and place a layer of stuffing inside the fish. Close the fillet and roll in plastic wrap.

Cook for 10 minutes in a steam oven preheated to 85°C. The core temperature should reach 55°C.

Let it cool, remove the plastic wrap and set aside until ready to roast.

Pike head jus
– 450g pike heads and/or bones, rinsed and cut into chunks
– 1 onion, quartered
– 2 shallots, coarsely sliced
– 1 small leek (white part), coarsely sliced
– 1 celery stalk, cut into chunks
– Olive oil
– 125g tomato juice
– 1 teaspoon tomato paste
– Sherry vinegar
– Salt, Tabasco

Mix the heads and bones with the quartered onion and a drizzle of olive oil. Spread out on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Roast for 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 180°C.

Meanwhile, cook the shallots, leek, celery and tomato paste in olive oil. Add the roasted pike and onion. Add the tomato juice and add water to cover. Cook over a low heat for 2 hours. Strain and reduce until it has a syrupy consistency.

Adjust the seasoning with a dash of vinegar.

Ratte potato brandade with lavender
– 300g full cream
– 4g dried lavender (available from herbalists)
– 50g pike fillet
– 220g Ratte potatoes
– 8 garlic cloves
– Salt

Bring the cream to the boil, remove from the heat, add the lavender and let infuse.

Wash and brush the potatoes but do not peel them, then cook them in boiling salted water.

Peel the garlic cloves, remove the germ and blanch three times.

Season the pike fillet with salt and steam (or pan-fry) for 5 minutes.

Strain the cream and combine all the ingredients in the blender. Blend finely, adjust the seasoning and pour into a siphon. Add 2 gas chargers. Set aside in a bain-marie at 55°C.

Pointed cabbage
– 1 pointed cabbage

Remove the cabbage leaves, select the largest ones and set the core aside for another recipe. Cook the leaves in boiling salted water, then cool in ice-cold water and drain. Cut into 8 discs of 9 cm in diameter, set aside 4 discs to make crisps.

Quickly run the flame of a blowtorch over the last 4 discs to bring out the veins in the leaves. Set them aside until ready to serve.

Pointed cabbage crisps
Fry the 8 cabbage discs in an oil bath at 170°C without browning. Drain and season lightly with salt. Dry in an oven at 50°C on paper towels to remove any excess oil.

Finishing and plating
– Stuffed pike roast
– Salt
– Homemade spice mix (see basic recipes)
– Flour
– 40g butter
– Cabbage leaf discs
– Cabbage leaf crisps
– Pike head juice
– Ratte potato brandade
– Olive oil

Sprinkle the pike roast with salt and spices, then dust lightly with flour. Brown in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil, finish with a knob of butter and baste.

Slice into 4 equal parts.

Heat the cabbage leaves with a drop of water; add a knob of butter and coat. Coat the bottom of the plates with the pike head juice. Using the siphon, add a dome of brandade. Place the pike on top.

Garnish with a crisp and a cabbage leaf.

Photo credit

Stéphane with book: Céline Michel